Doing just a cursory search on the internet of the word nickname yielded some doozies–especially those from the middle ages. It might be worth a laugh or two for you to take a look.
Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel (Image courtesy of Wikipedia)
I came across Benjamin Siegel, AKA Bugsy. I tried to discover why he acquired that moniker, but couldn’t find the origin. I did find out that his killer was never brought to justice.
I guess a cool nickname doesn’t mean much when you’re a bad guy.
***
I had a couple when I was a wee lass. My siblings called me Debo (pronounced Dee-bo), and my dad called me Housemouse–because I preferred being in the house reading instead of out of the house playing. My dad and brother still call me those names on occasion.
Or, just these . . .
And this one from a way long time ago!
How about you, TKZers? Did you ever have a nickname growing up, cool or otherwise? Does anyone still call you by that name? And, do you give your characters nicknames?
Do tell . . .
“Do tell…”
Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.
➽Ben Siegel was called “Bugsy” because he had a volatile temper that often led to violence, making him seem insane. Various people called him “insane along certain lines” (FBI agent), “a sociopath,” and “crazy as a bedbug” (rival mobster). He was a good father, according to a daughter.
➽I never give characters nicknames. They confuse readers.
➽My father would call my sister Julie, “Oojie-gaboojie,” on some occasions. “Juliana Raspiglosi,” on others. I’m sure she loved it. (I did, however, carefully avoid calling her either name. Did I mention she was my older sister?)
➽I do believe in pen names. “Damson Greengage Satsuma” is my nom de plum, but my first sale was under the name, “Paul Pendragon.”
➽I sort of collect odd names, just in case I’ll need one:
Hakana Hepew Naukama Doh Nufum Bodafu
Apatana Guru Sheikh Yabudi Shettup Yussef
Heshep Yamouf Aga Chubayb J. Y. Vimpta
Puzzle: A heaping helping of kudos to anyone who can explain J Y Vimpta’s origins.
PS: I did manage to dredge up a sole example of using a nickname in my ficciones:
“Are you Myron Sledge, the detective?” she asked, standing blondly in front of the glass door that said, “Myron Sledge, Private Detective” in gold letters three inches high. I looked up, prepared to make some smart remark, but smart deserted me as soon as I got a look at her eyes, a pair of beautiful, deep brown eyes like left and right jabs to the solar plexus.
“Uh, sure, I’m Myron Sledge,” I drawled. “Call me ‘Mike’.” I leaned back, flicked open my Zippo with one hand, and nonchalantly lit what turned out to be the filter end of the cigarette dangling from my lips. “C’mon in,” I coughed. “Have a seat,” I wheezed.
RE: Bugsy’s nickname: I guess you just had to be there to make sense of it. Hearing the word Bugsy does not make me think of volatile temper. It’s like a misplaced nickname. I hear the word Bugsy and think it’s someone who loved to watch Saturday morning cartoons with Road Runner, Wile Coyote and Bugs Bunny. 😎
I kind of thought the same thing, Brenda. But then I remembered the crazy way my mantids look at me sometimes, like they’re sizing me up for their dinner plates…
I suspect it was the way he wiggled his eyeballs when perturbed. “Bugsy” was based on the expression, “crazy as a bedbug.” I’ve not had the opportunity to observe bedbugs, either sane or mentally challenged, so don’t ask.
Good Friday morning, J! So, you’re not in a sharing mood today . . . well, that’s okay. Not a requirement. I didn’t add some that the little monsters in grade school gave me either. Those would turn my ears pink…
Interesting what you found about Bugsy’s name. I guess I didn’t look in the right places. I can kind of see why “Bugsy” arose over his periods of seeming insanity.
Have a great Friday!
A very common nickname is just a shortened version of the name. From the short story prequel to my trilogy, meet actor Andrew O’Connell:
—
St. Paddy’s Day, Grafton Street, Dublin
…
She shimmered, rosy-cheeked, kissed me softly on the cheek. “Hello, Andy.” She’s the only one, other than the lads and me ma, I ever let call me ‘Andy.’ None of the other girls. But I was so sure she was the one. I’d met her our first film acting together, and grabbed her up. Even ma, back on the farm I could’na wait to leave, liked her. “Don’t let this one go,” ma said. But I was bloody stupid.
—
https://prideschildren.com/too-late-prequel/
Hey Alicia! Andy sounds like a swell guy!
“But I was bloody stupid.” Did he learn his lesson? Inquiring minds want to know.
Have a great weekend!
Yes – but a LOT of water will go under the bridge first – the whole first two volumes of Pride’s Children, and there’s a huge amount to figure out in the third that will be counted under that rubric.
Hope your weekend is great, too.
Can we say, Job security?
