nickname
noun /ˈnɪkneɪm/
/ˈnɪkneɪm/
- an informal, often humorous, name for a person that is connected with their real name, their personality or appearance, or with something they have done
绰号；诨名；外号 - How did you get your nickname?
你的绰号是怎么来的？ - He worked in a garage—hence his nickname ‘Oily’.
他在修车场工作，因此得了个外号“油腻腻”。
Culture nicknamesnicknamesNicknames are informal, sometimes humorous, names that are based on a person's real name or on an obvious characteristic or habit. Nicknames were in use before surnames became widely used in the 13th century and were a means of identifying a person. Some nicknames, such as 'Russell' meaning 'red-haired' and 'Brown' referring to brown hair or skin, later developed into surnames.Nicknames make a relationship less formal and may suggest a close friendship. Many people are given a nickname while they are still children and may keep it throughout their life, whether they like the name or not. Nicknames may also be given to politicians, sportspeople and other public figures, especially by the press. This makes famous people seem more ordinary, and also leads to shorter headlines in newspapers, that catch people's attention.There are several kinds of nickname in common use. The most popular are short forms, which are short versions of a person's first name. Some common short forms include: Bob or Rob for Robert, Ted or Ed for Edward, Dick or Rick for Richard, Meg or Maggie for Margaret, Beth, Liz or Lizzie for Elizabeth, and Kathy, Kate or Katie for Katherine.Nicknames may also come from surnames. Nicknames for famous people that have been much used by the British media include ‘Becks’ for David Beckham. Adding a ‘y’ or ‘ie’ to a person's surname is a common way of making a nickname, as in ‘Jonesie’.Other nicknames reflect a personal characteristic. 'Ginger' is often used for people with red hair. 'Shorty', or even, as a joke, 'Lofty', is used for short people. Names like 'Fatty', 'Tubby' or 'Skinny' that refer to a person's weight are rude and generally used only as insults. Nicknames based on skin colour are offensive and should not be used. 'Brains' is used for somebody who is very intelligent, and 'Tiger' for someone who is brave or aggressive. The Duke of Wellington is sometimes called 'The Iron Duke' and Margaret Thatcher was known as 'The Iron Lady' because of her strong and determined character. These kinds of nicknames are less common in the US.Nicknames based on a person's race or country can still be heard but are often highly offensive.The British have nicknames for many other things: a 'Roller' is a Rolls-Royce car and 'Marks and Sparks' is the shop Marks & Spencer. 'The Hammers' and ' Spurs' are both football teams, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur. In the US all states have nicknames: California is 'The Golden State', Texas is 'The Lone Star State', and florida is 'The Sunshine State'.Topics Family and relationshipsb1- He got his nickname ‘Ash’ from his heavy smoking.
他烟瘾极大，因而得了个“烟灰”的外号。 - He got his nickname when he was at school and it stuck for the rest of his life.
他上学时的外号伴随了他一生。 - He used the nickname ‘Brutus’.
他用了“布鲁图”这一绰号。 - Knockout Nat lived up to his nickname.
“击倒之神”这个绰号不是他自封的。 - Leicester Tigers lived up to their nickname in a very attacking game.
莱切斯特老虎队不虚其名，打了一场极富攻击性的比赛。 - Their nickname for the club was ‘Muscle Alley’.
他们给俱乐部起的外号是“肌肉胡同”。 - His scruffy hair earned him the nickname ‘Shaggy’.
他蓬乱的头发为他赢得了“沙吉”的绰号。 - We used to have nicknames for all our teachers.
我们曾经给所有的老师都起了外号。
Collocations Dictionaryadjective- childhood
- affectionate
- cute
- …
- have
- use
- give somebody
- …
- stick
- nickname for
- hence her/his nickname
词源late Middle English: from an eke-name (eke meaning ‘addition’), misinterpreted, by wrong division, as a neke name. - How did you get your nickname?