Nickname
Encyclopedia : N : NI : NIC : Nickname
pseudonym and stage name, although there may be overlap in these concepts. A nickname is sometimes considered desirable, symbolising a form of acceptance, but can often be a form of ridicule. Many artists and actors have nicknames, which in years past were called a stage name. A person's online nickname may also be known as his handle, especially within hacker culture.
Etymology: In Middle English the word was ekename (from the verb to eke, "enlarge"; compare Swedish öknamn). Later, an ekename developed into a nickname when the "n" shifted through junctural metanalysis.
In Viking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viðrnefni or uppnefi which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts.
Nicknames for people
Types of personal nickname: Also known as pet name, shortened name, truncated name, alternate name, name derivative, associated name, hypocoristic form of a name, diminutized name, or diminuted name. Sometimes related to "alias."Relating to culture/nationality
It may relate (offensively or otherwise) to a person's nationality or place of origin.Examples:
- Aussie for an Australian
- Beaner for a Mexican (Offensive, used in the USA, Canada)
- Bonians or Frog for a Frenchman (Offensive, used by English Navy during 19th century against Napoleon Bonaparte's Navy, mainly used by Britons)
- Canuck for a person from Canada
- Caper for a person from Cape Breton Island in the province of Nova Scotia
- Curry ''for an Indian or Sri Lankan
- Fag for a homosexual (derogatory, usually refers to male homosexuals, more commonly used for cigarettes in the UK)
- Flip for a Filipino (derogatory, used by Americans in the early 1900s when the Philippine Islands was a U.S. Commonwealth; FLIP as an Acronym for Fucking Little Island People has questionable origins)
- Fritz for a German
- Geordie for a person from Newcastle Upon Tyne
- Jap or Nip for a person from Japan (Nippon) (offensive, used around World War II)
- Chink for a person of Chinese or other East Asian descent (offensive, used mainly by Britons)
- Dyke for a female homosexual (derogatory)
- Kimchi for a person from Korea
- Kiwi for a New Zealander
- Kraut for a German (offensive, used since World War II)
- Keling for an Indian (offensive)
- Charlie for a Vietcong (mainly used around Vietnam War)
- Harp for an Irish person(Offensive)
- Hong Kee for a Hongkonger (Used by some Malaysians and Singaporeans)
- Indon(s) for an Indonesian (used by Malaysians)
- Limey for an English person (U.S. usage); Pom or Pommy (Australian usage)
- Mac or Jock for a Scottish person
- 'Mank' for someone from Manchester, UK
- Mainlander for a person from The People's Republic of China, to distinguish them from Hongkonger or Taiwanese of Han Chinese ethnicity. Mainly used amongst Asians
- Mexican for a Melburnian (used by Sydneysiders because Melbourne is "south of the border")
- Mick for an Irish or Catholic person (offensive)
- Newfie for a person from Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nigger for a person of African descent (derogatory, particularly if said by a person of non-African descent)
- Paddy for an Irish person (Offensive)
- Pinoy (or Noypi) for a Filipino person
- Polak, Pollok or Pollack for a person from Poland
- Pommy (or Pom) for an English person
- Queb' for a person from the province of Quebec
- Scouser for a person from Liverpool
- Reds for a communist person, especially for one from the Soviet Union
- Taff for a Welsh person
- Roast Beef for an English person
- Ruskies for a Russian
- 'Seppo' for a person from the United States - Australian slang, orig. British rhyming slang (Seppo - Septic - Septic Tank - Yank.)
