# spud? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [November 18, 2004, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434 "2004-11-18T09:23:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/1 "2004-11-18T09:23:02Z")
I missed the joke [here](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_112.html). Is it a play on the letter’s author’s name? Sorry for being so dense. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/2 "2004-11-18T10:17:35Z")
In England ‘spud’ is slang for a potato. Of course Cecil is in the US. So presumably it’s an affectation (like calling someone ‘mate’, ‘guy’ or ‘bubba’). ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/3 "2004-11-18T11:05:23Z")
I knew spud meant potato, but still… What? Cecil’s just calling the guy dumb? ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/4 "2004-11-18T11:42:45Z")
> [@glee](#): > > In England ‘spud’ is slang for a potato. > > Of course Cecil is in the US. > So presumably it’s an affectation (like calling someone ‘mate’, ‘guy’ or ‘bubba’). OK, run this past one more time, please. In England, calling someone a POTATO or SPUD is “like calling someone ‘mate’, ‘guy’ or ‘bubba’”? I’m more confused now than when I started the darn thread. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/5 "2004-11-18T12:05:21Z")
Calling someone _Spud_, in the US, while a bit archaic(Hi, Cecil), is usually just like calling them _pal_ or _bud_ just as **glee** said. Unless, of course, you’re talking to _Mr. Potato Head_. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/6 "2004-11-18T12:10:35Z")
Spud is very often associated with the name Murphy. So we have" Spud" Murphy. Likewise there is “Chalky” White “Dinger” Bell “Hi” Opal etc. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/7 "2004-11-18T12:10:36Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Unless, of course, you’re talking to _Mr. Potato Head_. 🙂 I liked that movie War Games, too. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/8 "2004-11-18T12:11:51Z")
> [@Vetch](#): > > Spud is very often associated with the name Murphy. So we have" Spud" Murphy. Likewise there is > “Chalky” White > “Dinger” Bell > “Hi” Opal > etc. Funny I watched Train Spotting tonight and still missed it. ---
**Author:** ![Mathochist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@Mathochist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mathochist)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/9 "2004-11-18T13:19:14Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > OK, run this past one more time, please. > > In England, calling someone a POTATO or SPUD is “like calling someone ‘mate’, ‘guy’ or ‘bubba’”? > > I’m more confused now than when I started the darn thread. No, no, no. As Dr. Science (I think he’s Cecil’s cousin or something) tells us, SPUD is an acronym for “Scientifically Produced Ugly Dog”. It looks sort of like a Yorkshire terrier, but it knows it’s ugly and has the good sense to shut up about it instead of yapping like a yorkie does. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/10 "2004-11-19T17:19:32Z")
> [@Eleusis](#): > > OK, run this past one more time, please. > > In England, calling someone a POTATO or SPUD is “like calling someone ‘mate’, ‘guy’ or ‘bubba’”? > > I’m more confused now than when I started the darn thread. Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I was guessing that Spud was a friendly name for a stranger in the US. Here in the UK, we use ‘Wotcha mate!’, ‘Yes, guv’, ‘He’s the guvnor’, ‘Hello, big boy’, , ’ Go ahead, duckie’, ‘Excuse me, Sir’ etc. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spud/275434/11 "2004-11-22T04:13:51Z")
> [@Mathochist](#): > > No, no, no. As Dr. Science (I think he’s Cecil’s cousin or something) tells us, SPUD is an acronym for “Scientifically Produced Ugly Dog”. Ah, that explains Spud McKenzie.