Evening star., 1939-01-15
Research Reveals American
Love of Using Nicknames
Universal Sobriquet Habit Ranges
From Underworld to
High Society
By Cedric Larson.

BY Cedric Larson.
A study OF nicknames and their
origins is one of the most singular
and fascinating of the many prof.
ects now being pushed by research
lists at the Library of Congress
Undertaken by DR.. George E.
Shankle, author of several books,
and head of the English depart
ment at'the Mary Washington Col
lege, Fredericksburg, Va, the study
is revealing many astonishing facts
So ingrained is this tendency of
the American people to nickname
friends and enemies alike that al
most any high school boy or girl
infinitely prefers to be known by
one among his fellow students.
mo orator can measure in effect
with him who can give good nick
Names" once said Emerson, the
sage of Concord" who diagnosed
SO shrewdly the characteristics of
Americans. The universal sobriquet
habit ranges from the underworld
to the upper reaches of society,
and undoubtedly is an innate char
acteristic of human natures itself.
According to the law, "a name is
so to say, the distinguishing mark
of thing" and this is doubly true
of nicknameS. The most primitive
tribes of today take their personal
nomenclature as often as not from
some one outstanding physical or
individual trait of the bearer. In
America, however, many of the
nicknames are coined derisively in
an effort to belittle their owners.
DR.. Shankle published a 60O-page
book recently which lists thousands
of nicknames, and he now has
material ready for a second and
companion volume just as large.
The Americans doubtless use
more nicknames than any other
peoples today" believes DR.. Shankle
"They give them to their wives,
husbands, children, friends, enemies
and to most every object they see
or use. No name is too sacred or
too base for them to shorten or
modify into an affectionate, hu-
morous, or abusive sobriquet. There
are literally thousands of them en-
ployed in the daily conversations
or in the writings of the American
people"
Especially in the field of sports
are people addicted in America to
giving nicknames to their favorite
player. But few baseball or foot
ball players do not possess one or
more of them. This search for
nicknames also includes sobriquets
of cities, states and organizations.
A large following has already de-
veloped a strong interest in this
extraordinary hunt and DR.. Shankle
is sent nicknames from all over the
country. Sometimes person will
have a score of nicknames.
Theodore Roosevelt was known
variously as The Bull Moose, The
Driving Force, The Dynamo of
Power, Four Eyes, The Great White
Chief, The Happy Warrior, Haroun-
al-Roosevelt, The Hero of San Juan
Hill, The Man on Horseback, The
Old Lion, Telescope Teddy, Theo-
dore the Meddler, The Trust-buster
and The Typical American.
The late Will Rogers was called
The Ambassador of Good Will, The
Cherokee Kid, The Cowboy Philoso-
pher, The Man Who Can Say ANY,
thing and Make Everybody Like 1t
and The Prince of Wit and Wisdom
Knute Rockne, the football coach
was known as Rock and The Rock
of Notre Dame, due to his rocklike
strength. Onto Rexford Guy Tug
we'll, recent Undersecretary Of
Agriculture. were tagged such names
as the Barrymore of the Brair
Trust. Rex the Red, and Mr.
American.
Maryland is known as the Cock.
ade State, Monumental State, the
Old Line State, the oyster State
the Queen State and the Terrapir
State. Virginia is nicknamed the
Ancient Dominion. the Cavalier
State, the Mother of Presidents, the
Mother of Statesmen and the Ole
DOmlnlOn. VlrglnlanS nave peer
called Beagles or Beadles, Cavaliers
F. F. VS.. Sorebacks and Tuckahoes
according to DR.. Shankle.
The nicknames for Washington
are chronicled as follows: The Capi.
tai City, the City of Houses With
out Streets, the City of Magnif1cenr
Distances, the City of Receptions
the City of Streets Without Houses
the Executive City, the Fedora
City, the Great Dismal and the Viii.
derness City. 1t has also been callec
City of Pandemonium, due to it:
intense activity when Congress i!
in session.
William E. johnson of prohibition
era fame was nicknamed PUSSY.
foot" johnson on account of hi!
catlike technique in apprehendine
violators of the Volstead Act. HI
was supposed to have soft tread
soft-spoken voice and surrepti
tious manner of surprising hi
quarry when making an arrest, ant
he always got his man.