Talk:Nickname

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Contents

[edit] List pages

Due to the great length of the page, I suggest combining the nicknames that are on this page, but not on the other (such as City nicknames), and then just putting a link to the other page. I began to do this with the American football nicknames.--Jickyincognito 08:10, 22 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Australian "ironic" nicknames

Regarding Australian "ironic" nicknames - how can I prove it, it's just a known fact. People round here (NW NSW) use that form of construction all the time. "Blue" in particular is a defining usage of Australian English especially abroad - "G'Day Blue" is a stereotype and cliche of the way Aussies talk. I have various guide books on Australia and most mention this type of nicknaming as typically Australian - take a characteristic and invent a nickname based on its opposite. What else is there to say? Anecdotal and what written evidence I have backs this up. I'm not sure why you're so against remarking that this is Aussie usage anyway - usually edits have to be defended. I've defended my end - argue yours. Graham 03:19, 14 Jan 2004 (UTC)

Carrot Top was more common in Western Australia as well as in India. As I'm "strawberry blonde" I sometimes got called that moniker, always derogatory. I can't remember any redheads being called Red. However, I remember Spenny for Brian Spencer, Smithy for Nevil Smith, Wattsy for Alan Watts. My father was once known as Ned because he reminded people of Ned Kelly from Australian bushranger lengends. It must be noted that my experience of Australia growing up was the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Due to the remoteness of Kalgroorlie its cultural bias naturally contrasts with any cultural bias throughout Eastern Australia. Honestly I had never thought to even call myself Blue when introdoucing myself ... I'll have to try it sometime. Ivan 11:35 PM, 11 Oct 2007 (UTC)

Easy: How many actual people have that nickname? (Blue) I've never met a single one myself, and know of no well-known celebrities or sports people with that nickname. Generally the word "blue", in Australian slang terms, means a fight, a mistake, or depressed. To me, these common usages with their negative overtones make it unlikely as a common nickname. (Also, it is extremely rare for a straight-haired person to be nicknamed "curly"!) If this was a common nicknaming construction, then one would expect some famous actual examples, yet "Slim" Dusty is not fat, while "The Great White Shark" indeed had white hair.

However, I will not remove the "cliched, stereotype" again.

Yes, blue means all those things as well. That doesn't mean it is NEVER applied to a red-haired person. In fact my girlfriend gets called Blue occasionally by her Aussie colleagues, and yes, she has red hair. This is not proof of course, but then again, neither is being unable to think of a person you know or have heard of with such a nickname - that's just a lack of personal anecdotal evidence. Also, counterexamples don't prove it either - "'Slim" Dusty may not have been fat but that doesn't mean all those nicknamed Slim are likewise not fat. I'm not saying that this form is especially common, and maybe it's a form that is dying out (this is a definite possibility, because I personally have a hunch that this was something the Aussies inherited from the Poms, and was possibly a lot more common back in the old colonial days - this form is still used quite commonly in the UK), but you do hear the occasional example, and the guide books mention it, so... I think it should be left in. Graham 03:49, 14 Jan 2004 (UTC)


I never said it never happened. I deleted the bit about Australia because I felt this construction wasn't neccesarily common in, nor restricted to, Australia - which is what you are now saying too. Also, I never removed the whole thing, I only removed the bit saying it was common in Australia (as opposed to anywhere else). I just don't think that it neccessarily is common in Australia. Maybe the guide books all got that tid-bit from... other guide books? It really was an extremely minor deletion anyway, an attempt to remove stereotype which I've never been a big fan of. MyallR 14 Jan 2004

I would just like to add that as an Australian I hear the term "Bluey" used as a nickname for red-heads all the time, and think it should be in the article. But I would also like to mention that this article has a very strong English POV, and should be edited to become more international. For example, the sports nicknames doesn't mention a single sports club from outside England. --plattopus (talk) 17:34, Mar 18, 2005 (UTC)

I'm in the not-really-common camp - but some other examples, both Ashley Mallett and Dale Shearer got "Rowdy" for being quiet. -- Paul 28 June 2005 15:56 (UTC)

Relating to given names: To use "abbreviation" and "diminutive" as synonymous does make sense in English, but not in many other languages. In the Italian example used "Giovannino" is a diminutive from "Giovanni" and it is longer.In fact, in many languages diminutives are formed by affixes and tend to be longer than the straight form of the name. --Georgius 08:25, 15 May 2005 (UTC)

Re: "Slim Dusty is not fat". Yes, but what about Fatty Finn? "He's not fat, he's really very thin." Zsero 04:36, 5 February 2007 (UTC)


Regardless of whether ironic nicknames are common in Australia, there is nothing uniquely or particularly Australian about it. See Charles the Bald, Eric "Slowhand" Clapton, King Tubby etc. etc. I think this is a pretty much universal nicknaming practice. In the absence of more evidence, I don't think the Australian usage is particularly noteworthy. 203.96.78.190 00:42, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Nicknames used in online communities

Need to add discussion of nicknames as used in online communities -- Sitearm | Talk 22:31, 2005 August 4 (UTC)

I agree, but what should we say of it? - Redmess 18:59, 10 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Pet Names

