In Denmark a name is a name, and that's what you're called. So it's very confusing to me how some peoples, particularly the Russians and the Americans, use at least one or two nicknames for every name. I just found out that in the US, "Annie" can substitute for "Anne". In Denmark those are two different names.
"Alfred" is "Al". Okay.
"Margaret" is "Peggy"... huh?
"John" is "Jack"? Whu?
Of Course "Michael" is "Mike", that one is obvious.
But how did "Robert" become "Bob"?
And how did "Richard" become "Dick"?
And "William", "Bill"?
And some seem to be official. Was Bill Clinton ever called "William"? (I looked it up, yes he was.)
Everybody seems to call Robert de Niro "Bob", but when I once did it to a different Robert, he hinted that this was taking a liberty.
All in all, very confusing.
29 comments:
If it's an consolation, they don't often make sense to us either. My dad's name is William, but no one ever calls him that. No one knows how it works - how William becomes Bill, or how Robert becomes Bob. My uncle Robert is never called anything but Bob. On official things you can't use a nickname, though. The Russian ones are a bit harder, though. Reading a Russian novel can be a pain at first because everyone has so many different names.
Of course, strangers call him Mister. He says, "That's MISTER dick to you!"
Spammers could talk about methods for lenghtening one's richard! Now that would fool the filters.
"Mister Dick". Gotta love that.
Like Robin Williams points out, you have to love an administration named "Bush" and "Dick".
I've always asked if a nickname was okay before using it. There are so many Jim's in my (Seattle) world that I usually go by JaAG and have titled my friend JB so that the sax ensemble know who I'm talking about.
My "real" first name is Clifton. My mother intended my middle name to be Kristofer, but the nurse misspelled it on my birth certificate as Kristopher. Most of my more distant acquaintances and family can't find my domain (www.CliftonREALNAME.com) because they think my first name is Clifford or Cliffton.
So my nick-name is Jack.
In Spain, names also change in that way, although it's not quite right to address a politician or such by their informal name.
Examples:
Francisco - (evolves to) Paco
José - Pepe
Concepción - Concha
Rosario - Charo
I had a High School English teacher who regularly referred to his good buddies "Billy" Shakespeare and "Willie" Wordsworth and "JP" Sartre. Urgh ...
Gandalfe: funny, I know one guy in Seattle, and he is also named Jim!
SA: I think Clifton could not be more straightforward.
So, Alex, or Al, it's short for Alexander, but so is Sandy, and Xander. The diminutive for girls are Alex and Sandra.
When I was younger people had three names, following your example, Mr Sedgwick, Richard, Dick, or Dickie, depending on familiarity.
My grandad was an interesting one, he was Jack to his friends, Mr Latham to his neighbours and Wilf to his wife.
I have another friend, her mum always called her "Rosemary", I always called her Rosy, and her husband calls her Rose.
Bill Gates' father calls him Trey. His real name is William, of course.
In Lebanon, Bob is short for Ibrahim. I know, it surprised me too. We even had a sitcom about an airline pilot named "Cabtain Bob". I don't really recommend it, bland local "comedy".
"That's MISTER dick to you!"
LOL. A classic that never gets old.
"Spammers could talk about methods for lenghtening one's richard!"
Please, stop! My ribs hurt. And my cheeks. And my... never mind.
"Lilo: ’Cobra... Bubbles.’ You don’t look like a social worker.
Cobra Bubbles: I’m a special classification.
Lilo: Did you ever kill anyone?
Cobra Bubbles: [frowning] We’re getting off the subject." -- (Lilo & Stitch)
you have to love an administration named "Bush" and "Dick".
Um... no comment. I pleade the Fifth! Better than to end up in that smelly Guantanamo hole.
What's the proper nickname for Nick? "Name"?
Final Identity said...
"My "real" first name is Clifton."
Sorry, mister, but I immediately guessed that your first identity was Hillary's husband. No need to pretend anymore.
(It's a good thing MY name leaves no openings for any silly puns, eh? ;-)
"In Spain, [...] Francisco - (evolves to) Paco"
Damn! (Sorry, I meant "caramba!") There goes my illusion of knowing something about my own name across the world!
If I was a porn star I would call myself
Hugh "Mungo" Johnson.
Mungo for my friends here at Eolake's blog.
Good one.
As said earlier, I'd use "I. M. Cumming"
(I can't believe nobody has used this yet, according to google.)
Last week a guy posted evidence that he had officially changed his middle name to Megatron.
He used to be Jason Michael Burrows. Now he is Jason Megatron Burrows.
TTL said...
"Last week a guy posted evidence that he had officially changed his middle name to Megatron."
No-effing-way!
And still it's not a fib. In-effing-credible.
This tops in silliness the baby Palestinian whose parents gave him, in 2003, the middle names "Saddam, Hussein".
Ah names, nick names and diminutives; the land that making sense forgot!
Interesting example from Holland: met a guy called Lawrence (I won't attempt the Dutch spelling, I'd just get it wrong). In the UK that name would often be shortened to Lawrie. In Holland - according to the guy called Lawrence and he should know - he's know as "Rinse" (again I won't attempt the Dutch spelling, but that's how it's pronounced).
Nick names can be very confusing, particularly if they're the result of an in-joke. MGLW calls me all manner of nick names, in fact anything other than my actual first name. I call her by her real first name. She and the rest of her family call each other by a wide variety of family nick names. I've never really understood this, as it's not something my family has ever done.
One thing I have noticed (particularly in North America) is people being called by their middle names. For example: General H. Norman Schwartzcoff. Is it deliberate naming by their parents or do they just hate their real first name?
This tops in silliness the baby Palestinian whose parents gave him, in 2003, the middle names "Saddam, Hussein".
That's actually a very pleasant name. So is Lucifer, but people have hang ups with real names of people who are actually named that. Silly asses.
you have to love an administration named "Bush" and "Dick".
In this case America and the world despises this administration regardless of their plain names.
They have butchered the world for oil through their lies and deceptions. NO LOVE HERE FOR THESE CRIMINALS!
Well, some friends also call me "Rinse", but I'm not Dutch. I live in the medieval-styled city of Ankh-Morpork, which is light-years away from Holland.
(But with a good automotive Luggage you could travel the distance in a reasonable time.)
I say, Mister "Bush is a murderer" definitely illustrates the folk song expression "I love to hate you", doesen't he? Then again, it's hard to hate hating a bloke and still hate him, what?
For my part, I just hate to get involved in politics. Oddly enough, local politics always seems to get involved with ME. Starting with that very heated public debate when some crackpots questioned the discus shape of our world.
In Kurt Vonneguts book "A Man Without A Country" he mentions living in a nation where the THREE most powerful people are named Dick, Bush and Colon.
"Colon"?
What name could have that as a nickname???
General H. Norman Schwartzcoff.
King of the Assholes.
Hey guys, its good thing to have nicknames. Its makes easier for others to remember and call a person especially with a name quite hard to remember and call. I hope that you can understand, Eolake. Cheers and 'Selamat tinggal'
Anurag Biswal, 'Selamat tinggal'?
Say, where's that from, Indonesia?
I think it would be our first comment from south-east Asia.
So welcome, "Abbie". :-)
Great news! I've found a website that promises to help me grow a bigger richard. (NSFW)
They look serious enough...
And how did "Richard" become "Dick"?
If you know Mr. Cheney, then you know it's practice, and karma.
And how did "George Walker" become "Bush"?
:-?
(^ Mysterious smiley)
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