- Tex for a person from Texas
- Wack for a person from Liverpool (obsolete)
- Wog for a Westernised Oriental Gentleman, also a southern European (usually Italian or Greek)- Australian usage
- Yank or Yankee for a person from the United States, particularly those Americans from the U.S. Northeast (if used by someone from the U.S. South, the term is intended to be pejorative)
Relating to counties of A nickname may relate to an English person's county of origin. Examples:
- Bedfordshire Bulldog or Bedfordshire Clanger
- Buckinghamshire Beef and Bread
- Cambridgeshire Camel or Crane
- Essex Calf
- 'Ampshire 'Og (Hampshire)
- Lincolnshire Yellowbelly
- Kentish Long-Tail (Kent)
- Norfolk Dumpling or Norfolk Pudding
- Suffolk Fair-Maid or Silly Suffolk
- Surrey Capon
- Wiltshire Moonraker
- Yorkshire Tyke
Relating to personal characteristics
A nickname may relate to the person's occupation. Examples:- MacGyver for someone who is good at fixing things
- Chips for a carpenter
- Sparky or Sparks for an electrician or radio operator
- Chief for a boss
- Skipper or Skip for a captain or boss
- Baldy or Curly (ironic) for a bald person
- Tubby or Chubby for a fat person
- Lofty, Lanksta or Stretch for a tall person
- Four-eyes for a person with glasses (offensive)
- Specs for a person who wears glasses
- Wheels for a person who uses a wheelchair (generally considered offensive)
- Carrot, herring, bloodnut, Carrot Top, Ginger, Red, Rusty, Ranga (Australian) or Firecrotch for a person with red hair
- Blondie for a person with blond hair
- Grey for a person who has a very Light Blue eye color, also called the Grey eye color.
It may be a sarcastic, or simply ironic, reference, e.g., Curly for someone with straight hair (or no hair at all) - this form was typical in Australian English in the mid 20th Century but less so in current parlance, e.g:
- Bluey for a person with red hair
- Tiny for a very large person
- Dulz for a cross eyed person (offensive)
- Shorty for a very tall person
- Slick for a clumsy, awkward or shy person
- Slim for a fat person
- Grumpy
- Swotty
- Romeo
It may compare the person with a famous or fictional character. Examples:
It may be related to their place of origin or place of residence. Example:- Gloucester, Paul from Gloucester or PFG for someone named Paul who comes from a town called Gloucester.
- Dipper for a member of Canada's NDP Party.
- Tory for a person affiliated with Great Britain's Conservative Party
Others
A famous person's nickname may be unique to them:- Tippecanoe for William Henry Harrison
- Dubya for George W. Bush. Dubya is from the Texan pronunciation of 'w', Bush's middle initial.
- Jack The Dripper for painter Jackson Pollock who created many of his works by dripping paint over horizontal canvas
- Gazza for English footballer Paul Gascoigne (though used more widely in Australia for Gary) and similar "zza" forms (Hezza, Prezza, etc) for other prominent personalities whose activities are frequently reported in the British press
Nicknames of geographical places
Cities
See also: list of city nicknames for a more comprehensive list.- Heart of America (It's near the geographical center of America), City of Fountains (It has the most public fountains of any U.S. city), KC (also KCK when referring specifically to Kansas City, Kansas, and KCMO when referring specifically to Kansas City, Missouri) - Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri
- The Big Sweet Grass Basket, The Palmetto City, The Holy City, The Big C-H-S, The Marina City, Chucktown - Charleston, South Carolina
- Charm City - Baltimore, Maryland
- The Big Apple, "The City That Never Sleeps"- New York, New York
- "The Windy City", "Chi-Town", "Second City", "City of Big Shoulders", and "Hog-Butcher To The World" - Chicago, Illinois. (These last two are from the poem by Carl Sandburg; see also Nicknames for Chicago.)
- The Forest City - Cleveland, Ohio, London, Ontario, and Rockford, Illinois
- The Big Easy,Cresent City - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Space City, Bayou City, H-Town, Oil Capital of the World - Houston, Texas
- The Holy City - Charleston, South Carolina
- Hotlanta/ATL/A-Town/The A - Atlanta, Georgia
- The Circle City, Indy, Nap Town (popular slang) - Indianapolis, Indiana
- Bluff City, City of Churches, Blues City,Big M-Town (The Hernando de Soto bridge [[]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:IMG_0095.JPG] has a really big M on it), The M - Memphis, Tennessee
- The Magic City - Birmingham, Alabama
- Mill City, City of Lakes, Twin Cities, Moscow on the Mississippi, San Francisco on the River - Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Brew City - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Motor City, De-twah (Mostly used by Michiganders),Dirty D, The D,Hockeytown, Motown, D-Town - Detroit, Michigan
- Music City, Cashville - Nashville, Tennessee
- Sin City - Las Vegas, Nevada
- D.C., The District - Washington, D.C.
