# How does one acquire the nickname "Spanky"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747 "2000-12-15T15:33:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/1 "2000-12-15T15:33:35Z")
Counting that little rascal kid, I have known of five or six different people nick-named spanky. Try as I may, I can’t come up with any physical similarities among these people. I plugged the name into a search engine, but got flooded with too many spanking sites to be able to research this at work. Anybody have an idea how one comes to acquire this nickname? Certainly not by choice, I would hope. To me, Spanky is right up there with Fatty & Smelly on my list of cute sounding nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/2 "2000-12-15T16:23:19Z")
I used [google.com](http://google.com) to search [spanky nickname] and got lots of hits without a spanking :). It seems to be a common nickname. ---
**Author:** ![c\_goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@c\_goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_goat)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/3 "2000-12-15T16:28:50Z")
Maybe they all spank a lot. ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/4 "2000-12-15T16:30:19Z")
Nothing really add to the OP but there is also a Spanky MacFarlane (don’t know if I spelled that right) formerly of a band called Spanky and Our Gang (they rocked) and I believe she took Mama Cass’s place after she died in the Momma’s and the Papa’s (sp again?). One of the guys in the band was a real hottie. I would like to find out where he is now to see what he looks like. 🙂 Sounds like a new thread to me. HUGS! Sqrl ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/5 "2000-12-15T16:34:02Z")
Depending on your gender, **Attrayant** , you could call me Spanky … :gd&r: ---
**Author:** ![starfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@starfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/starfish)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/6 "2000-12-15T16:41:51Z")
SqrlCub, that is interesting because George “Spanky” McFarland was in “Our Gang”, the little rascals mentioned in the OP. I guess it was too good of a name for the band to pass up. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/7 "2000-12-15T16:59:01Z")
Barring sexual fetishism, I would venture to guess that “Spanky” would be bestowed on someone fitting Webster’s second definition of “spank:” _To move quickly, dashingly, or spiritedly._ ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/8 "2000-12-15T17:47:27Z")
Sua: I had always suspected as much. > [@](#): > > To move quickly, dashingly, or spiritedly These adverbs most definitely _do not_ fit any of the Spankys I’ve known. Furthermore, I would put it past 99.98% of the general public to know this meaning of the word “spank” right off the tops of their heads. This might be the origin of the Rascal’s nickname, but I seriously doubt that anybody within the last 20 years or so was pinned with the nickname “Spanky” due to their sprightliness. How could that happen, anyway? Let’s say you notice that your son moves quickly, dashingly, or spiritedly. Do you turn to your spouse and say “Quick honey- look up the word “spank” and see if there is an obscure secondary meaning that might apply to our son!” ---
**Author:** ![RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5daacb/32.png) [@RocknRoll\_Killing\_Machine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RocknRoll_Killing_Machine)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/9 "2000-12-15T17:51:53Z")
There was one person in my class who was called Spanky and it was a derogatory term. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/10 "2000-12-15T18:35:42Z")
(“Our Gang” short) **Free Eats** marks an important first: the debut of George Robert Phillips McFarland–nicknamed “Spanky” by his mother because that’s what she was always threatening with to keep him out of mischief; “Spankee-spankee, mustn’t touch,” she’d warn. – **Our Gang: The Life and Times of The Little Rascals** by Leonard Maltin ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/11 "2000-12-15T19:13:52Z")
I remember seeing a brand of peanut butter called “Spanky’s” – and there was a black female character in Doonesbury called Spanky. I’d be willing to bet that all post-1930 occurrences of that name were inspired by the Our Gang character. ---
**Author:** ![Conti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c67d28/32.png) [@Conti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conti)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/12 "2000-12-15T20:45:53Z")
I always thought that it was a nickname given to people who were always gettin into trouble. Cause of the possibility of getting a spanking. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2000, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/13 "2000-12-15T21:53:29Z")
I had a roommate in college who would mastrubate violently when he thought I was asleep. By his senior year his nickname was “Spanky.” Draw your own conclusions 😃 . ---
**Author:** ![mipsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mipsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mipsman)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2000, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/14 "2000-12-16T01:55:25Z")
I, too, believe it refers to “spanking” the proverbial monkey. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2000, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/15 "2000-12-16T02:01:09Z")
I knew a guy nicknamed **spanky** while I was in college. His nickname came about because he seriously looked like “spanky” from Our Gang. The resemblance was eerie. ---
**Author:** ![Skelji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Skelji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skelji)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2000, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-one-acquire-the-nickname-spanky/45747/16 "2000-12-16T02:58:12Z")
I used to work with a guy who felt it necessary to inform us whenever he had gone home for lunch to jerk off. Sure, real smart, tell a bunch of wise-ass guys something like that. We immediately started calling him Spanky.