# Do you still know people...
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [November 12, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348 "2015-11-12T02:37:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/21 "2015-11-12T14:11:18Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> Almost. When I lived in a jungle village in Mexico in 1998-99, my neighbor to the left was “Sapo” (toad), and to the right “Camarón” (shrimp). Everyone invariably called these young men by these names.
That does seem to be a Hispanic thing. I know a number of folks from Puerto Rico and they all seem to have nicknames like that.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/22 "2015-11-12T14:20:48Z")
Back in college, I knew a Moose. It was short for “Moose balls”. I think that by the time we graduated, most of the band didn’t even know he had any other name.
Going back a generation, my mom’s best friend went by “Chummy”, and one of my aunts was “Corky”.
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### Author:  [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/23 "2015-11-12T15:04:57Z")
I still talk to a friend from high school who is called Butch. He is 62
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/24 "2015-11-12T15:29:23Z")
Back in uni, I had a friend we all called Spiff, but it was used ironically.
Common Thai nicknames include Frog, Bird and Pig. Really. Very common. The wife’s nickname is something like Eung, hard to pronounce for a nonnative speaker but means something like “amphibian.”
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### Author:  [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/25 "2015-11-12T15:45:56Z")
I had a dog named Butch (actually, Butchie-I didn’t-name-him) and at some point in his life was handed the business card of a man named Butch. Couldn’t let that go without remarking on it.
Does make me wonder if nicknames are less common now. The name my nephew gave me when he was too young to say my name correctly was used by a lot of my friends at one time, but most of them have drifted out of my life and now very few people call me that, though I would still answer to it.
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### Author:  [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/26 "2015-11-12T15:49:58Z")
I had a housemate for about a year called “Moose.” Never knew his real name.
Same deal with a “Crackers.” Different house, though.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/27 "2015-11-12T15:53:15Z")
Just one Moose. She wasn’t happy about that.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/28 "2015-11-12T15:55:41Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> Common Thai nicknames include Frog, Bird and Pig. Really. Very common.
Plus Cat and Fish.
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/29 "2015-11-12T16:03:10Z")
> [@TriPolar](#):
>
> Just one Moose. She wasn’t happy about that.
I once knew a Peach. She didn’t like that name either.
On the other hand, I also knew a Furry who did.
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### Author:  [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/30 "2015-11-12T16:05:59Z")
I’ve worked with both a Moose and a Tank.
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/31 "2015-11-12T16:06:59Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> The wife’s nickname is something like Eung, hard to pronounce for a nonnative speaker but means something like “amphibian.”
Newt, maybe? :dubious: 😕
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### Author:  [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/32 "2015-11-12T16:07:16Z")
I know a woman whose given name is Princess. Ack.
I know a man named Marvelous. He was the only son with eight older sisters, hence the moniker. He goes by Marv, so most people simply assume he’s a Marvin.
My granddad had a hunting buddy nicknamed Blue Tooth. I never knew why, as his teeth looked normal enough to me - and weren’t dentures.
One of my best friends is nicknamed Sharkey, which sounds vaguely mobbish, unless you know that he was a competitive swimmer and got the nickname through his sport.
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### Author:  [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/33 "2015-11-12T16:14:18Z")
I know a guy who used to be called Lefty. And knew a Moose at college.
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### Author:  [@bunyupp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyupp)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/34 "2015-11-12T16:17:42Z")
I’ve known **Moose** , **Orc** , **Buzz** , **Mouse** , and **Spaz**.
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/35 "2015-11-12T16:24:40Z")
Come to think of it, I had a friend 20-odd years ago who was known around Moscow as Dikky Ziggy. Not because he was a dick (he most assuredly was not!) but because _dikii_ is Russian for wild/batshit crazy (which he was, but in a good way).\*
\*He was also from the US.
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### Author:  [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/36 "2015-11-12T16:25:41Z")
> [@bunyupp](#):
>
> I’ve known **Moose** , **Orc** , **Buzz** , **Mouse** , and **Spaz**.
That last one is what my brother used to call me back in the early '60s. :mad:
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### Author:  [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/37 "2015-11-12T16:33:25Z")
I know a Lefty. He’s alright.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/38 "2015-11-12T17:26:05Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#):
>
> I know a woman whose given name is Princess. Ack.
I know a man who’s nickname is Princess. Granted, he often wears a kilt…
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### Author:  [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/39 "2015-11-12T17:44:17Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#):
>
> I don’t know and never did know anyone with those names.
Guess I know who \*my \*friends are!
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### Author:  [@CBEscapee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBEscapee)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-still-know-people/737348/40 "2015-11-12T20:43:48Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#):
>
> Almost. When I lived in a jungle village in Mexico in 1998-99, my neighbor to the left was “Sapo” (toad), and to the right “Camarón” (shrimp). Everyone invariably called these young men by these names.
I have employees called “el tacuache”, “el flaco”, “el veneno”, “el tayson”, “el gueroski”, “el cono”, “malacara”, “el enano”, “ojitos” and “seis dedos”. More have nicknames than those who don’t.
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