Pet name redirects here, yet there is no information on them (pet names referring to names lovers may refer to each other as). I am particularly interested in common pet names in other languages, but there should be at least a mention nonetheless. --Zeromaru 18:28:17, 2005-09-09 (UTC)

[edit] Hockey Team Names

Ottawa Senators - nickname - Sens


I'm thinking this page is a tad long, and has a fairly random list of nicknames. It might make more sense to get rid of the list in the main article, and simply link to it, or to separate lists sorted by category.Somethingsin 11:33, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

Sounds like a good idea. If I can, Ill try and do some of the sports pages that will help shorten the page a bit.PYLrulz 03:28, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Etymology

There doesn't appear to be any information on how the term came about. Can anyone help? --jazzle 21:52, 19 July 2006 (UTC)


I don't think the etymology listed here is correct. There are two words to be considered here. The expression "to eke out" comes from a different Old English that I think may be the one listed here (I'll have to verify). I almost certain "eke" was a word that meant "also" maybe related to German "auch". Deman7001 01:41, 6 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] discussion of Nigger

Nigger for a person of African descent (strongly offensive, particularly if said by a person of non-African descent; sometimes used by African-American persons as an offensive insult)

What other type of insult is there? I thought it was used ironically as a term of endearment between African-Americans who know each other well, but if you don't know them and you call them Nigger it's unacceptable. Garrie 04:26, 17 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Others

I don't see it here, but there are other ways. For instance, Harold "Betty" Stark, named for a boast he made, repeating a boast of a famous general's wife, mistakenly identifying her as "Betty" (her actual name was "Molly".) Also, there's "the Tiger of Malaysia" (Yamashita), "Dugout Doug" (MacArthur), "Tenacious" (Raizo Tenaka), to name just a few that come to mind... Anybody want to try & place these? Trekphiler 03:42, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

To follow my last, whatsay a List of military figures? Trekphiler 04:38, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Crims?

I don't see it here anymore. Isn't there a list of criminals by nickname? Or did some high & mighty decide it wasn't relevant enough? 11:24, 7 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Nicknames for people

May be this is my poor understanding of English, but something is really screwed up here. This section lists ethnic slurs and other offenses, rather possible personal names: Canuck, Bananabender, Wop, etc. At least they are in no way match the definition given in this article.

Please clarify`'mikkanarxi 22:15, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] not verified

Does anyone verufy these long and growing and unreferenced lists of nicknames? I am tempted to delete nearly all of them as unsourced. `'mikkanarxi 23:21, 26 October 2006 (UTC)

I also think the list part of this article should be deleted. You could build this list for years and have thousands of nicknames most of which are subjective, unverified and unreferenced. Having examples is ok, or detailing common and wide spread nicknames is helpful. But I fail to see why listing the nicknames for every sporting team, venue and other such item is useful. Especially as the nickname will always be detailed in the article about the target of the nickname. Rimmeraj 23:27, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

jovanny was here!!!

I aggree as well. Some of these nicknames could be verified ("The Windy City" = Chicago), but most seem a bit odd. Also you run into the problem of ethnic slurs, and how to deal with them (also noted above). Any useful information on nicknames is being driven out and replaced with this list of nicknames. Maybe there should be a seperately maintained list of nicknames..? --159.178.50.186 20:17, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

some reason this is a problem in several articles, people seem to think they are allowed to list every little nickname they hear, even if they are not widely accepted nicknames --Ditre 00:25, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How to use nicknames

Should there be a section on usage of nicknames? Such as, in written form we sometimes use quotes to set off a nickname, and sometimes not. Additionally, what about nickname placement in writing. I understand that there is no standard, but a small discussion on the subject may be informative. In spoken language, does every culture use nicknames as English speakers do? Etc. --159.178.50.186 20:17, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Wikiproject

I proposed a wikiproject for all name articles, check it out here [1] if you are interested. Remember 18:16, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] How Do You Get This Nickname Out of the Other?

Very many have wondered how do you get Peggy from Margaret? Well, I can only say that "E" can replace "A" or the other way around in nicknames. Because "R" isn't always pronounceable before consonants, the "R" disappears, like in Babs from Barbara. I don't know what "M" and "P" have in common.

If anybody has asked about other unusual nicknames, like Bob from Robert, I can tell you that Anglo Saxon nicknames switch the first letter that has to somehow have a connection with the original letter. 66.191.115.61 23:45, 3 August 2007 (UTC)Cbsteffen


I would like an explanation of nickname-like abbreviations -- like Wm for William, Jos for Joseph, and so on...if those aren't nicknames, what are they? I would add it, but I don't know. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.102.186.18 (talk) 04:25, 29 February 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Lists

The start of the article is a useful encyclopaedic article but it descends into an unencyclopaedic unweildy article. Should the lists of nicknames be gone? B1atv 19:08, 20 September 2007 (UTC)


[edit] Porker McChubbs

Has anyone actually heard this nickname being used? I can think of many many nicknames for fat people that are more common than this one. TheAstonishingBadger 23:18, 9 November 2007 (UTC)

I sort of wondered about this one too. Clay4president2 (talk) 18:07, 28 December 2007 (UTC)