- The Mile-High City - Denver, Colorado
- The Big Smoke - London, United Kingdom, also Toronto, Canada
- "Hogtown", "T.O.", "T-Dot"; and Centre of the Universe - Toronto, Canada, often used negatively by Canadians who live outside of Toronto due to the fact that the city is one of the financial and cultural hubs of Canada and that there is a perceived bias towards Toronto by the Canadian media and its Prime Minister
- "The Hammer", "Hammertown" or "Steeltown" - Hamilton, Ontario
- Van City - Vancouver, British Columbia
- Horse Capital of the World - Lexington, Kentucky
- Beantown, The Hub, The Bean - Boston, Massachusetts
- Dot - Dorchester, Massachusetts
- Murderpan - Mattapan, Massachusetts (coined for high crime rate)
- Rozzi - Roslindale, Massachusetts
- Eastie - East Boston, Massachusetts
- HP - Hyde Park, Massachusetts
- Westie - West Roxbury, Massachusetts
- Wu-Town - Woburn, Massachusetts
- City of Angels, La La Land, L.A. - Los Angeles, California
- Pearl of the Orient - Hong Kong and Manila both claim this nickname.
- Queen City of the South - Cebu City, Philippines
- Steel City - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- The Emerald City - Seattle, Washington
- The Gateway to the West, STL, The Lou - St. Louis, Missouri
- The Ingrown Empire - pejorative slang for the Inland Empire (Pacific Northwest) Spokane, Washington
- Crossroad of the Pacific - Honolulu, Hawaii
- The City of Lights and Flowers - Anchorage, Alaska
- Harbour City - Sydney, Australia
- City of Churches - Adelaide, Australia due to the overall large nature of them in this city.
- The Most Livable City in the World - Melbourne, Australia. Became synonymous with the city after it frequented first place and top positions in various world city rankings.
- BrisVegas - Brisbane, Australia due to its similarities with LasVegas as far as weather, nightlife (used ironically) and general atttractions go
- Winterpeg or "The Peg" - Winnipeg, Canada Due to the city's extremely cold weather and the idea that Winnipeg is the geographic centre of Canada.
- The Bridge City, The Hub City - Saskatoon, Canada due to Saskatoon having many bridges relative to its population and being the "hub" along many provincial highways, with convenient routes to other centres in the province and beyond.
- J-Ville, "Where Florida Begins" - Jacksonville, Florida
- "Team Ormond", Refers to heavy drinkers from the area - Ormond Beach, Florida
- Big D - Dallas, Texas
- "Where the West Begins," Funkytown, FW (pronounced "EFF-dub") - Fort Worth, Texas
- BK/BX- Boroughs in New York City Brooklyn, New York and Bronx, New York
- "Vah-Beach" - Virginia Beach, Virginia
- The Rocket City - Huntsville, Alabama
- Peanut Capital of the World - Dothan, Alabama
- The Springs - Colorado Springs, Colorado
- The Queen City, The 'Nati with 2 Sins, Cinci, Porkopolis - Cincinnati
- CT - Canterbury, England
- The City of Bridges - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
- The Peg - Winnipeg, Manitoba
Countries
- The Land of the 1000 Lakes - Finland
- The Land of Santa Claus - Finland
- The Land of Midnight Sun - Finland
- The Great White North - Canada
- The Land Down Under, Oz, Great Southern Land - Australia
- The Land of the Long White Cloud - New Zealand
- L'hexagone (The Hexagon) - France
- The Fine Country - Singapore - Often in a sarcastic or satirical manner, as to playfully describe the law enforcement of Singapore as corruption-free and highly efficient; however, the island nation is also widely accepted has been imposing high fines to minor offences such as littering with such high effiency that granted such nickname to the nation.
- The Land of the Rising Sun - Japan
- The Pearl of the Orient Seas - Philippines
- Da Lu (mainland - lit. 'Big Land') - mainland China
- The States, America, Uncle Sam, Jesusland - United States (Jesusland is mostly the United States [link])
- The Emerald Isle - Ireland
- Blighty - Great Britain
- The Lucky Country - Australia
- The Country With no Nickname - Sweden
- The Boot - Italy
- The Land of poets - Somalia
Regions
- The Wet Coast - British Columbia, Canada; a play on "The West Coast" because that area of the country rains a lot
- Red states - states that strongly supported George W. Bush in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections
- Blue states - states that strongly supported Al Gore and John Kerry in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, respectively
- The Deep South, Bible Belt - Southern U.S.
- The Dirty South (usually the South Eastern States but not limited to the whole Old South)
- The Left Coast - the states of Washington, Oregon, and California in the United States; due to their location in the country and general support of "the left" (liberal political ideology).
