What's in a Name??
I was watching my favourite program this morning, and one of the cast is upset because his wife's cousin has called him (I think in an endearing way) a dreaded 'mote' which refers back to his youth.
I pricked up my ears!
The 'mote' was..
Marcelino Lechuguino (lechuguino literally means a small lettuce prior to transplantation, but is used to refer to a 'rather young man/barely out of boyhood who sees himself as a fully fledged ladies' man.') I don't know if this is still current, because the program is set 56 years ago. Hopefully some native speakers can confirm if it is or not?
I love these sort of little curiosities in languages that possibly don't get into text books.
Some English examples that spring to mind are:
Nicknames (motes)
Chalky - a person who has very fair hair
Carrots - a person with bright auburn hair
Trunky - a nosey person (from elephant's trunk)
Rhyming nicks
Neil lemon peel
Humorous name combinations avoided by most (but not all....) parents
Teresa Green - (Trees are green)
Lee Flett - (leaflet)
I was nicknamed 'kipper' (ironically I believe, because I didn't sleep enough! 'Kip' is slang for sleep) and 'gooseberry' (no idea why) as a child.
Does anybody have anything like this to share, in any language?
2 Answers
Oh dear I may regret this ,,,,, but I have had two nicknames amongst my colleagues
one being "the Duke ' the other 'Spike " as in Milligan. Don't laugh, strangely I
noticed that one would act "as if " when one was being referred to by the
nickname,
A red head is = a Ranga, or Bluey .
Curley =a bald man.
Lofty = a short person.
A miser = he has short arms and deep pockets.
Rhyming slang, he is a merchant banker.
I am not ashamed to say my nickname was and still is "Rockybear".
My parents started calling me this when I was a baby because they say I looked and was as small as a teddy bear. The name was really embarrassing growing up because the would always call me it in front of friends and I would get soooo red.
