Ravings of a Long Haired Dude

The Trouble With Nicknames

This entry started with a comment on Robert Waltz's blog entry "By Any Other Name" . I realized that if I worked at it a little, it would make a reasonable answer to the prompt.

Prompt May 23

Write about nicknames. What nicknames do you have for people in your life? What nicknames do others use to refer to you? Do any of these names have an interesting story for how they came to be?


The trouble with nicknames, as I see it, is that they get hung on people without them having any say in it. More often than not, the nickname is something embarrassing, or at least, unflattering, for want of a better word.

I have known a 'Blowfly' and a 'Rat', a ‘Moose’ a ‘Mouse', a 'Tad' (Moose's brother - that family is full of nicknames) and a 'Speck’. Keeblers and Pooh Bears and Boarcats, oh my!

I helped hang the name 'Pud Powell' on a friend. I didn't make it up. That dubious honor goes to Speck. I did help spread it. I regret that very much. I was young and didn't think about the consequences. The poor dude still has to put up with it years later.

Around the same time, this same group of friends hung the name 'Tred' on me. I usually go by my middle name Fred. 'Tred' doesn't sound too bad unless you're familiar with the slang of Cove Creek TN. Trust me, it ain't nice. I will admit that it's funny. It was fair. I should be able to take it if I dish it out.

Fortunately most people seem to have forgotten about that. There is a chance that the wrong person might see this and revive the ungodly name. Since I have told about the unfortunate Mr. Powell, it is only fair that I own the terrible Tred.

Occasionally a nickname is something that the person likes. Speck is known far and wide. Very few call him Richard.

One of my best friends went by the nickname Bigfoot.. He's deceased now. At the bottom of his headstone it says "They Call me Bigfoot". Rest in peace, old friend.

Note (Nov 12 2022): Unfortunately I recently learned that Junior Powell (that's what he really wanted to be called) has passed on. Moose and Pooh Bear also passed on before that. May they all rest in peace.

Note: A conversation with Tad that I had tonight made me realize that I needed to revise this entry.