Talk:Nickname

message: Is it the same thing a nick name and a pet name? If so, that should be written on the article.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.63.158.198 (talk) 19:44, 30 April 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: A nickname can be used by casual acquaintances; but a pet name – as I'd use the term – is used only by the most intimate, such as lovers or parents. —Tamfang (talk) 22:06, 20 May 2023 (UTC)
thread_title: Pet Names

message: Due to the great length of the page, I suggest combining the nicknames that are on this page, but not on the other (such as City nicknames), and then just putting a link to the other page.  I began to do this with the American football nicknames.--Jickyincognito 08:10, 22 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title: List pages

message: Regarding Australian "ironic" nicknames - how can I prove it, it's just a known fact. People round here (NW NSW) use that form of construction all the time. "Blue" in particular is a defining usage of Australian English especially abroad - "G'Day Blue" is a stereotype and cliche of the way Aussies talk. I have various guide books on Australia and most mention this type of nicknaming as typically Australian - take a characteristic and invent a nickname based on its opposite. What else is there to say? Anecdotal and what written evidence I have backs this up. I'm not sure why you're so against remarking that this is Aussie usage anyway - usually edits have to be defended. I've defended my end - argue yours. Graham 03:19, 14 Jan 2004 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, blue means all those things as well. That doesn't mean it is NEVER applied to a red-haired person. In fact my girlfriend gets called Blue occasionally by her Aussie colleagues, and yes, she has red hair. This is not proof of course, but then again, neither is being unable to think of a person you know or have heard of with such a nickname - that's just a lack of personal anecdotal evidence. Also, counterexamples don't prove it either - "'Slim" Dusty may not have been fat but that doesn't mean all those nicknamed Slim are likewise not fat. I'm not saying that this form is especially common, and maybe it's a form that is dying out (this is a definite possibility, because I personally have a hunch that this was something the Aussies inherited from the Poms, and was possibly a lot more common back in the old colonial days - this form is still used quite commonly in the UK), but you do hear the occasional example, and the guide books mention it, so... I think it should be left in. Graham 03:49, 14 Jan 2004 (UTC)

text: I never said it never happened. I deleted the bit about Australia because I felt this construction wasn't neccesarily common in, nor restricted to, Australia - which is what you are now saying too. Also, I never removed the whole thing, I only removed the bit saying it was common in Australia (as opposed to anywhere else). I just don't think that it neccessarily is common in Australia. Maybe the guide books all got that tid-bit from... other guide books? It really was an extremely minor deletion anyway, an attempt to remove stereotype which I've never been a big fan of. MyallR 14 Jan 2004
I would just like to add that as an Australian I hear the term "Bluey" used as a nickname for red-heads all the time, and think it should be in the article. But I would also like to mention that this article has a very strong English POV, and should be edited to become more international. For example, the sports nicknames doesn't mention a single sports club from outside England. --plattopus (talk) 17:34, Mar 18, 2005 (UTC)
I'm in the not-really-common camp - but some other examples, both Ashley Mallett and Dale Shearer got "Rowdy" for being quiet. -- Paul 28 June 2005 15:56 (UTC)
Relating to given names:
To use "abbreviation" and "diminutive" as synonymous does make sense in English, but not in many other languages. In the Italian example used "Giovannino" is a diminutive from "Giovanni" and it is longer.In fact, in many languages diminutives are formed by affixes and tend to be longer than the straight form of the name. --Georgius 08:25, 15 May 2005 (UTC)

text: Hmm... I'm not sure if anything ever came of the previous comment, as that was a full 7 years ago. I'm inclined to agree with the most recent comment. The use of ironic names is common across many cultures (examples) in reference to real people, fictional people, and objects. Still, that is barely mentioned in this article, and when it is mentioned it's only in reference to Australia. Am I missing something? Philosowater (talk) 20:50, 17 September 2014 (UTC)
thread_title: Australian "ironic" nicknames

message: Need to add discussion of nicknames as used in online communities -- Sitearm | Talk 22:31, 2005 August 4 (UTC)
:I agree, but what should we say of it? - Redmess 18:59, 10 August 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Nicknames used in online communities