- Bridge of the World, Heart of the Universe (Spanish: Puente del Mundo, Corazón del Universo) - Republic of Panama; due to the convergence of the principal trade routes through its Panama Canal
Nicknames for political terms
- Red - a communist, but can also mean a rebel who is against the government; inclining towards the left wing politically, as in a "Red Tory" in Canada, that is, a moderate conservative; also, ironically, a member or supporter of the United States Republican Party
- Blue - a member or supporter of the United States Democratic Party; a supporter of the Conservatives in Canada -- and a "Blue Tory" is a right wing conservative
- Pinko, Trot - a borderline communist
- Hawk - a person who supports and pursues aggressive foreign policies, such as going to war in order to achieve his/her goals
- Dove - a person who supports and pursues peaceful means to conduct foreign policy, as opposed to war
- Tory - a person belonging to the British or Canadian Conservative Party.
- Grit - a person belonging to the Liberal Party in Canada
- The Little Red Book - the book that contains quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, often called that because the book itself has a red cover and small enough to fit into a pocket
Nicknames for some common items
- boob tube, idiot box, telly, TV, goggle-box (UK), glass nipple - television
- bug or VW bug - Volkswagen Beetle
- head - toilet on a ship
- loo, john, potty, bog, can, shitter - toilet
- Old Glory - the Flag of the United States
- Puter - Computer
- Knowledge Box - Computer with the Internet
- Brew, Man Juice, Glug Glug - Beer
Nicknames for professions
- Blue (southern US), Stripes, Zebra, Sisco - referee
- Beancounter - accountant
- Chippie, Wood Butcher - carpenter
- Chaps - chaplain in the Navy or Marine Corp
- Copper, Rozzer (Brit.), Bobby (Brit.), The Fuzz (plural), Cop, Pig/Bacon, Flatfoot, Blueboy, Po-po, Jakes., 5-0 - police officer
- Doc, Sawbones, Quack - doctor
- Fed - agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or, the Federal Reserve
- Foodie - chef
- Geo - geologist or geophysicist
- Detec - Undercover police officer (specifically for their unmarked vehicles)
- Loan Shark - a loan salesman
- Narc - an undercover cop
- Roomie - hotel employee
- Roughneck - oil rigger
- Sawbones - surgeon
- Shark, Ambulance Chaser, Shyster - lawyer
- Shovelbums - archaeological field technicians
- Shrink, Head Shrinker - psychiatrist
- Spook (usually a plural) - (U.S. military) intelligence agent
Nicknames for companies
- "Auntie" - British Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- "The Beeb" - British Broadcasting Corporation
- "Big Blue" - IBM, computer hardware/software manufacturer
- "The Big Eye" - CBS, broadcasting network
- "Bloblaws" or "Blah-Blahs" - Loblaws, Canadian supermarket chain
- "BK Lounge" - Burger King, global fast-food chain
- "Crapple" - Apple Computer, a computer, software and consumer electronics manufacturer
- "Great Yellow Father" - Eastman Kodak
- "Ho-Jo" - Howard Johnson
- "Jacques Penné" - JCPenney clothing stores
- "Jack in the Crack" - Jack-in-the-Box
- "Kentaco Hut" - KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut combo restaurants.
- "K-Fry" or "K-Fried" - KFC, American fried chicken restaurant chain
- "The Little Thief" - Little Chef, UK roadside restaurant
- "Long Juan Silvers" - Long John Silver's and Taco Bell combo restaurants
- "Lose-It" - Loomis, Canadian courier company
- "Ma Bell" - AT&T, American telephone company
- "Marks & Sparks" - Marks & Spencer, British department store chain
- "Mickey D's", "Golden Arches", "McDeath", "Rotten Ronnie's", "McDogchow", "McDick's", "McConvicts", "MacDo" mainly in France, though former usage common in Australia in addition to Australian "Macca's" - McDonald's, global fast-food chain
- "Monkey Ward" - Montgomery Wards Department Store chain
- "M$," "Micro$loth,", "Micro$haft", "Micro$hite" or "The Borg" - Microsoft, American software company
- "Mothercorp" - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canadian national broadcaster
- "Needless Markup" - Neiman Marcus, American upscale specialty retail department store
- "OOPS" - UPS, American courier service
- "Pizza Slut", "Pizza Smut" - Pizza Hut, Global pizza chain
- "Scan dick", "Scandalic" - Scandic
- "Skandial" - Skandia
- "Slev" or "Sleven" - 7-Eleven
- "Snot Gothic", "Goth Stoppit", "Whiny Hole" - Hot Topic
- "Sooner-or-Later" - Purolator, Canadian courier company
- "Tar-Get" ("Get" pronounced "zhay")- Target retail store chain.
