Nicknames

Nicknames are ubiquitous, and because of this, they are not given a lot of afterthought. I simply respond to friends and peers who call me “Johnny” or “Jmillz.” I recognize they are trying to get my attention, register it, and respond. However, Julia Alvarez’s How the García Girls Lost Their Accents — a book I’ve been reading for a class — complicates this seemingly simplistic notion of “the nickname.” For example, one chapter begins “Yolanda, nicknamed Yo in Spanish, misunderstood Joe in English, doubled and pronounced like the toy, Yoyo – or when forced to select from a rack of personalized key chains, Joey – stands at the third-story window…” First and foremost, Alvarez is using complicated word play, evoking the double meaning of Yo as a nickname and Yo’s English translation to “I.” In this way, Alvarez suggests that when donning someone with a nickname the person – “I” – who administers the nickname simultaneously gains agency by projecting their perceptions onto the person. Let me try to explain. I have a friend named Butch. Love the guy, great person and even better friend. But let’s be honest, his name sounds a little choppy, like a butcher (I’ve said this to his face before so don’t think I’m talking behind his back.). Anyways, when I called my parents to say a college friend was going to hang out with us over Spring Break, I introduced him as “Butchy.” In my opinion, Butchy sounds like a more amiable person than Butch. In this way, his nickname is more of my interpretation of his identity than his own understanding of it. Obviously, Alvarez’s complication of “nicknames” extends beyond my analysis (the key chains represents commodification); however, it may be a tad too long for a Tumblr post.

Also, please enjoy this video about horrible nicknames. I was called “Spike” at one point in my life. I never understood why.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC8-F5UK9cU