message: Ottawa Senators - nickname - Sens
I'm thinking this page is a tad long, and has a fairly random list of nicknames.
It might make more sense to get rid of the list in the main article, and simply link to it, or to separate lists sorted by category.Somethingsin 11:33, 19 June 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Sounds like a good idea.  If I can, Ill try and do some of the sports pages that will help shorten the page a bit.PYLrulz 03:28, 23 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Hockey Team Names 

message: There doesn't appear to be any information on how the term came about. Can anyone help? --jazzle 21:52, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Etymology 

message: :Nigger for a person of African descent (strongly offensive, particularly if said by a person of non-African descent; sometimes used by African-American persons as an offensive insult) 
What other type of insult is there? I thought it was used ironically as a term of endearment between African-Americans who know each other well, but if you don't know them and you call them Nigger it's unacceptable. Garrie 04:26, 17 August 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Discussion of "Nigger" 

message: I don't see it here, but there are other ways. For instance, Harold "Betty" Stark, named for a boast he made, repeating a boast of a famous general's wife, mistakenly identifying her as "Betty" (her actual name was "Molly".) Also, there's "the Tiger of Malaysia" (Yamashita), "Dugout Doug" (MacArthur), "Tenacious" (Raizo Tenaka), to name just a few that come to mind...  Anybody want to try & place these?  Trekphiler 03:42, 3 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: To follow my last, whatsay a List of military figures?  Trekphiler 04:38, 3 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Others 

message: I don't see it here anymore. Isn't there a list of criminals by nickname? Or did some high & mighty decide it wasn't relevant enough?  11:24, 7 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: It should exist but according to :Category:Lists of people by nickname, it doesn't. 69.125.134.86 (talk) 21:11, 21 July 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Crims? 

message: May be this is my poor understanding of English, but something is really screwed up here. This section lists ethnic slurs and other offenses, rather possible personal names: Canuck, Bananabender, Wop, etc. At least they are in no way match the definition given in this article.
Please clarify`'mikkanarxi 22:15, 17 October 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Nicknames for people 

message: Does anyone verufy these long and growing and unreferenced lists of nicknames? I am tempted to delete nearly all of them as unsourced. `'mikkanarxi 23:21, 26 October 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: I also think the list part of this article should be deleted. You could build this list for years and have thousands of nicknames most of which are subjective, unverified and unreferenced. Having examples is ok, or detailing common and wide spread nicknames is helpful. But I fail to see why listing the nicknames for every sporting team, venue and other such item is useful. Especially as the nickname will always be detailed in the article about the target of the nickname. Rimmeraj 23:27, 3 January 2007 (UTC)

text: I aggree as well.   Some of these nicknames could be verified ("The Windy City" = Chicago), but most seem a bit odd.   Also you run into the problem of ethnic slurs, and how to deal with them (also noted above).   Any useful information on nicknames is being driven out and replaced with this list of nicknames.   Maybe there should be a seperately maintained list of nicknames..?   --159.178.50.186 20:17, 15 February 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  not verified 

message: Should there be a section on usage of nicknames?   Such as, in written form we sometimes use quotes to set off a nickname, and sometimes not.   Additionally, what about nickname placement in writing.   I understand that there is no standard, but a small discussion on the subject may be informative.
In spoken language, does every culture use nicknames as English speakers do?   Etc.
--159.178.50.186 20:17, 15 February 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: How to use nicknames

message: I proposed a wikiproject for all name articles, check it out here  if you are interested. Remember 18:16, 15 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Wikiproject

message: Very many have wondered how do you get Peggy from Margaret? Well, I can only say that "E" can replace "A" or the other way around in nicknames. Because "R" isn't always pronounceable before consonants, the "R" disappears, like in Babs from Barbara. I don't know what "M" and "P" have in common.
:: Margaret -> Marg -> Meg -> Peg -> Peggy
:: Robert -> Rob -> Bob/Hob/Nob/Dob Acsenray (talk) 17:02, 28 October 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: How Do You Get This Nickname Out of the Other?