- "Timmy's," "Tim's" or "Timmy Ho's" - Tim Hortons, Canadian coffee and doughnut chain
- "Taco Hell", "Toxic Hell", "Baco Tell", "Taco Smell", "Toxic Bell", "Taco Beelzebub" - Taco Bell fast-food restaurant chain
- "Wally World" or "Mall-Wart" - Wal-Mart, global chain of retail stores.
- "Weggies" - Wegmans Food Market inc.
- "Office Despot" - Office Depot, chain of office supply stores.
Nicknames for universities
- "Bama" for University of Alabama
- "Bobby-Gee's" for Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland
- "Cal" for University of California, Berkeley
- "Funshawe" for Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, Canada
- "Harvard on the Hill" derogatory term used for local community colleges
- "Ikeys" for the University of Cape Town, South Africa
- "M-Dub" for University of Mary Washington
- "Marjons" for the College of St Mark & St John, Plymouth, UK
- "Maties" for the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
- "Mizzou" for University of Missouri - Columbia
- "Okie State" for Oklahoma State University
- "Ole Miss" for University of Mississippi
- "Oxbridge" for University of Cambridge, UK and University of Oxford, UK. Mainly used to indicate the combination of these.
- "Pitt" for University of Pittsburgh
- "San Ho" for San Jose State University
- "Snodfart" for Stanford University
- "Southern" for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
- "SUNY-Harlem" for Columbia University
- "The 'Cuse" for Syracuse University
- "The Farm" for Monash University
- "The Stanford of the East" for Harvard University
- "The Joe" for St. Joseph's University (Philadelphia, PA)
- "The Shop" for University of Melbourne
- "The U" for University of Miami Football Program, University of Utah, University of Minnesota
- "The Y" for Brigham Young University
- "The Yard" for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
- "The Zoo" for Kalamazoo College
- "Tukkies" or "Tuks" for the University of Pretoria, South Africa
- "U-Dub" for University of Washington
- "UConn" for University of Connecticut
- "UMass" for University of Massachusetts
- "ZooMass" for University of Massachusetts Amherst
- "Vandy" for Vanderbilt University
- "Wastern" for Western Michigan University
- "Wazzu" for Washington State University
Military nicknames
- G.I. - American soldier (short for Government Issue or General Infantry), also called "doughboys" before WWI
- Dogface, gopher, grunt, cannon fodder, Bullet Stopper, Bushwacker, 11 Bang-Bang, 11 "Bravo" Infantard - infantry soldier
- D-boys, Delta boys, Deltas - Delta Force
- Zipperhead - armoured soldier
- Gunbunny - artillery soldier
- Matelots, squids, swabies, deck ape, deck monkey - sailors
- Frogs - Navy Seals
- Leathernecks, jarheads, devil dogs, morons, bullet sponge - U.S. marines
- Puddle jumpers, shallow water sailors, weekend navy, Knee-deep Navy, puddle pirates, Gilligans - United States Coast Guard
- Chairforce, Flyboys - United States Air Force
- Blue job, wallet head - Canadian Air Force
- Blanket Stacker - members of Logistics or Engineering units
- Bin rat - Supply technician, Canadian Forces
- Redcap - British Military Police officer
- Floating Heads and Diggers - Australian Army Soldiers
- Biggles - Australian Air Force Pilot
- Raffies - Australian Air Force Personnel
- Fire Dawgs - American Marine, Air Force, and Army Firefighters
- Pongos - British Army, Australian Army (As in 'Where ever the army goes, the pong goes')
- Crab fats, crabs - Members of the Royal Air Force
Sports clubs and their nicknames
Sporting clubs are often given nicknames. These may or may not be incorporated into official names or be used by the club. The names of animals or colours are popular. Examples:Football (soccer)
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- ''The Tykes (Barnsley FC}
Australian Rules Football
See also List of nicknames used in Australian rules
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Rugby Union
- All Blacks - The international rugby union team of New Zealand
- Baa-Baas - Barbarian F.C.
