100 Yonseians’ views of nicknames
GIVING NICKNAMES is an easy method to encapsulate people’s images or general characteristics. People make nicknames for their close friends and sometimes even use their nicknames more often than their real names. Moreover, nicknames are made for online identities, celebrities, parodies and so on. The Yonsei Annals asked some questions about nicknames to 100 Yonseians to find out how relevant nicknames are to their lives.
| Have you had a nickname that others have called you as? Yes (62) No (38) |
Have you had a nickname that others have called you by?
Everyone belongs to many kinds of social groups, such as families, schools, and circles of friends. Because one’s nickname is made by his/her peers, many people seem to have had nicknames at some point. 62 out of 100 respondents replied that they have had nicknames in their lives. Even though the number of Yonseians who have had nicknames was over half of the respondents, it was smaller than expected. Most of the 62 respondents had positive views on their past or present nicknames. 25 out of the 62 respondents who have had nicknames said they were perfectly satisfied with their nicknames, and 8 said they were enthusiastic about their nicknames. Only 10 respondents said they either don’t like or hate their nicknames. The reason Yonseians think of their nicknames positively is because the intention behind nicknames is not malicious, but affectionate.
38 out of 100 Yonseians who haven’t had their own nicknames were asked the question, “Do you want to have a nickname?” The result was surprising. It seems that they have an opposite view from the respondents who have nicknames. 28 respondents, who compose more than half of the 38 respondents, were negative about the idea of having nicknames. Some of the 28 replied that they like their real names and don’t feel any necessity for nicknames. Sometimes when you think back to old friends who aren’t in touch with you now and had nicknames that made a stronger impression than their real names, you can only remember their nicknames. If they find out that you can’t remember them by their names, wouldn’t they be disappointed? How sad would that be! Maybe those 28 respondents don’t want to be in such a situation.
| Why do people come up with nicknames? No reason (4) Fun to call people them (21) To tease those with nicknames (8) To become more intimate (28) To express affection (39) |
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Because nicknames are given by others, maybe most people got their first nicknames when they were in kindergartens or primary schools, where people experience bigger social groups than their homes for the first time. Children easily make friends and call each other by nicknames to make fun of their friends’ names or physical looks. Names and physical looks are the most obvious ways for them to make nicknames. Are those elements also applicable to adults? To Yonseians, those elements were important, but were not the most significant ones. 36 out of 100 respondents said images of people such as personality traits, habits, and behavior patterns play the biggest part in making nicknames for others. Celebrities also have nicknames given by the public. Jang Keun-suk is a popular Korean actor who has written about himself philosophically with photos on his mini-homepage on the Internet. Netizens thought that his writings seem to be not only funny but also showing off. That’s why he has a nickname: “Arrogant Keun-suk.” Yelena Isinbayeba, who is a Russian high jumper, has a nickname, “Beauty Bird,” which emphasizes both her beautiful appearance and her ability continuously to establish new world records. Personal appearance was chosen as the second most important element in formulating nicknames by 22 respondents. Names of animals are among the easiest nicknames when you think of people’s facial features. “Grasshopper” is one example, which is the nickname of a famous MC, Yu Jae-suk. Also, how people are built become nicknames like “Fatty” for fat people and “Hobbit” for short people.
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| What is the most important element in making nicknames? Easy pronunciation using names (22) Physical looks (23) Personality traits/habits/behavior patterns (36) Simply fun to tease (17) Others (2) |
| What element do you consider when you make your online nicknames? Personal information (eg. name, date of birth) (28) Cool/pretty impression (21) Funny nicknames to make fun of others (18) Emotions/conditions/characteristics (22) Special signs/extraterrestrial words (3) Others (8) |
What is the foremost factor when you make your online nicknames?
“Tom and Lingerie (Tom and Jerry)”, “Glamour Waiter (Gladiator)”, and “Math Note (Death Note)”! Have you ever heard of these online nicknames? These are some parodies made by people to make others laugh. How many people consider others when they think up their online nicknames for themselves? 18 of the 100 respondents said they use funny nicknames to make fun of others. To make funny parodies seemed hard for Yonseians, as personal information such as name and date of birth was chosen as the most popular element when they make their online nicknames. Initials and numbers are easy for them! 22 respondents said they like to express their emotions, conditions, and characteristics through their online nicknames. These are good to change their internet nicknames when they want to make new ones. How about strange words? Can you understand nicknames such as “di$c0unt@bl3 1-1on3y (discountable honey),” “y0u 4r3 +r#! (you are trash),” and “5uc|-| 4 l0053r! (Such a loser)”? Aren’t these hard to read? Although these terms called “extraterrestrial” are cute, Yonseians do not seem to have a taste for such peculiar language. Only 3 out of 100 Yonseians selected these alien words to use in their nicknames. These words shorten and ignore standard spellings, and mix many countries’ languages, units of measurement, and so on. That’s why they are strange and people don’t really like to read them.
| Why do you think people make parodies of animations/movies/songs with nicknames? To show affection (22) Simply to make fun of it (59) To criticize/ridicule (9) Others (10) |
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Yoo Young-seo
cherishan@yonsei.ac.kr