🙂
I didn’t really get one until my youngest son started taking Spanish in middle school and he started calling me “Jorge,” which was soon picked up his older brother, of course, then the bride, and now it’s pretty ubiquitous here in North Georgia among family and friends – sometimes drawled/drawn out as “Hore-Hey,” and often preceded by “Hola…” in greeting. There’s even a story one of the boys told about me being asked after by friends and the whole conversation was, “How’s Jorge?”, “What’s Jorge been up to?”, Jorge this and Jorge that, and finally, someone new to the group asked, “Who the hell is Jorge?” which has become an inside joke these kinda things turn into…
My sister was an “itsy bitsy thing” as Dad said about her infant self when she was first brought home from the hospital, and the name (and diminutive size) still stands – all she’s ever introduced as is Bitsy, and folks are amazed when they learn her “real” name is Janet… If memory serves – and sometimes it doesn’t – I believe even at her wedding, the preacher asked, “Do you Bitsy, take Bob…”
As to using nicknames in my scrawling – on occasion, but it’s how the character is introduced and the name used throughout – with a reference – usually humorous – to his/her “real name” which is typically in contrast to his/her personality… kinda like Bitsy and Janet… or even Jorge and George…
Adios…
Welcome, Jorge! Who the h#%& are you anyway? 🙂
Love your Bitsy and Bob story. I forgot until just today that my older bro (by 13 months) was called Jughead by my Dad for most of his growing up years. I think the family AKAs are the best.
Thanks for stopping by this morning, Jorge. (See? We can play, too!)
My family calls me Cindy. Dad called me Cinderella. My parents used to sing “You Are My Sunshine” to me and also called me Sunshine.
Because I was from Florida, Sunshine also ended up being my Air Force nickname. One of our flight’s TIs at basic training also called me Princess. Didn’t care for the way she said it.
https://wp.me/p2iC9c-7G
I get that last one… I got called “Georgie” from time to time, and it depended on who was saying it… the mom down the street made me cringe whenever she used it… 😣…
…but Coach Palmer made it sound like horsehide and leather and bats and red clay… ⚾
Thank goodness for Coach Palmer, then!
🙂
Indeed~! 😁
Hi, Cynthia . . . um, Sunshine! That song was a staple at our house, too. My mom used to sing it to us sometimes.
Thank you for your service, by the way. That TI probably had a “tone” for all the recruits.
Have a great day…
Fun topic, Deebo.
I grew up when the hula hoop first became popular, so Hooley was changed to Hooley-hoop. Fortunately, when my family moved to another school district, the name was left behind.
I do name the members of my Mad River Magic gang with short nicknames that reflect their personality and fit with the Native American (Shawnee) culture that once existed in our area:
Leighton – Scout
Averie – Aves
Regan – Rey
Lillian – Lil
Marian – Mari
Ethan – Chief
Brooklyn – Brook
Rhys – Arch
Have a great day!
Hey, Hoop! Now I won’t be able to get that one out of my head!
I looked up the origin of the word “nickname”, and came up with this: “The compound word ekename, literally meaning “additional name”, was attested as early as 1303.”
So, Hoop, your AKA might’ve been around a long, long time. 🙂
I like your character nicknames. I’ve given my characters nicknames also.
Nora – Nora-Bora
Hank – Hankster the Prankster
Kymber – Kimmie
Have a great day, my friend!
Fun topic, Debo 🙂
Growing up, classmates called me “Brain” because I loved to read and was interested in astronomy and history. I’m now in an online group where the founder gave me the call sign of “Brain.” He didn’t know that was my nickname growing up, so I was doubly honored.
My librarian sleuth Meg Booker is called “Megatron” by her big brother Theo, and “Megaline” by the children’s librarian.
Hope you have a great weekend!
And good morning to you, Brain!
Having your brainy nickname resurrected in your online group must’ve been fun for sure.
Here’s another serendipitous story for today. I have a 5 year journal I write in every day, called One Question A Day. It has a random question to be answered for each day of the year. And it’s formatted so that you can see all your answers for that day through the years. It’s pretty cool to see how my answers morphed through the years. I’m on the 5th year, so maybe I’ll get another one.
So, the story: I did not see this until this morning, but today’s question is, “What nickname do you like for yourself?” Coulda knocked me over with a nickname when I read that and answered it this morning. 🙂
Have a great day!
Now that you remind me, one boy in my 4th grade, David Locke, used to call me “Professor.” IIRR, his dad was a professor at a local college.
My dad called me Mini Meowie; he called Mom Kitten. Such a sweet man.
Ahh…Sue, how sweet is that? Have you used nicknames for your characters?
Have Mini Meowie day!
Many of my characters have nicknames. Just Shawnee alone has: Cat, Cautious Cat, Ghost Dog, Mourning Dove (all have meaning)
Ghost Dog . . .
Sounds very mysterious!
Good topic, DeBo!
My father occasionally called me Katydid, but that’s about the only nickname I can remember.
A couple of my characters have nicknames:
Cece (The Watch Mysteries) – her real name is Cecilia
Cassie (Lacey’s Star) – her real name is Cassandra
KatyDid!
I love it…my parents also used to call me DebbieDo…
😌😌