“A good name will wear out; a bad one may be turned; a nickname lasts forever.”
-Johann George Ritter von Zimmermann
One of the great displays of affection among human beings is undoubtedly the bequeathing of a nickname. It’s a tradition that is thousands of years old, and in some cases becomes the name used more than the one given to an individual at his or her birth. I have always been fascinated to learn why a nickname is handed down, and as you would expect the reasons are many.
Name variations.
Having a last name like Fox has earned me the nickname “Foxy” throughout my life. Sometimes I wonder if my colleague of 23 years, Tom Palfey, knows I share the same first name with him! He probably wonders the same as he has always been “Palf” to me.
Speaking of that, have you ever noticed how many folks add the letter “y” or the letters “ie” to the end of a first or last name? Everyone knows a “Smitty”—which is probably preferable to those with the common last name of “Smith.” Growing up in Cleveland there seemed to be an emphasis on this, particularly with first names. I write this blog under what most of my family and friends refer to me. I’m not saying it’s what I prefer, whatever someone knows me as is fine. But if the name lends itself to a “y” or “ie” I usually go with it. Bridgie, Maggie, Janey, Timmy, Danny, Billy, Jackie, Annie, Francie, Jimmy, Tommy, Lukey, Jeffy, Willie, Finny, Jeanie, Matty, Seany, Katie, the list seems endless.
Physical Characteristics
For years I taught World History, and one of my favorite lessons from the Middle Ages pertained to famous nicknames. It’s amazing how many prominent figures from that thousand-year period in Europe are remembered primarily for their appearance. Among my favorites:
Pepin “The Short.” Sadly we don’t have records of this Frankish ruler’s exact height, so I’ve always pictured him as a Medieval Danny DeVito.
Edward “The Longshanks.” This Braveheart villain was well over six feet tall—which was considered gigantic during those times. Had my brother Pete and I lived back then we’d likely have been mistaken for Brobdingnagians as they were called in Jonathan Swift’s classic, Gulliver’s Travels.
Louis “The Sluggard.” Also known as “The Do Nothing” Louie was a big boy with a renowned lazy streak—not a good combination.
Standing at six-eight, I have been dubbed everything from Lurch to The Jolly Green Giant—particularly throughout my childhood. I bet those mean kids mocking me back then have had to use ladders throughout their lives, where I have not! So, ha! On the other hand, they don’t have to deal with a lack of size 38-36 pants at most stores and can probably find shoes everywhere!
Personality Traits or Accomplishments
These are some of my favorites:
Charles “The Hammer” Martel. The hero from the Battle of Tours has a name that goes hard! He earned it for stopping the Moorish invasion of France in 732 A.D.
Richard “The Lionhearted.” This English monarch may have the greatest descriptor of them all. Anyone who attains a nickname like this must have earned it.
John “The Softsword.” This one always made my students giggle. Talk about a brutal nickname, but being a weak military leader lends itself to horrible monikers. Making matters worse, his big brother was “The Lionhearted.”
Sometimes the potential for a nickname affects the actual name selected. Look no further than this gem from The Simpsons when Homer and Marge are deciding what to call their first born son.
Then there are those who have nicknames of which you have no clue as to the origin. Take my brother-in-law Chris. Some folks call him “Sparky,” while others call him “Boomer.” Come to think of it, I’ve never heard my girls ever refer to him as “Uncle Chris.” To this day I have no idea what either nickname means, yet, I still use both. Not to be outdone is my cousin Madeline’s husband, Matt, who many refer to as “Sponge.” Again, no clue as to why, yet I too have jumped on-board, even attaching the title to his number in my phone.
Besides the different variations on my first and last name, two nicknames have stuck throughout my life so far. The first is one that very few know, “Bomba.” The nickname was given to me by my sister Julie and my old neighbor Bridget when we drove by the above sign for Bomba’s Fish Cleaning in Marblehead, Ohio. As a kid the name annoyed me to no end, but today I have fully embraced it—even though Julie, Bridget and her sister, Susie, are the only three who still refer to me as “Bomba.”
The second nickname was devised by my childhood friend Mike Heffernan. Mike and his twin brother Tim were a year ahead of me at St. Luke and St. Ignatius. A fellow Lakewood kid, Mike is about as genuine and kind of a person you could ever meet. One day, while sitting in Coach Nick Restifo’s Spanish 3 class the day after a game where I had a few big dunks, Mike turned to me and said, “I’ve got a nickname for you, Fox.” Inspired by Daryl Dawkins’ nickname, “Chocolate Thunder,” the more diminutive of the Heffernan twins dubbed me, “Irish Thunder” in honor of the heritage we are both so proud of.
Well, that nickname seemed to stick with many of the folks I knew growing up, and as someone who loved playing basketball, I didn’t mind it one bit. Today, I still hear it from time-to-time, even using it as the name of my Instagram account. It’s a reminder of the people and places that helped shape me. Every time my cousin Marty calls he usually leads in with “What’s up Thunder?” It’s a name that points out that while I never shattered backboards like Daryl Dawkins, I could hammer it home at one time in my life! As I close in on 50, it’s nice to think back on those days.
In the end, nicknames usually don’t last forever. One thousand years from now most of us will be long since forgotten by those living on this planet, as will our beloved or not-so-beloved nicknames. They are certainly magnificent Monikers and unique signs of affection—whether we want them or not!
-Tommy O’Sionnach (aka Bomba or Irish Thunder)
Next week’s post for our nation’s birthday will be published at 12:00 PM as opposed to 6:00 A.M.
Glad to see you’re still bringing the thunder after all these years!
It was a well earned, well deserved nickname.
Still is.
Lesser people would’ve buckled under the weight of it.
NO BETTER MAN, THOMAS!
I knew as soon as I saw the title we would read about the legendary Irish Thunder. I recall laughing when B and Maggie submitted permission slips signed “IRISH THUNDER” Great fun reading this one.