message: The start of the article is a useful encyclopaedic article but it descends into an unencyclopaedic unweildy article.  Should the lists of nicknames be gone? B1atv 19:08, 20 September 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Lists

message: Has anyone actually heard this nickname being used?  I can think of many many nicknames for fat people that are more common than this one.  TheAstonishingBadger 23:18, 9 November 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: I sort of wondered about this one too. Clay4president2 (talk) 18:07, 28 December 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Porker McChubbs

message: I think there should be more about Pen Names. I don't know what, but I think just saying "Many writers have pen names which they use instead of their real names" isn't enough. Also some other authors you should mention: Lemony Snicket, Mark Twain. -Lea (talk) 03:50, 21 September 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Pen Names 

message: new group=>  ideas welcome
e.g. electrician : Sparks, bricklayer : Brickie, (see Dylan Thomas for Welsh ones)
SPV  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.109.182.187 (talk) 02:17, 16 July 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Names of/from trades 

message: I have no idea what these would be called other than nicknames.  Some long established nicknames in English are like Peggy (for Margaret), Mary (for Miriam), Rusty (for Russell), Pinky (for Alex), Bert (for Cuthbert), Chuck (for Charles), Manny (for Emmanuel), Dick (for Richard), Tony (for Anthony), Kenny (for Kenneth), Joan (for Johanna), Art (for Arthur), Al (for Albert), etc. Is there any articles or lists somewhere on these common nicknames as a list? CaribDigita (talk) 17:42, 2 August 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: E.B. White was born on 11 July 1899 in New York.E.B.'stands for Elwyn Brooks.He started writing from a very young age.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 116.14.92.175 (talk) 08:53, 24 August 2009 (UTC)
replies: text:  So? —Tamfang (talk) 01:59, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

text: "Pinky (for Alex)"...you're going to have to explain this one to me! 69.125.134.86 (talk) 21:14, 21 July 2013 (UTC)
replies: text: You are asking about shortened versions of names. There is sometimes disagreement about their validity and sometimes people just hate them. I suggest you Google this and find out for yourself, but if you want to know what these are called, they are commonly called 'shortened' versions. Also 'term of enderment' and in some cases 'diminutive', such as Harry being the diminutive for Henry.04:54, 18 November 2014 (UTC)
thread_title:  Is there a "name" for these? 

message: The current article refers almost entirely to English-language nickname practice.  It needs to be expanded to a world-wide perspective. --Macrakis (talk) 18:15, 3 September 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I'm not sure I agree, but then I'm not sure we need the article at all, given that WP is not a dictionary, but how would you propose doing that without creating a section inviting every language to provide multiple examples, keeping in mind that all additions would need to be sourced? --Nuujinn (talk) 19:18, 3 September 2010 (UTC)
replies: text:  I've added some multilingualism (orthographic patterns) in the "Conventions" section. If there are other patterns in use (in addition to quotes in the middle of the full name or dashes after the full name, it would be useful for somebody to describe these. Doremo (talk) 09:50, 27 November 2010 (UTC)

text: The article hasn't improved much on this point in the past 6 years. Much more needs to be done, see "Need for disambiguation" below. Rp (talk) 15:52, 7 August 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Article needs multilingual expansion

message: In sign languages (at least those I know about), you can fingerspell someone's name (spell out the letters alphabetically) but people who sign are usually given a "sign name", like a nickname, by their peers. This can often be based on a physical characteristic of the person or some other distinctive aspect such as what they like to do or where they live, much as with spoken nicknames in English. E.g. I have seen examples of "Eyebrows" for a man with bushy eyebrows or a sign that means "Moving around" for a child who never sat still. I think it can sometimes be based on the actual name but I am not sure.
This might be an interesting aspect to add to the article.  Crana (talk) 14:40, 4 December 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Sign language names 

message: It was years ago when I read "The Language and Lore of Children" by Peter Opie and Iona Opie, but I seem to recall that included a section on nicknames used by school children. ACEOREVIVED (talk) 21:30, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: A suggestion for a further reference