- Les Bleus - France national team
- British and Irish Lions (formerly the British Lions) - The touring rugby union team of the British Isles
- 'Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles) - Tonga national team
- Gunners - Edinburgh Gunners Rugby Football Club, Scotland
- Leicester Tigers - Leicester Rugby Football Club
- Lelos - Georgia national team
- Los Pumas - Argentina national team
- Reivers - Border Reivers Rugby Football Club, Scotland
- Springboks, Bokke or Amabokoboko - South African national rugby union team
- The Tahs - Used affectionately by fans of the NSW rugby union team the Waratahs
- Wallabies - The Australian national rugby union team
- Warriors - Glasgow Warriors Rugby Football Club, Scotland
Baseball
- Arizona Diamondbacks - D-backs
- Atlanta Braves - Bravos, America's Team
- Baltimore Orioles - O's, Birds
- Boston Red Sox- BoSox; "Da Sox"; Carmines; New England Nine; Olde Towne Team; Red Sux (by haters), Red Cubs
- Chicago Cubs - Cubbies; Loveable Losers; Scrubs; Dubs; Northsiders; Build-a-Bears (by haters).
- Chicago White Sox - ChiSox; Pale Hose; Southsiders; Black Sox (after throwing the 1919 World Series); White Sux (by haters), Sox Suxs (by haters who think "White Sux" is offensive).
- Cincinnati Reds - Redlegs; nicknamed "The Big Red Machine" during the team's run in the 1970's, when they won the division 6 times and appeared in the World Series 4 times
- Cleveland Indians - The Tribe, Chief Wahoo's Tribe, The Wahoo's
- Detroit Tigers - The Motor City Kitties
- Florida Marlins - Fish; Fighting Fish; The Men of Teal
- Houston Astros - 'Stros, Asstros (by haters).
- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Halos; Seraphs
- Los Angeles Dodgers - Bums, the Boys of Summer (both from their Brooklyn days; usage in L.A. has faded with time)
- Milwaukee Brewers - Brew Crew; Brew-has; Proffessional Alcoholics (by haters); Beermakers
- Minnesota Twins - Twinkies
- New York Mets - nicknamed "The Loveable Losers" when they first started playing, the Kings of Queens; The Amazin' Mets, The Amazins, "Miracle Mets" (during their run in the 1969 season. They eventually won the World Series), Mutts (by haters), Pond Scum (by haters),
- New York Yankees - The Bronx Bombers; The Pinstripes; Yanks; Dream Dashers; Evil Empire (coined by Red Sox executive Larry Lucchino); Dynasty of Disgrace (by haters); The Enemy (by Red Sox Fans); Damned Yankees; The Manilla Folders (A horrible pun made by Shepherd Smith after the 2004 ALCS);
- Oakland Athletics - A's; F's (by haters, in reference to grades in school)
- Pittsburgh Pirates - Bucs; Buc-o's
- Philadelphia Phillies - (Fightin') Phils; Phightins; Sillies; Pillies (given when some players were involved in an amphetamine scandal in the early 1980's); Quakers and Blue Jays (alternate nicknames used early in the team's history); Whiz Kids (for the 1950 National League Championship team, for their youth); Wheeze Kids (for the 1983 National League Championship team, for their lack of youth
- St. Louis Cardinals - Cards; Redbirds; Birds
- San Diego Padres - Pods; Friars; Fathers
- San Francisco Giants - Jints (rhymes with "pints"); gigantes (Gee-gant-As) which is Spanish for Giant
- Seattle Mariners - M's
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays - D-rays; Rays
- Texas Rangers - Strangers (used when the team is playing poorly)
- Toronto Blue Jays - Jays (The team has emphized this name rather than "Blue Jays")
- Washington Nationals- Nats; The Anchors
NBA Basketball
- Wolves, T-Wolves, T-bots, T-pups - Minnesota Timberwolves
- Knickerbockers - New York Knicks
- Blazers - Portland Trailblazers
- Mavs - Dallas Mavericks
- Sixers - Philadelphia 76ers
- Sonics, or Supe's, or Hedgehogs - Seattle SuperSonics
- Raps or Craptors or Zoo Crew (for the bench) (by detracters) - Toronto Raptors
- Cavs - Cleveland Cavaliers
- The Celts - Boston Celtics
- The Stones - Detroit Pistons
- Da Bulls - Chicago Bulls
International Basketball
