Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-01
Nteknames and Other Nau.s.

1t is sometimes in mans favor to be known
by nickname, though Of course good deal
depends on the nickname. Some are the re-
verse of complimentary. There is, for in
stance, gentleman who bears a somewhat
common name, which we shall for the occa-
sion call Brown, who has gone through life as
Dirty Brown" 1t cannot be pleasant to the
said Browns feelings to know that when any
of the clan Brown has done anything conspic-
uOuS, and he happens to be the particular
Brown who has distinguished himself, his
friends announce the fact by saying, "Oh,
that's Dirty Brown who has done such and
such thing Or as the case may be. We
believe the Sobriquet arose from an aversion
to cold water which Brown shared with a good
many other little boys while at Hirrow-prob-
ABBY now he IS The cleanleSt of men.
Only man very Intimate friends ought to
call him by his Christian name There has
been great deal too much lately of talking of
certain perSorages in terms of undue famiIi-
arity. We doubt for instance, if Lord Charles
Beresford appreciates the affection which in
duces the journals of society to invariably
practice Is immensely popular with that, alas,
too numerous class who form the public of
these prints, and who are the effect-perhap
we should say the cauSe-of their existence
Indeed, there is no surer sign of the thorough
going, back stairs hanger-on of fashionable
society than the ease with which he or she
or their nicknameS which have been given to
them by their intimate friends, and which
have, somehow or other, generally through the
journals aforesaid, filtered down to the para
size, and are urged on by it with avidity as its
lawful prey. We do no. mean to say that We
can see any harm in public men, in the true
sense OF the term, being known by nicknames.
Mr.: Lowe is known to the present generation,
and Will be known to future generations, as
Bob Lowe; and there is no SnObbshneSs in
calling him SO, though. by the way, this name
The Whitehead Torpedo" which, having i'm
view his appearance and his peculiar style of
oratory, is about as good as it could be.
turning from ulcknameS to other names,
NAV be Oprmlttpd tn make
that some mode should be found by which the
name given at baptism should only be a sort
OF provisional designation, to be changed at.
say. seven, fourteen, or twenty-one years of
age, on due notice being given to the person
and the parties interested? What can be
more rash, for example, that at the baptismdl
font to beStOw the name of Blanche on an in
FAINT with bald head and red face, who
eighteen years afterward bursts upon society
with raven locks and dark complexion, or TO
brand as Felix the babe who in later Yeas
wastes his fathers substance in riOtOuS liv-
ing, marlles cook or worse, attempts suicide
and MIA ~ ends his days in a work mousse? We
the advisabilty of exercising some circum.
Spec1lolI In beStcWing pet names on their Off
spring I'D early youth; Tor pet names have a
la IL OF sticking to the recipien s, aud although
Their l!t1ons do not see il because they aie
USED to It, there is, to a stranger, certain ele.
ment OF the ridiculous when one hears Strar.
ng young woman of some eleven stone in
as 'Tiny.'
At the present time Scripture names are
grt atty in vogue in May of the country di>-
,rlclS OF England, and very odd ones are
sometimes chosen We never a.tullly hea d
of child called Judas IScariot or Jezebe
but we have heard of one of whom it was pro-
pc ed dt the font that it should 90 through life
aS Pnntiu> Plate; and we think il did the
utfrlatIng clergyman great credit tn 1t on the
lame being propounded to him, he went on
without stop or falter, philip Peter,
hap'ize these, &c, aud Philip Peter the child
remained, regardless of its parents proclvi-
les Another practice which has Obtained
during the last ten years is that of double bar
relIlng surnameS. No doubt originally, double
uames were only taken under the prOvi ,ions
of will on coming into property, or on
MAJ rying a landed prOprietress in her own
right. Ii that were the case now, there W uld
he great many young gentlemen able to pay
theii tailOrS bis who are in temporary diff
"ulties in spite OF their high sounding appella
lions. or course, it is privation, il, in graf
lude for favors received-say the gift of a liv-
ing-One's parents have bestowed on one the
family name Of their noble patron, not to
make ones entire intO society as Howard
Blown, POwys-Junes, or Manners Robinson,
instead Of plain Brown, Jones or Robinson. Ii
is a Letter name to give the announcing me-
NAL, and ii gives the Impression that one is
c, hhected with the noble families, azores lid.
which is agaiL in One'S favOr.-[ L0ndOn We H.