message: Sensitivity is needed in editing this article, but I did not think it seemed to offensive to any one to say that the nickname "genius" may be applied to bright people. ACEOREVIVED (talk) 23:34, 12 May 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: Sensitivity needed in editing this article

message: Isn't the nickname "Hawkeye" attributed to a character from "Last of the Mohicans" by Pierce himself in the series? I think he said his dad loved the book.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.175.32.136 (talk) 10:42, 1 November 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Hawkeye 

message: The following: "It is not interchangeable with a term called "short-for". It can also be the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, . . ." seems to me to be a contradiction. If Bob is short for Robert, isn't it one of several possible familiar or truncation form of the name Robert and also a common nickname for someone? Wschart (talk) 13:58, 22 May 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Contradiction? 

message: George Patton's men famously wore chrome plated and polished "steel pot" (battle) helmets, literally "chrome domes".  Applying the name to bald men was a reference to this well known idiosyncrasy.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.99.37.108 (talk) 00:09, 2 October 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  Chrome Dome 

message: :Type of hair: "Curley" or "Cue Ball" for a person without hair as in "Curley" from "The Three Stooges"
:Baldness: "Chrome dome" for a person whose scalp reflects the light
It sounds like all three of these names are being used to describe someone who is bald and unless someone can think of another example of a nickname based on the "type of hair" ("stringy"? No), I'll collapse the categories. 69.125.134.86 (talk) 21:03, 21 July 2013 (UTC)
thread_title:  Duplication? 

message: ...is a load of bullshit that somebody made up. Very few citations or other cited sources of consequence.04:51, 18 November 2014 (UTC)
replies: text: I too have issues with the article, and I understand the rules of Wp, but, where would you expect to find sources for this kind of content? The rules are also clear that they should not be followed so strictly that they inhibit the work itself of creating the encyclopedia, and clearly some people must find this article useful if it has so many contributors. Jergas (talk) 10:49, 8 January 2015 (UTC)
replies: text: There are plenty of books on names. They are plenty of books on culture. There are researchers that study this type of thing. Verifiability is Wikipedia policy. If it was self-explanatory then an article would not be needed. Since "some people must find this article useful" that means they want valid information, not what some random user thinks or just wants to add. There is plenty of vandalism that goes on Wikipedia, so info needs to be properly sourced so it can be verified. Kirin13 (talk) 17:13, 8 January 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  This "article" 

message: A popular "Today I Learned" thread on Reddit today has drawn attention to the fact that the origin of "skip" and other alleged family-based nicknames is without citation. .--Milowent • hasspoken 15:37, 31 July 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Skip the nickname, skip the citations 

message: This article needs to disambiguate between different uses of the word "nickname" that would be translated to different words in other languages.
A nickname is always an alternate name.  The person, thing or place being named also has an official name, which is different.
I think the following closely related, but different concepts must be distinguished, and the term nickname when used properly only refers to the first of these:
* A non-neutral nickname. Those who use the nickname know it's an alternate name, they usually know the official name as well, and the nickname is not neutral: it is used in other to emphasize a feeling or attitude towards the person, thing or place being named; e.g. endearment, admiration, deprecation, ridicule.
* A chosen name for special purposes, e.g. a stage name. This name may or may not be neutral.
* The first name for everyday use (calling name, in German: Rufname). This is not a nickname in the previous sense because it is neutral, e.g. a person will introduce themselves with this name.  It is often, but not always, a short form of the full name.  It can also be identical to the full name.  For instance, someone with the full first name "Robertus" or "Robert" may have "Robert", "Rob", "Bob" or something else as his calling name.  Such names may also exist for places, e.g. Den Haag for 's-Gravenhage.
* A short form of the full name, used in non-official contexts.  We have the article hypocorism about this concept. Examples: Rob, Bob or Bert for Robert, Klaus, Niko or Niki for Nikolaus, Sacha or Alex for Alexander.  Such a short form can be used as nickname, pet name, or entirely neutral name, but this is not automatic (some Roberts are called Rob, some are called Bob, some aren't called either, while there are also Robs and Bobs who aren't called Robert.).
* An alternate name created by adding a noun phrase.  For instance, Stan Musial had the nickname Stan the Man, and Jim Janos used Jim 'the Dirty' Janos and Jesse 'the Body' Ventura as stage names at various times in his career.
The problem is of course that these are overlapping concepts; given a name, it's often hard to tell what kind it is.
For example:
* In the case of Stanley Musial, Stan probably wasn't his (non-neutral) nickname, but his calling name. Stan the Man was his nickname.  The Man wasn't his nickname. Stan "the Man" Musial wasn't, either.  However, the last form may well have been used in announcements.
* Niki Lauda's Wikipedia article starts out Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda, but that is not how he is ever called; it is just a clumsy attempt to state both his full legal name (Andreas Nikolaus Lauda) and his calling name (Niki).  Niki is not a nickname, it is neutral.  Wikipedia has many such examples.
* Jesse Ventura and Michael Caine started out as stage names, and became calling names later on; they were never (non-neutral) nicknames.
Rp (talk) 12:30, 14 August 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  Need for disambiguation 

