The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-01-25
NICKNAMEs.

It has been said that ga good name
may be lost, bad name changed, but
a nickname lasts forever" This was
exemplifed the other day when some
one was asked where such place was
and replied he did not know. But
when the location was more definitely
pointed out, he replied "Oh we al
ways called that SHUTDOWN So
we have ''Dogtown," "Drytown," ("
"Scalpy," "Scroggy, "Fiddler's
Green" "Hell's Kitchen" and so
on-all nicknames which cannot be
changed.
Not long ago almost serious results
followed the change of Rum Point in
New York to Roosevelt. Then, too,
in Newtown, Long Island, the author
tiles have taken matters in hand to
change nicknames in the second ward
of that village Feather Lane,
Milk Pot Road, Skunk Turnpike and
Maine Street have gone forever and
in their places are Venus, Neptune,
Apollo, and Stentor Avenues, Phoebe
and Ceres Places, the Terrace of the
Graces, etc.
This struck the inhabitants with
CONSERVATION and indignation. A
town meeting was called in the gen.
eral store. The attendance was large
and the argument long and heated.
The consensus of opinion seemed to
be that the new classical names were
all right for the dead ones in the cem-
eteries, but "dumbed' hard on the
self-respecting German saloons. But
for all this the town will have to take
brace and acclimate itself to the new
names. The youngster will learn in
time, but the oldest inhabitant will
not likely forget.
Now all this has something more
than a humorous significance. A
nickname is apt to stick forever and
is generally begun in youth. Call one
of the family "The Kid" "Socky,"
rs kinny," Shady" 'Reddy,"
"Stony," and so on, and the foolish
title, uncouth as it is, will last till old
age, when it is unmannerly.
ALI diminutives are nicknames, at
first given afectionately to little
child, and become out of place in lat
er years. Said Byron: II have
passion for the name of Mary" There
is no more beautiful or suggestive
name in the language, but it is ruined
&c tflH0@1aatJ ffMa-
zie." Margaret is fine stately name,
but horrid as Mag" or "Madge."
Emily and Catherine are fine names,
but spoiled as "Em" or Kate. "
Elizabeth is stately, but looks cheap
and common as "Liz" or Betz." half
silly as Lizzie" and impertinent as
Lib or "Libbie." Sarah is one of
the oldest of Scriptural titles, but
wounded past surgery as "Sal'' or
Sallie." Martha is a wholesome
name, but reduced of its worth in
"Mat" or Matte. Jane should
never be Jennie !" Amanda, "Man
dy :" Alice, "Allie," and so on
through the whole list of feminine
names.
Turning to mems names. Daniel,
William, Richard, Henry, John, Rob-
ert, Jacob, Joshua, Abraham, Isaac
and others easily mentioned, they are
all good and dignified when used in
full, but lose their power and respect
when they figure as "Dan," "Bill,
"Dick," "Hen," Jack" "Bob,"
"Jake, "Josh, f" "Abe, " "Ike" and
thus on to the end.
| There are no sweeter and more sig
ni6cant names than mother and fa-
ther. Why should they be lowered
down to "mom," mamma" and
"muz" or papa" and "dad?" If
children were taught as soon as they
can speak tosay father and ''moth-
err we would not hear so much "old
man. and "old woman" later in life.
If parents quit giving diminutives for
the full names to their children while
in the cradle they would last till
death. A child called Richard" in
babyhood will not be "Dick" in man.
hood.
So beware of nicknames. They
last orever.-Lanoaste, { Pa. Exam
iner.