- Gli Azzurri - Italy national team
- Les Bleus - France national team
- Boomers - Australian national team
- Tall Blacks - New Zealand national team
Cricket
American Football
- Atlanta Falcons - The Dirty Birds
- Buffalo Bills - Jills (by haters), B.I.L.L.S. (Boy I Love Losing Super Bowls) by haters, in reference to the team's failure to win the Super Bowl in four straight tries during the early 1990s
- Carolina Panthers - Cardiac Cats (Due to winning/losing many games in the closing seconds during the 2003 season)
- Chicago Bears - Da Bears; Monsters of the Midway, Build-a-Bears (by haters)
- Cleveland Browns - Dawgs (from the Dawg Pound, a famously rowdy bleacher section of the team's former home, Cleveland Stadium, since transferred to today's Cleveland Browns Stadium), The Brownies, The Turds (by haters), The Cardiac Kids
- Cincinnati Bengals - The Bungles (applied when the team plays poorly)
- Dallas Cowboys - America's Team, Cowgirls (when playing poorly and haters), Cryboys (by haters)
- Denver Broncos - Orange Crush, Donkeys (by haters, and when playing poorly)
- Green Bay Packers - The Pack, The Peckers (by haters), Fudgepackers (by haters), Pack-queers (by haters)
- Houston Texans - Procrastinators (when playing poorly)
- Indianapolis Colts - The Blue Crew, The Herd, The Dolts (by haters)
- Jacksonville Jaguars - Jags, The Jag Offs (by haters)
- Kansas City Chiefs - The Chefs (in honor of a Snickers ad in which the grounds crew paints Chefs in the end zone)
- Miami Dolphins - Fins, The Fish, The Aquatic Mammals
- Minnesota Vikings - Vikes, Vi-queens (when playing poorly)
- New England Patriots - Pats, The Patsies, Patty Cakes
- New Orleans Saints - Ain'ts (when playing poorly), Sinners (also when playing poorly), The San Antonio Saints (it was rumoured they might move to San Antonio)
- New York Jets - J.E.T.S. (Just End The Season) used when playing poorly, Jersey/B
- New York Giants - G-Men, Jints, Big Blue, Big Blue Wrecking Crew, New York Football Giants (Made Popular by Chris Berman), Jersey/A, New Jersey Giants (due to the large fanbase in Northern New Jersey), Madagascar's crew.
- Oakland Raiders - The Silver and Black, Da Raidahs, The Faders
- Philadelphia Eagles- Birds, Iggles (many Philadelphians pronounce the team's name this way), Pigeons (by haters), Beagles (by haters and when playing poorly)
- Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steel Curtain (in their glory years of the 1970s, has been resurrected due to their recent success), The Black and Gold, The Stillers.
- St. Louis Rams - The Blue and Gold, Rammers, Male Sheep, The Greatest Show on Turf, Lambs, Goats (when playing poorly)
- San Diego Chargers - Bolts (from the lightning bolt design on their helmets), SuperChargers
- San Francisco 49ers - 'Niners, The Whiners, Faggy-Niners (by haters, in reference to San Francisco's gay friendly reputation and the high concentration of homosexual fans)
- Seattle Seahawks - Hawks, Seachickens (by haters).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Bucs, Yucs (made popular by Chris Berman when they were a regular cellar dweller)
- Tennessee Titans - The Thumbtacks, The Flaming Thumbtacks, The Oilers (Their team name in Houston)
- Washington Redskins - 'Skins, The Chesapeake Watershed Region Indigenous Persons, The Potomac Drainage Basin Indigenous Persons, DeadSkins (by haters)
Canadian Football
- Calgary Stampeders - Stamps
- Edmonton Eskimos - Esks
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats - Ti-Cats
- Montreal Alouettes - Als
- Saskatchewan Roughriders - Riders
- Toronto Argonauts - Argos; Boatmen (team was founded by the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club in 1873)
- Winnipeg Blue Bombers - Bombers
Hockey (Ice)
- Anaheim Ducks - Ducks (a nickname used when they were still called the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim; new owners changed the team's name to the Anaheim Ducks)
- Carolina Hurricanes - Canes
