by W.T. Cox
What’s in a name? Every person has one. The folks from Randolph County are special, in that most people who grew up here have more than one name. Almost everybody had a “nickname”. These were names given to people and you were known for the most part by your NickName. Many times, we recognize a person’s nickname and not know his real “birth” name. Nick Names are special and are given for a variety of reasons. Some glamorize a person or highlight a certain achievement. Examples of this kind of nickname is “Slugger”, or “Hard Hitter”. Other nicknames describe a person’s appearance, such as “Red”, “Freckles” or “Slim”. There are even nicknames that are basically shortened versions of a person’s name, such as “Mit”, “Bob”, and “Ed” for Eddie. Then there are the nicknames that are given for reasons unknown that seem less glamorous. Examples of these are “Stump”, “Fat”, “Stick” and “Dub Dub”. Also some nick names seem to be given for no reason at all. For these, there seems not to be an explanation.
One thing is certain: No one ever gets to choose their nickname.
My nickname growing up was “Dub Dub”. I used to hate that name. It seemed so demeaning, or sometimes like a tease. But over time, I accepted it, and today when someone comes up to me and calls me “Dub”, it brings back memories of growing up here in Ramseur and many of the good times I shared with friends. Just like most people, I did not have a choice as to what my nickname would be. Mine goes way back to my first grade class in Ramseur School. I was in Ms Pete Burgess’ first grade class. As a six year old, I saw Ms. Burgess as a strict, no nonsense teacher, but one that we could tease… sort of like a female Sergeant Schultz. In our class, we had three “Tim’s” in there, and when the teacher would call on “Tim” to answer a question or to tell “sit down and behave”, all three of us would answer. This seemed to irritate our teacher, so naturally we all did it every chance we got. There was Tim Cranford, Tim Clarkston Cox and me… William Timothy Cox. Sometimes we would do this just to spite Ms Burgess. Most of the time, we knew which one of us she was referring to when she snapped “sit down and be quite”, but being the malicious little kids like we were, all of us would answer. Eventually Ms Pete got tired of our mocking and came up with a solution. She said, “for now own, when I call on Tim, I mean Tim Cranford and just him. If I say Tim C, then that is you Timothy Clarkston, and from now on Mr. Cox, you will be Tim W.” I immediately protested saying that my name was not Tim W, but W Tim. Ms Burgess would not listen to reason, and told me to shut up and sit down or I would experience her wrath (which could be considerable). When recess came and we were allowed on the playground, my classmates began to laugh and kid me about my new “name”.. “Tim W… Doubua.. Doubua… Dub Dub”. Well, I did not like the nickname, but it stuck. I did not have a choice. That was 62 years ago, and some of my classmates still call me by that name. Over the years, I have accepted it and actually like it now.
Most people with nicknames can recall how their name came about, but some still don’t have a clue. One thing is for certain. We don’t have a choice of what we are called, but almost everyone had some kind of nickname growing up here. Below are just a few that I remember? There is also a list of nicknames I recall growing up, but cannot put a name to them. How many of these do you remember?
Nick Names from the Eastern Randolph area:
–Twink/ Larry Wright
–Tink/ Tim Wright
–Pickles/ Sally Tucker
–Doughbelly/ Mickey Simmons
–Flash/ Jerry Parks
–Pulpwood/ Danny Presswood
–Stick/ Ricky Horner
–Nose/ Hal Richardson
–Pig/ Bill Marley
–Mit/ Milton Brown
–Mushie/ Johnny Crutchfield
–Measel/ Kenny Morgan
–Wolfee/ Jerry Wolfe
–DubDub/ Tim Cox
–Yellar/ Richard Garner
–Bubba/ Billy Whitten
–Chigger/ David Chriscoe
–Stump/ Larry Stout
–Noonie/ Robert Poe Tucker
–Blimp/ Bobby Johnson
–Porky/ Karl Ernst
–Skinny/ Joe Hodgin
–Boody/ Waylon Brown
–Mayor/ Steve Siler
–Moe/ Franklin Clyde McAlister
–Son/ Charles Lane
–Prissy/ Janet Siler Booth
–Cube/ Don Burgess
–Fat/ Ashley Goldston
–Nellie/ Carnell Goldston
–Ernie/ Earnell Watson
–Red/ Teresa Horner
–Red/ William York
–Happy/ Hampton Spivey
–Gouber/ Bob Graham
–Toad/ Craig Macon
–Toad/ Jerry Hopkins
–Pep/ Culpepper Watkins
–Toot/ Thursell Lineberry
–Pot/ Benny Flowers
–Dynomite/ Mike Brown
–Greenie/ Harris W Marley
–Cowboy/ Richard Garner
–Fish/ Wayne Salmon
–ET/ Claude Edgar Tucker
–Goat/ Billy York
–Jay Bird/ Millard Everette Hinson
–Stanjo/ Stan Brown
–Puddin/ Jaws Jeff Hoover
–Pierre/ Perry Stout
–Flea/ Keith Carmac
–Stop/ Danny Gallimore
–A-Boo/ Edna Nixon
–Hat/ Bobby Bower
–Fid/ James Coward
–Ott/ Arthur Gant Sr
–Little Ott/ Arthur Gant
–Ear/ Ronnie Campbell
–Cotton/ James Raines
–Donut/ Delano Welborn
–Hat/ Clarence Harris
–Bubby/ David Kenedy
–Bush/ Phillip Wright
–Bush/ David Craven
–Cactus/ Terry York
–Charm/ Bobby Burgess
–Soup/ Crain Campbell
–Little Armp/ David Staley
–Sharp Eye/ Jack Stout
–Rabbit/ Jeff Wright
–Measel/ Kenny Morgan
–Duffy/ Jerry Cox
–Tiny/ Frank Chamberlin
–Bunt/ Cletus Carmac
–Soup/ Craig Campbell
–No Hit/ Wayne Burgess
–Ace/ AJ Kirkman
–Doc/ Robert Thomas
–Doc/ Robert Graham Sr.
Here is a list of NickNames from the Ramseur Area over the past 50 years. Do you recognize any of these? E-mail your answer to us and we will include them in the next issue of the “Bulletin”. Send your answers to info@randolphbulletin.com
Noopie
Eagle
Bear
Champ
PeeVine
Hard Rock
Sharp Eye
Tractor
Red Eye
Bad Eye
Bozo
Babe
Mule
Weed
Short Jaw
Crooked jaw
Shorty
Tall Man
Granny
Monk
Chunk
Chick
Duke
Stone
Bo
Corky
One Arm
Tenny
Trigger
Bones
Possum
Tomestone
Gun
Nemo
Chicken
Short Legs
Sweet
Gink
Scalaway
Speed
Mumbles
High Crown
Foots
New Grounder
History
Long Arm
Smokey
Blinky
Wick
High Gear
Lightin
Hardrock
Wild Man
Dirty Jack
Toonk
Splat
Toonts
Apoe
Cracker
Capsule
Double P
Klondike
Big Daddy
Check
Runs
Showboat
Cat
Biggun
Chuffy
Whitey
Slim
Pops
Ziggy
Handsaw
Whisper
Nug
Mutt
Spider
Click
Ears
Punk
Sleepy
Lobo
Shoe
Minner
Bingo
Noochie
Popeye
Bunch
Rat
Hutch
Duck Soc
Lippy
Gleebo
Mode
Duck
Hitler
Cotton
Sparky
Taser
Bun
Admiral
Deacon
French
Snuffy
Horsefly
Peck
Wimpy
Chops
Lazyeye