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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: I can't understand the second sentence in this, actually just nicknames "that became proper names out of former nicknames", taken from intro:
"A moniker also means a nickname or personal name.[3] The word often distinguishes personal names from nicknames that became proper names out of former nicknames. English examples are Bob and Rob, nickname variants for Robert."
Can this be written so that it is both true and intelligible? If not, please delete it. I also wonder what the source of this is. Footnote [3], referring to a simple definition, doesn't support it. DCDuring (talk) 16:58, 5 October 2017 (UTC)
thread_title:  Hunh? 

message: The words sobriquet and nickname are synonyms, according to dictionaries. One can argue that there tends to be some differences in how each word is typically used, but one cannot say this represents differing concepts, per se. The only content that distinguishes the two articles is the etymology section, but then WP:NAD: the article should be about the concept of a nickname/sobriquet, not the definitions and origins of the words nickname and sobriquet. Discussions of etymology and word usage are at best minor discussions in an article (and in some cases not even appropriate for an encyclopedia).
-- MC 141.131.2.3 (talk) 20:20, 21 September 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  Merge sobriquet 

message: The section mentioning Japanese honorifics is a bit obscure. Temerarius (talk) 17:33, 11 November 2018 (UTC)
thread_title:  "A certain person" 

message: :
It's not obvious to this irreligious foreigner what Mick has to do with Catholicism.  I had always supposed Mick to be an Irish version of Mike (as Jock is Scottish for Jack, and Taffy is Welsh for Dave), or else to allude to the number of Irish surnames with Mc. —Tamfang (talk) 05:54, 1 December 2019 (UTC)
thread_title:  Catholicism? 

message: An editor has asked for a discussion to address the redirect Shnoogums. Please participate in the redirect discussion if you wish to do so.  Hog Farm (talk) 05:09, 17 March 2020 (UTC)
thread_title:  "Shnoogums" listed at [[Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion|Redirects for discussion]] 

message: :
This sentence conflates the purpose of using a nickname with its origin.  Foggy Nelson's nickname presumably originated from a character trait, but when Matt Murdock calls him "Foggy" he's not doing it to express a character trait. —Tamfang (talk) 21:55, 27 June 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  origin ≠ function 

message: I'm very sure that Edinburgh was "Auld Reekie" due to the stench from the bogland/marshland/pool/cesspit along the centre of the city that has long since been drained and is now the main railway station and parkland...
Except... There's more to the story than only what was Nor’ Loch:
A timeline of Edinburgh's smelliest moments
Regards,
Martin M3142 (talk) 03:51, 10 December 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Edinburgh was "Auld Reekie"... 

message: The list of forms of derivation of hypocorisms could be moved to that much shorter article, and incorporated here by reference. —Tamfang (talk) 07:43, 3 May 2024 (UTC)
thread_title:  partial move