- Chicago Blackhawks - Hawks
- Colorado Avalanche- Avs
- Detroit Red Wings - Wings, Hot Wings
- Edmonton Oilers - Billy's Boys (after William "Wild Bill" Hunter, founder of the World Hockey Association and the team's predecessor, the Alberta Oilers
- Florida Panthers - the Cats
- Hartford Whalers - the Whale
- Montreal Canadiens - Habs (short for "Habitant", or Québecois farmer) or Crabs or les Crabs (by the haters); Flying Frenchmen; Les Rouges (after the red colour of their jerseys); Le Bleu, Blanc, Rouge (the three colours of the logo); Le Tricolore; La Sainte Flanelle
- Nashville Predators - Preds
- New York Islanders - Isles
- New York Rangers - the Blueshirts or Broadway Blueshirts, Lay Ran-jay (French pronunciation of Rangers often used by Steve Somers of WFAN)
- Ottawa Senators - Sens
- Philadelphia Flyers - nicknamed the "Broad Street Bullies" during the team's Stanley Cup runs during the 1970's (the Spectrum, the arena where the Flyers then played, is on Broad Street in South Philadelphia); The Fly Boys
- Pittsburgh Penguins - Pens Wilkes-Barre/Scranton - Baby Pens
- St Louis Blues - Blue notes (re-pluralize the singular Blue note used for one player)
- Tampa Bay Lightning - the Bolts
- Toronto Maple Leafs - Leafs, Blue Leafers, the Buds (nickname bestowed by sportswriters, probably based on the team's use of a leaf as a logo), Maple Lafs (by the haters)
- Vancouver Canucks - 'Nucks
- Washington Capitals - Caps, Crapitals (by haters)
- Winnipeg Jets - Jets (nicknamed the Jets after aqcuiring Bobby Hull "The Golden Jet" as a part of the World Hockey Association)
- Tre Kronor (Three Crowns) - Swedish national team, after the three crowns in their jersey, from the coat of arms of Sweden.
- Leijonat (Lions) - Finnish national team, after the lion in their jersey, which is from the coat of arms of Finland. Also Leijonapaidat (Lion Shirts) and Kiekkoleijonat (Hockey Lions)
Sports stadia and their nicknames
Australia
- Melbourne Cricket Ground - the 'G'
- Brisbane Cricket Ground - the Gabba (Located in Woolongabba)
- Subiaco Oval - Subi'
- Telstra Dome (Melbourne) - The Dome
- Skilled Stadium - The Cattery
- Olympic Park, Melbourne - The Graveyard
- Waverley Park - Arctic Park
- North Melbourne Cricket Ground - Arden Street
South America
- Boca Juniors Stadium - La Bombonera (The Chocolate Box)
- River Plate Stadium - El Monumental
Britain
- Wembley Stadium - The Twin Towers (now extinct due to stadium redevelopment)
- Old Trafford - The Theatre Of Dreams
- Celtic Park - Paradise
United States
- Chase Field (formerly known as Bank One Ballpark) - The BOB
- Fenway Park - The Fens
- HP Pavilion - The Shark Tank, The Tank
- Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome - Thunderdome, Homerdome
- Oriole Park at Camden Yards - The Yard, Oriole Park, Camden Yards
- Tropicana Field - The Trop, The Juicer
- U.S. Cellular Field - The Cell
- Wachovia Center - (when known as the First Union Center) F.U. Center
- Wrigley Field - The Friendly Confines
- Yankee Stadium - The House that Ruth Built
- Dodger Stadium - Chavez Ravine
- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum- The Grand Old Lady
- Angel Stadium of Anaheim - The Big A, The Big Ed (when Edison International Field)
- Turner Field - The Ted
- Legion Field - Old Gray Lady
- Jacobs Field - The Jake
- Kauffman Stadium - The K
- Quicken Loans Arena - The Q
- Xcel Energy Center - The X
- Madison Square Garden - The World's Most Famous Arena, The Garden, MSG
- Paul Brown Stadium - The Jungle
- Gillette Stadium - The Razor
- Ohio Stadium - The Horseshoe
- TD Banknorth Garden - The Gahden (local pronunciation)
- Qualcomm Stadium - The Q
- Michigan Stadium - The Big House
- Notre Dame Stadium - The House That Rockne Built
- Minute Maid Park - The Juice Box
- AT&T Park - The Phone, McCovey Cove
See also
External links
- [Nicknames for everything] that you can add to!
- [Nicknames, Pet Names and Metaphors]
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