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North Country Nicknames
I've been asked many times through the years, "Is Foxy your real name?" My usual retort is, "No, and I have that nickname for all the wrong reasons!" The North Country has always been a great place for nicknames. One of the first I ever encountered was "Pickles" Proctor, by far the most colorful basketball referee I ever saw. He coached Little League baseball in Plattsburgh in the early days and it was a thrill when I got to meet him. Later I met another "Pickles" -- "Pickles" Tolosky from Lyon Mountain. Ask Joe Staves, Plattsburgh High School's athletic director, and he can give you a long list of guys from Lyon Mountain who picked up nicknames through the years.
In fact, I've had plans for years that when I retired from teaching I would write a book called NICKNAMES OF THE NORTH COUNTRY. The list of great North Country nicknames is endless. In most cases, the nickname grew so large that the person's real first name has been entirely forgotten. There aren't many people who can tell me the real first name of "Ducky" Drake, WIRY radio's longtime sports and news personality. And what about Beekmantown's football coach? Is his real first name "Crusher"? And speaking of coaches, what about "Dutch" Craumer? Or, "Shorty" Flynn. Did you ever know his real first name?
One of my favorite nicknames belongs to "Nubby" O'Connell, longtime sports official and a great athlete in his day. It's easy to guess how "Lefty" Tessier got his nickname, but who knows his real first name? And when I played high school sports one of my toughest opponents was "Scooter" Giroux. One of Plattsburgh State's greatest basketball players in the 1950s was "Pop" Bullock. His real first name seems to escape most people's memory.
Do you remember the Golden Gloves boxer from Plattsburgh named "Popcorn" Smallacombe? How did he ever get that nickname? And what is his real first name? The 1969 American Legion Post 20 baseball team that won the state championship had a great pitcher - "Pip" LaFontaine. And you can bet the great athlete and coach "Bud" Miller picked up that nickname in a way other than a connection to a beverage. The 1949-1950 St. John's Academy basketball team ranks toward the top as great hoop teams in the North Country. One of their key players was "Tank" Squires. Maybe "Dud" Bullis was on that team, too. Back in 1942 "Diddy" Beauchemin pitched three no-hitters in baseball for Cadyville High School.
My book would not be at a loss for content. It seems there's a whole family of Rocks in the Peru area with great nicknames, enough for an entire chapter just to themselves.
It is no coincidence that most great North Country nicknames belong to men. But some of my favorite women can make their claim. There's "Cricket" Terry, who never admits to her real first name. And "Poppy" Rock was a great softball player and basketball official. I can only guess that "Poppy" is a nickname, but I've never known her real first name. I've known the aforementioned Joe Staves for about fifty years, but can't tell you his mom's real first name -- we knew her as "Sis."
I guess the list is about endless, and, very likely, a reader or two could add some great North Country nicknames to my list. What with "Foxy," "Goose," and "Ducky" roaming the streets of Plattsburgh it seems right that the North Country also have a "Zoo" -- "Zoo" LeClair!
Comments
Hello, nice site :)
Posted by: Brin | December 2, 2007 9:12 AM
Hi Foxy,
I know the true meaning of a nickname. I was given the name Blub 50 years ago and boy it has stuck. There are people today that knew me when I owned the store in Champlain and still don't know my real name. It's alot of fun and I hope people will always remember me and the fun we had during the time I owned that store. ( our bowling days were fun too)
(Foxy's note: Nice to hear from Blub, who I met while bowling in a league at the Bowl Mart years ago. He's always been Blub to me!)
Posted by: Howard Lamberton | April 12, 2006 8:54 AM
just a note to let you and casey know. i am one of the privileged ones to know PeeJoe's real name.
Posted by: Cricket | January 9, 2006 8:40 AM
Just found you! I am another "Fox Hill" kid that grew up surrounded by nicknames. In my own family my favorite uncles Hector and Chubby teased me nonstop. My dad was Basil Jr.,so naturally the family called him "Babe"! Why??? Then when my brother came along , Basil III, they called him(sorry brother) "Skip". As I was growing up I shared the name "Duke" with the many Duquettes,Ducattes,and Dukettes in the area. For the past 20 years someone in our household has been referred to as "Mac".
Foxy, I love your idea of the book! Your research is being done for you as we speak!
