# Why Duhbya? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 14, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225 "2003-11-14T12:17:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@Beech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beech)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/1 "2003-11-14T12:17:23Z")
Subject says it all. Feel kinda daft for asking, but I wonder if any other Brits don’t know. Why is George Bush nicknamed this, and is it considered to be derogatory? Thanx for what I’m sure will be a quick answer… ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/2 "2003-11-14T12:20:30Z")
G. **W**. B. to distinguish him from his father. Not sure why the Duhbya. Maybe because it’s easier to say or maybe because that’s how some people pronounce it? ---
**Author:** ![KenGr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecc23a/32.png) [@KenGr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KenGr)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/3 "2003-11-14T12:27:20Z")
“Dubya” is Texan for “Double-U”. As a gross generality, people from New York think it’s deragatory and people from Texas think it complimentary so we’re all happy. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/4 "2003-11-14T13:17:40Z")
Though it has taken on the tone of an insult, Mr. Bush originally used it himself when he was governor of Texas. He reportedlly signed his memos with a capital W. He probably feels the Dubya moniker is undignified for a PresNyNighStates, so only the loyal opposition calls him Dubya, now. (Many veteran US politicians can’t be bothered to say “president of the United States,” and it comes out like "PresNyNighStates.) Mr. Bush himself has been coached to speak slowly, and now he’s more likely to say all the syllables. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/5 "2003-11-14T14:18:48Z")
“Dubya” is neutral. “Duhbya” incorporates the word “Duh”, implying a certain impaired intellect, and _is_ derogatory. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/6 "2003-11-14T14:22:58Z")
My understanding is that “Dubya” is the nickname used by his own parents and other family, to distinguish him from his father. ---
**Author:** ![slipster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@slipster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slipster)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/7 "2003-11-14T14:25:50Z")
As a gross generality, Americans with a middle or upper class manner of speaking, and who are careful with their diction, pronounce the name of the letter “W” as “double-you”. I understand that in Great Britian people instead typically say “woof” when referring to this letter by name, much as Americans say “zee” and Britishers say “zed”. The pronunciation “dubya”–at least in a great many circles in The United States–evokes an image of an inelegant working class lout who habitually slurs his speech and chews gum with his mouth open. It may have been liberal columnist Molly Ivins, herself a Texan, who did the most to identify the current president with this nickname; starting well before his assuming the presidency she referred to him in print as “Dubya” as a matter of routine. ---
**Author:** ![fezpp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fezpp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fezpp)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/8 "2003-11-14T14:37:21Z")
I’ve never heard the ‘woof’ thing in the UK?? ‘vee’ ‘double-u’ ‘ex’ ‘why’ ‘zed’ ---
**Author:** ![aahala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@aahala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aahala)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/9 "2003-11-14T14:38:50Z")
The present president and his father are sometimes referred to as Bush 41 or Bush 43, which is the “number” of president. That’s a bit confusing too, as Grover Cleveland served non-consecutive terms and in that method he was 22 and 24. ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/10 "2003-11-14T15:12:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slipster \* > **I understand that in Great Britian people instead typically say “woof” when referring to this letter by name, much as Americans say “zee” and Britishers say “zed”.** Like **Fezpp** , I’ve never hear of “woof”, “woove”, “wohf” or any similar for W. Maybe you’re thinking of “wuh”? That would, IME, be typically from small children or people absentmindedly trying to think of a wuh . . . wuuh . . . word. Whilst I’m here, I’m not sure about the correctness of Britisher. Not that it bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/11 "2003-11-14T16:19:38Z")
Another U.K. doper here denying **ever** having heard of “woof” for “double-you”. It is sort of cute, though, but, nah, I think I’ll stick with the version I am used to. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/12 "2003-11-14T16:26:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by acsenray \* > \*\*My understanding is that “Dubya” is the nickname used by his own parents and other family, to distinguish him from his father. \*\* As far as I know, his family uses “Junior”. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/13 "2003-11-14T17:39:08Z")
If I were President of the United States, I’d a lot rather be referred to as “Dubya” than “Junior” no matter how complimentary or derogatory the nicknames were intended to be. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/14 "2003-11-14T19:20:48Z")
“Woof” for W? Only if you’re barking mad … ---
**Author:** ![slipster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@slipster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slipster)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/15 "2003-11-18T01:07:24Z")
No “woof” for W? In the film **A Fish Named Wanda** the actress who plays John Cleese’s wife mistakely thinks that a piece of jewelry decorated with a “W” is meant for her. She says “it even has a ‘woof’ for Wendy”. Or anyway, that is what it sounds as though she is saying to my ill-educated Midwestern ear. If not, what_is_she saying, anyway? I am reminded that Ambrose Bierce once suggested that the name of the letter be changed to “wow” so that the alphabet would scan better. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/16 "2003-11-18T01:40:05Z")
Well, that was a comically upper class character in a fictional movie. Almost nobody actually talks like that. If I remember rightly, the actress was the very posh Maria Aitken - she was probably vocalising the whooshing noise one might make while tracing out the shape of a W. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/17 "2003-11-18T01:41:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slipster \* > No “woof” for W? > > In the film **A Fish Named Wanda** the actress who plays John Cleese’s wife mistakely thinks that a piece of jewelry decorated with a “W” is meant for her. She says “it even has a ‘woof’ for Wendy”. Or anyway, that is what it sounds as though she is saying to my ill-educated Midwestern ear. If not, what_is_she saying, anyway? She said “and it’s even got a wuh for Wendy”; just an informal, childish way of saying it. I can confirm what others have said, that we call the letter double-u. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/18 "2003-11-18T04:46:00Z")
For completion’s sake: The current president’s father is the former president George Herbert Bush[sup]\*[/sup], and the son is George Walker Bush. At first, those in the media went to great lengths to distinguish the two with full names. This wasn’t good for TV journalists and pseudo-journalists who operate on short info burtst. Thus, the middle initial became an easy way to distinguish the two and was greatly emphasized to the point that some breezily starting using just the W as a reference. And, as mentioned, ‘dubya’ is a common slurring of ‘double-u.’ Peace, -em [sup]\*[/sup]It’s actually George Herbert Walker Bush, but rarely was the ‘Walker’ ever used. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/19 "2003-11-18T05:05:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by slipster \* > \*\*The pronunciation “dubya”–at least in a great many circles in The United States–evokes an image of an inelegant working class lout who habitually slurs his speech and chews gum with his mouth open. It may have been liberal columnist Molly Ivins, herself a Texan, who did the most to identify the current president with this nickname; starting well before his assuming the presidency she referred to him in print as “Dubya” as a matter of routine. \*\* I think you’re mixing up your nicknames. Molly Ivins was the first to call him “Shrub” and habitually referred to him as such in her columns. I believe that “Dubya” was originally an affectionate nickname used by GWB’s family and supporters which eventually came to be used more derisively by his opponents. ---
**Author:** ![thatDDperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@thatDDperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatDDperson)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225/20 "2003-11-18T08:10:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Captain Amazing \* > \*\*As far as I know, his family uses “Junior”. \*\* The one thing they would NOT use is “Junior”. Before his ascention to current office, his Mother called him “W” pronounced Dubya, or Little George. Actually, she tended to refer to the sons as (when sending flowers, which is how I heard it spoken by her) GeorgeandLaura, JebandWhoever and Neil(sigh)poor Neil. They have always been quite emphatic that he is NOT a junior, especially in articles in Texas Monthly where an interviewer/researcher made that error when Daddy Bush was in office. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-duhbya/213225.md?page=2)