Monday, October 03, 2005
Nicknames
Since Campfyah got curious about the different blog names I find myself thinking of the nicknames that the people I come into contact with possess. Some nicknames are merely a shortened form of a person’s given name e.g. Kami or some totally unrelated variation (to me of course). I still cannot figure out why William is Bill or for that matter Richard is Dick. Maybe, today will be the day I get enlightened.
Then there are the nicknames which are borne from physical characteristics giving rise to a tall person being called Tallboy, a short one Shortie etc. In some instances the nicknames associated with physical characteristics are the opposite of the persons so you may find a skinny person being called Fatman.
The thing with nicknames is that they become so universally accepted that you often forget the person has any other name. I have even known of persons who use their nicknames as their given name.One of my friends is known by the name Jasmine but it is no where to be found on her birth certificate. The story goes that after her parents had registered her names the mother decided to call her Jasmine and it stuck.
So here goes some of the nicknames ranging from the cruel to the ridiculous with the funny some where in the mix. One boy I know goes by the name Cantankerous because everyone in his group found him to be very disagreeable .How ironic that his name is Joe but the nickname ended up being four times as long. A conductor on one of the minivans is called Monkey,a nickname that connotes blackness and ugliness. Sociologists,make what you will of this. Coincidentally, the brother is Turkey although the connection escapes me as he neither gobbles nor does he have a long neck or any other thing turkey. Maybe, it is just a fascination with the animal kingdom. By the way the driver of the minibus is Stick Man, a name which needs no explanation. Another young man who is not easy on the eye (am striving hard for political corrected ness here) goes by the name Horror.
Then, there is this older man called Sticky panty. No one knows for sure the origin of the name which means you have a license to let your imagination roam. Recently, I heard a youngster being called Warne not because of his cricketing abilities but as a tribute to the ease with which he can spin anything to his advantage. Closer to home my grandmother was called Princess and I like to think they saw something stately in her even as a child. A popular figure associated with netball coaching is known as Yard ah mouth due to the fact that his mouth is unusually wide. Thanks to the popularity of the movie King Kong quite a few Kongs,all unattractive can be found walking the street. Like I said some of the names can be quite cruel but over time the recipients probably grew to accept them.
Strangely, I find the female nicknames to be less interesting than the men although I know a Cinderella.The village christened another woman Ball of Fire due to her feistiness. This could go on for ever but am going to end here and invite your comments.
Then there are the nicknames which are borne from physical characteristics giving rise to a tall person being called Tallboy, a short one Shortie etc. In some instances the nicknames associated with physical characteristics are the opposite of the persons so you may find a skinny person being called Fatman.
The thing with nicknames is that they become so universally accepted that you often forget the person has any other name. I have even known of persons who use their nicknames as their given name.One of my friends is known by the name Jasmine but it is no where to be found on her birth certificate. The story goes that after her parents had registered her names the mother decided to call her Jasmine and it stuck.
So here goes some of the nicknames ranging from the cruel to the ridiculous with the funny some where in the mix. One boy I know goes by the name Cantankerous because everyone in his group found him to be very disagreeable .How ironic that his name is Joe but the nickname ended up being four times as long. A conductor on one of the minivans is called Monkey,a nickname that connotes blackness and ugliness. Sociologists,make what you will of this. Coincidentally, the brother is Turkey although the connection escapes me as he neither gobbles nor does he have a long neck or any other thing turkey. Maybe, it is just a fascination with the animal kingdom. By the way the driver of the minibus is Stick Man, a name which needs no explanation. Another young man who is not easy on the eye (am striving hard for political corrected ness here) goes by the name Horror.
Then, there is this older man called Sticky panty. No one knows for sure the origin of the name which means you have a license to let your imagination roam. Recently, I heard a youngster being called Warne not because of his cricketing abilities but as a tribute to the ease with which he can spin anything to his advantage. Closer to home my grandmother was called Princess and I like to think they saw something stately in her even as a child. A popular figure associated with netball coaching is known as Yard ah mouth due to the fact that his mouth is unusually wide. Thanks to the popularity of the movie King Kong quite a few Kongs,all unattractive can be found walking the street. Like I said some of the names can be quite cruel but over time the recipients probably grew to accept them.
Strangely, I find the female nicknames to be less interesting than the men although I know a Cinderella.The village christened another woman Ball of Fire due to her feistiness. This could go on for ever but am going to end here and invite your comments.
# posted by Abeni @ 8:06 AM 
Comments:
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Well I can relate here. My son's friends run the gammit in the flora and fauna arena with nicknames such as beef, dawg, twig and bamboo etc. Never bothered to get into the reasons because I figure it's gonna be a waste of time trying to understand them.
Nicknames have never really stuck to me. I was, however, dubbed 'super bitch' for a short while back in college. Never could figure that one out. :P
Same in Jamaica...I used to be called Stiffy in high school (simply because I told really bad, i.e. Stiff jokes). But other names we had included half-a-ducks, chippy, monkey-man, nostrildamus...among others.
Here the monkey nickname is popular too but so is Sample which is the short for "Sample of a Monkey"! We black people are cruel to one another...I know a man they called Macaque Rouge...which is red monkey in creole...the man was half white or something so.
But mostly around here I find nicknames come out of something silly somebody says especially if the person mispronounces a word or uses it wrongly.
But mostly around here I find nicknames come out of something silly somebody says especially if the person mispronounces a word or uses it wrongly.
Last year I had a teacher call me "Joanie" for no apparent reason. He was a creepy old man and I was his favorite student. The whole nickname thing was kind of weird actually.
I am also frequently called "gimpy" because of my clutzy tendencies.
I am also frequently called "gimpy" because of my clutzy tendencies.
That's so true, there are some people that were on my dorm that I only know by there dorm name. There are also some of my coworkers who used to go to school with me and we still refer to each other by out aliases.
I find it hilarious when you ask some people their name, and they give you a multiple choice.
"What's your name?"
"Patsy or Betty"
Or when you ask their name, and the go "aaaaaam,.. hmmmm... roberts"
Also the yard yute who cuts my grass, he goes by Rickey - which is no part of his name, and was just taken on because he likes it.
Or, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Diddy, Puffy, whatever
"What's your name?"
"Patsy or Betty"
Or when you ask their name, and the go "aaaaaam,.. hmmmm... roberts"
Also the yard yute who cuts my grass, he goes by Rickey - which is no part of his name, and was just taken on because he likes it.
Or, Puff Daddy, P Diddy, Diddy, Puffy, whatever
we aint had no monkey or money man but we had a fella name ghandi cause he was real dark.
also kno a boss hogg cause of his size, a butta fingers cause the fella used ta drop every catch when we playing cricket .
nice post by the way
also kno a boss hogg cause of his size, a butta fingers cause the fella used ta drop every catch when we playing cricket .
nice post by the way
ive called this one girl stoner forever then someone pointed her out and said whats her name? I couldnt remember what her real name was.
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