Posted by: Vickie McMillan | January 8, 2006 10:12 AM
enjoyed reading this......think you should write the book.....gordie did a column in the newspaper this summer on nicknames. remember pickles????? punki
Posted by: p. duhaime | January 5, 2006 10:02 PM
Foxy,
Your Mom and I are cousins.
I now live in Port St. Lucie, FL. left Cadyville, NY 1986 after Retiring from The Pine Cone Restaurant. I know "Popcorn" Smallacombe. His first name is Lenny and lives here in Port St. Lucie and he is also the State Vice Chairman of Florida State "ELKS" Association, Inc. I also knew Diddy Beauchemin and was present when he pitched the no-hitters in 1942--his catcher was my brother Charles Jock who is now retired from the USMC and resides at 98 Montcalm Ave.
Ask your Mom and she will tell you the rest of the story.
Bob Jock
Posted by: Robert J Jock | December 29, 2005 10:25 PM
thanks Fox, for NOT printing my real name. Someone called the high school one time looking for me by my real name. Person that answered the phone told them no one worked there by that name. Remember our little league days.
foxy,goose,ducky,hector, cricket, what a board of directors we had then. Did sound like a day at the zoo or farm.
Posted by: Cricket | December 29, 2005 12:08 PM
The book idea's a great one. With regards to how you could set it up, how about alphabetically by nickname? The given last name would take precedence if two people were known by the same nickname. You're right. I've never heard so many nicknames in any place I've lived. Bucket Trombly?
Undy Morette? It'd be better reading than the nicknames of the Cosa Nostra members we read about in the Daily News ...
Posted by: Jim | December 28, 2005 12:05 PM
would be a heck of a book!
how could you forget
"sprint"rooney
"fuzzy"fesette
just to name a few!
Posted by: casey flynn | December 28, 2005 3:02 AM
Well Ray, I'm not sure you answered the question but it was fun reading your column. Still playing some pretty good golf here in Florida. Ken
"Hoblatzel" Hoeltzel
Posted by: Ken Hoeltzel | December 27, 2005 2:58 PM
Morning Foxy,
I enjoyed the nickname blog today. I totally agree with the book idea and I would ask to have my husband's nicknames submitted. His "real" name is John, but he has had many north country nicknames including: too tall, pyro, johnnycake, and rocky. ;0) Thanks for the interesting reading. Already a loyal fan!
Posted by: Brenda | December 27, 2005 8:45 AM
Leave the book idea alone, it can’t work. How would you even start to categorize it? Alphabetically, by street, by occupation, by generation or age? You’d be better off editing the phone book, as you surely would offend someone by leaving him or her out. And what of those who never had a real nick name or had one so obscure only a few knew of it? And how about those who would be offended by you dredging up their nickname? Would you know who to attach the name Red, or Tex, or Bubba, or Crash to; and what if there were two or more of them, who would get priority. How about the names you can’t put in print at all, there must be enough of them in the North Country? Is Tom or Tommy a nickname for Thomas, what about Jack and John? Drop the book idea and move on.
Posted by: W | December 26, 2005 12:31 PM
Dec 26, 2005
Hi Foxy,
Read about your blog last week, but had trouble with the software. I'm also a writer, publishing a 10 page monthly newsletter for 5 years.It's a tough job. Anyway, I have a couple of thoughts for you.
First, how about a Samurai fight to the death between 2 most infamous Georges - Steinbrenner, who ruined baseball (as I knew it in the 1950's) with TV rights and money, versus Bush, who ruined democracy and our position in the world. Maybe they could both mortally wound the other and make the world better.
Second, on a more serious note, what about the infamous NYC transit strike last week. I am a union member, have been on strike, and lived through a NYC transit strike in 1980 when I worked nights and drove to work. The Transport Workers Union (TWU)received bad press for going on strike, going as far as questioning the validity of unions. But the basic argument of defending individual workers' rights broadly against a powerful employer, or the public being inconvenienced still remains valid. On the other side of the equation is the set of issues in the strike - pension contributions by employer and employee, and health insurance premiums, salary raises becoming less important. With workers retiring at 55 and living to 85-90, with greatly increased costs, these issues are not being addressed by any group. Both sides need to seriously study and change their positions, not just stand on their offers. The bottom line is everything needs to be paid for, whether out of pocket or by taxes.
Talk to you again. Good luck.
Stan Schumacher
Posted by: Stan Schumacher | December 26, 2005 8:15 AM