how the heck does the name Richard = Dick? what's the deal with naming conventions? See more...

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Thump553

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
12,651
2,393
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One I never figured out at all was Peggy for Margaret, but that is a pretty uncommon usage these days.
 

ThaGrandCow

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
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Originally posted by: Kaputnik03
are u annoyed that ur name is richard and people call u dick(head)?

LOL! I'm usually above this kind of humor but for some reason this one hit me off guard and I'm LOL'in right now :D

You win the game good sir! :beer:
 

shiftomnimega

Senior member
Feb 3, 2004
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Call it a stretch, but maybe they come from archaic pronounciations.

Like in old English the word "son" was pronounced "sawney" and spelled "sonne."

So maybe Richard was spelled "Dichard" back in the day and if you know your italian you know that "ch" is a hard "c" sound. Hence, "Dick."

Not too far a stretch, is it?
 

ThaGrandCow

Diamond Member
Dec 27, 2001
7,956
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Originally posted by: DrPizza
And where'd the "h" go in Thomas when it gets shortened to Tom? Shouldn't it be Thom?

Um... in Thomas the 'h' is silent, pretty easy to see why they didn't put it in Tom.
 

ragazzo

Golden Member
Jan 9, 2002
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nicknames aren't always shortened versions of names. it could be from kids making fun of other kids too or because it's easier to say, for example, willy then it is to say william.



 

ragazzo

Golden Member
Jan 9, 2002
1,759
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Originally posted by: blazert40
William = Bill that makes no sense.

imagine 3 williams in a classroom. one of them looks like a billy goat. now imagine two of them looking like billy goats. one could be bill and the other one could be billy :D

 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,297
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Originally posted by: ITJunkie
Because King Richard the 1st was a dick ;)

Nah, Richard the Lion-heart was the best of the Richards. II and III were much bigger dicks. Hell, Richard II was murdered while in prison.