Nickname
A
nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or thing's real name, (for example,
Nick is short for
Nicholas). As a concept, it is distinct from a
pseudonym, though there may be overlap between the two.
Etymology: In Middle English the word was
ekename (from the verb
to eke, "enlarge"; compare Swedish
öknamn). Later,
an ekename developed into
a nickname.
In
Viking societies, many people had nicknames
heiti,
viðrnefni or
uppnefi which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts.
People and their Nicknames
Types of personal nickname:
1. A nickname may relate directly to a person's first name. Examples:\n*Ally for Allison\n*Andy and Andie for Andrew and Andrea\n*Bill, Billy, Will, Willy for William\n*Bob, Rob for Robert\n*Chuck, Chaz, Charlie for Charles\n*Donna for Donnatella\n*Jack for John\n*Kate, Katie, Kathy for Katherine\n*Leo for Leonard or Leopold\n*Mandy for Amanda or Madeline\n*Nate, Nat for Nathan, Nathaniel, Natalie\n*Nell for Eleanor\n*Peggy, Maggie, Meg, Marg for Margaret or Megan\n*Ron, Ronnie for Ronald\n*Ricky, Dick, Rich, Rick for Richard\n*Sam for Samuel or Samantha\n*Steph or Stephie for Stephanie\n*Steve for Stephen or Steven\n*Sue for Susan\n*Ted, Ned, Ed, Eddie for Edward\n*Ted, Teddy for Theodore\n*Trish for Patricia
2. A nickname may relate directly to a person's surname. Examples:\n*Mitch for someone with the surname Mitchell\n*Sully for someone with the surname Sullivan
3. It may also relate indirectly to a surname. Examples:\n*Chalky for someone with the surname White\n*Sandy for someone with the surname Brown\n*Dicky for someone with the surname Bird
4. A nickname may relate to the person's calling. Examples: \n*Chip for a carpenter\n*Chief for a boss
5. It may relate (offensively or otherwise) to a person's nationality or place of origin. Examples:\n*Aussie for an Australian\n*Kiwi for a New Zealander\n*Limey for an English person (U.S. usage); Pom or Pommy (Australian usage)\n*Mac for a Scottish person\n*Scouse for a person from Liverpool\n*Taff for a Welsh person\n*Tex for a person from Texas\n*Wack for a person from Liverpool
See also: List of British regional nicknames
6. It may relate to a person's physical characteristics. Examples:\n*Tubby for a fat person\n*Lofty for a tall person\n*Four-eyes for a person with glasses\nConversely, it may be used ironically for someone with the opposite characteristic, e.g. Curly for someone with straight hair - this form is very typical in Australian English, e.g:\n* Blue for a person with red hair\n* Shorty for a very tall person\n* Slim for a fat person
7. It may relate to a person's character. Examples:\n*Grumpy\n*Swotty\n*Romeo
8. It may relate to a specific incident or action. Example: Capability Brown was so called because he used the word "capability" instead of "possibility". Other examples include: Chemical Ali, Comical Ali.
\n9. It may compare the person with a famous or fictional character. Examples:\n*Napoleon or Hitler for someone with a dictatorial manner
10. A famous person's nickname may be unique to them:\n*Tippecanoe for William Henry Harrison\n*Dubya for George W. Bush, a president who uses and has acquired several other nicknames as well. Dubya is from the Texan pronunciation of 'w', Bush's middle initial.\n*Jack The Dripper for painter Jackson Pollock who created many of his works by dripping paint over horizontal canvas\n*Spithead for Paul Wolfowitz.
11. A person's nickname may have no traceable origin. For example, a person named "Harold" may be nicknamed "Fred" for no apparent reason, or a man who was named after a relative may ask his friends to call him "Chip" to avoid confusion.
Cities and their Nicknames
See also list of city nicknames for a more comprehensive list.
Some Common Items and their Nicknames
\n*bug - Volkswagen Beetle\n*loo -
toilet\n*Old Glory - the
Flag of the United States\n*boob tube -
television
Professions and their Nicknames
\n*Shovelbums - Archaeological Field Technicians\n*Roughnecks - Oil Riggers\n*cop - Police Officers\n*shark -
Lawyers\n*Frogs - Navy Seals\n**Other Military nicknames
http://www.redding.com/specials/special_forces/
much to add here, this is a start
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