What's in a Name?

25.October.2010

Argenthemes: NICKNAMES ("Apodos")

Here in Argentina, your name is nearly always too long.  And even if it isn't, you will surely be given a nickname simply because calling you by your real given name is much too formal!

Argentines love nicknames.  Here, I became "Meli".  I remember in 6th grade when I desperately wanted this nickname (but I wanted everyone to spell it "Melly").  Guess I got my wish finally!

Some nicknames don't even make sense with the actual name they replace, though they are commonly applied across the board, for example -

The name "Francisco" is often replaced with "Pancho" which means hotdog and
guys named "Ignacio" are commonly called "Nacho".  You are what you eat??

This is not where it ends though, nor is it the most interesting manifestation of this habit, in my opinion.  The costume of nicknaming extends into the realm of people that Argentines do not know and have never met.  But what would you call someone when you don't even know their name yet?  Oh, there are so many options!

If you're in the deli and you want some cheese you could call to the shop worker to fill your order by hollering over - "Che, Maestro dame.....".  So you would start your request with "Hey, Master, could you give me..."

Other nicknames are based on physical appearance, which is something that in the States would be treading on very very dangerous ground.  How should you refer to someone by a physical trait?  How about:

Hey skinny! / Hey fatty!   (Flaco / Gordo)
Hey blacky*! / Hey baldy!  (Negro* / Pelado)

* In Argentine there are not a lot of people of African descent, so when someone is called "Negro" it usually just means their skin is naturally more tan than white.

It's true, Argentines refer to eachother in any number of ways, and would you believe it if I said that they do not take offense when a stranger refers to them as "fatty" if they are, in fact, over-weight?  In another post I want to talk about body image and the way that Argentines address this topic, so I'll save that for later.  For now I just want to point out this amusing fact (from the point of view of a United-Statesian) that someone could call you "baldy" without you immediately responding with an insulting retort.  This is not taken as an offense! 

Not only is it not offensive, but some of these nicknames are used as terms of endearment between friends and lovers.  In these cases, these nicknames often times cease to refer to any physical trait and become simply metaphorical it seems.  

For example, my boyfriends parents refer to eachother as "Gordo" and "Gorda".  Neither one of them is over-weight, so in this case it is being used simply as a term of endearment.  Negro/Negra is also used as a term of endearment, and when it is used in this context is maybe something akin to "sweety"...???

But my favorite nickname that I like to use even when it doesn't make sense is to say of someone that they are a "bicho raro".  This literally means strange bug and as far as I know is strictly used here in Argentina. I suppose I'm not super crystal clear on all the myriad of implications that are packaged into saying this, but I like the way it sounds and I like to use it to mean that someone is a bit odd, eccentric or generally awkward. 

Argentines are direct and also informal, so this costume of nicknaming says a lot!  This is a culture that tends much more towards informality in most contexts and to me, refering to someone by nickname implies a closeness or intimacy because normally friends would use nicknames with one another.  So it makes sense that Argentines are given to nicknaming as they generally seem to avoid formality in daily life.  In the US I think that nicknames are the exclusive practice of friends and family.  It would even be potentially strange for an aquaintence to refer to you by a nickname given by friends, as this would imply a bond that had not yet been formed and these are things we consider.  And most people I imagine would take great offense being referred to as "fatty" by anyone, friend and stranger in the street alike!

I've grown to appreciate this habit and now, when someone refers to me as "flaquita" or "little skinny one", I am not bothered but notice the unconscious and subtle effort to establish a connection between say, the shop owner, and myself.  I appreciate being included in this sort of general ongoing joke among friends...