Sobriquet

A sobriquet (/ˈsoʊbrɪˌkeɪ, -ˌkɛ, ˌsoʊbrɪˈkeɪ, -ˈkɛ/ SOH-brih-kay, -⁠KAY) is a descriptive nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym in that it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name without the need for explanation; it may become more familiar than the original name.

The term sobriquet is equally applicable as a moniker for a person, group of people, historical event, or place. Examples are "Emiye Menelik", a name of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, who was popularly and affectionately recognized for his kindness ("emiye" means "mother" in Amharic); "Genghis Khan", who is rarely recognized by his name Temüjin ("Genghis Khan" means "universal ruler" in Mongolian); and Mohandas Gandhi, who is better known as "Mahatma Gandhi" ("mahatma" means "great soul" in Sanskrit). Well-known places often have sobriquets, such as New York City, often called as the "Big Apple", or Rome, the "Eternal City" , or Vienna, the "Golden Apple".

Etymology

The modern French and English spelling is sobriquet. Two earlier variants are soubriquet and sotbriquet. The first variant, "soubriquet" dates from the 15th century and is rarely used now, in English or French.

The early 14th-century soubzsbriquez meant a "little blow under the chin", also described as a chuck under the chin; this was derived from soubs, mod. sous (Latin: sub), under.

Usage

Sobriquets are "a form of identification that goes beyond a traditional name and offers insight into a person’s character, appearance, profession, or any other distinguishing feature". They are used in politics, music, literature and for royalty, celebrities, and athletes.

Candidates for public office and political figures may be described with sobriquets, while living or posthumously. For example, president of the United States Abraham Lincoln was called "Honest Abe". An affectionate contemporary sobriquet for Ulysses S. Grant was the "American Sphinx" as a man of deeds rather than for verbal self-promotion.

Early uses of sobriquets in writing and literature include the Dead Sea Scrolls and in Tang and Song (Southern Sung) dynasty poetry. Contemporary usage is common in the English and French languages.

Examples

• The King (of rock and roll) – Elvis Presley, famous vocalist and musician
• The Lion City – Singapore, the city-state, also known as Little Red Dot, The Garden City
• The Big Yin – Billy Connolly, Glaswegian comedian commonly referred to as "The Big Yin", meaning "The Big One" in Scots
• The Big Smoke – London or Toronto
• The Land of the Rising Sun – Japan
• Columbia – The United States or the Americas, poetic name
• Dixie, Dixieland (from the Mason–Dixon line) – the eleven Southern states that seceded and fought against the U.S. in the American Civil War
• The Fourth Estate – the press
• Pearl of the Orient – the Philippines, referring to its location in the Southeast Asia (or the East, with "Orient" meaning "East")
• Graveyard of Empires – Afghanistan
• Uncle Sam – the U.S. in general or specifically its government, likely from the initials "U.S."
• John Bull – the UK in general or specifically, its government (originally an attack against the Whigs, their foreign policy, and their financiers who were profiting from wars with other nations).
• Uncle Joe – Joseph Stalin
• The Sun King – Louis XIV of France
• Papa Doc – François Duvalier, 34th president of Haiti
• The Sage of Chelsea – Thomas Carlyle, Scots philosopher
• The War to End All Wars – World War I; since World War II, used ironically
• The Windy City – Chicago, Illinois
• The Motor City – Detroit, Michigan
• Man's best friend – dogs, derived from the origins of dogs, it indicates the relationship that has developed between the two species as they have each evolved to form a symbiotic relationship that is unique among human relationships to domestic animals.

See also

• Elegant variation
• Moniker
• Epithet

Sources

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Sobriquet". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.

External links

• The dictionary definition of sobriquet at Wiktionary