What's Your Name?

 Men have comraderie and when grouped together, give one another nicknames.  Elijah P. Brown says that men in mining, military, and lumber give one another names.  He notes that primitive people gave one another names such as Buffalo Face, Kill Deer, Eagle Eye, and Sitting Bull.  Nicknames tell something about a person’s characteristics, bodily features, or dispositions.

I had a nickname or two in school.  In the sixth grade, a classmate saw the Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper on television.  Hedda was the mother of William Hopper who played Paul Drake, Perry Mason’s private detective.  Hedda wore large hats.  My classmate thought I might be kin to her and it would be neat to call me “Hedda”.  Today when someone calls, “Hey, Hedda,” I know it is a classmate.  Others would call me Hippity Hopper, Grasshopper, Clem Kadiddlehopper, Clodhopper and Bubba.

Having spent most of my adult life in the cement industry, I worked with men who had nicknames and I acquired a nickname or two there myself.  I worked with Meathead, Big Ugly, Round Head, Danny Mac, Bubba, Slim, Smiley, Smithy, Wild Bill, Big Dave, Red, Cotton, Radio, Reron, Grunt, and Gourd Head.  There were supervisors named Buffy, Squirrelly, Snake Doctor, Killer, and Paw Paw. There are many more but some are inappropriate for this article.

The assistant plant manager called me Peewee.  One friend called me Barbara Ann.  Another called me Whopper.  After I became a pastor, they called me Preacher.  The name that became the one most remembered is Maytag.  It came during the time I negotiated contracts between the company and the union.  I got it, not because of the dependability of a washing machine, but because I was a good “agitator.” 

Others called me the “Great Mediator” because of the hundreds of grievances I settled, the many arbitrations I reconciled, and four contracts I bargained.  When I hear “Old Maytag”, I know it is from someone that worked at the cement plant or someone that agrees with the nickname.

Fathers give their children nicknames.  My daddy called me “Shag” after the character on Scooby Doo.  He said that my shaggy hair and few little whiskers made me look like Shag.  He called one of my brothers “Lard” and my sister “Sister”.  He called my brothers and me “Bocephus” most of the time.  Daddy also had some that I have to censor.

In my family today Andy is “Andy Pandy”, Angela is “Angel” or “Little Lulu” and Aaron is “Doodle Bug” or “Precious Life”,  and I am “Dad” or sometimes “The Big Man”.  Now that I have grandchildren, I am Poppie.

God gave Jesus a nickname or two.  Elijah P. Brown says the Bible has 256 names for Jesus.  These names reveal something about the life, the work, and the nature of our Lord.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6 KJV).