Annie
The very sound of the name will never fail to get someone singing “Tomorrow.”
Big Blue
Inscribed in bold, deep blue letters, it is owned by the fourth most respected name in the business world today: IBM.
Dixie
This cute nickname has come to represent the entire Southern United States, everything lovely and unique in the region and its folks.
General Violet
This seemingly cute and unthreatening nickname, especially its alternative Corporal Violet, was what the French Army secretly used to refer to Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon loved violets that he used the color of the flowers to represent the Bonapartist party. After his defeat in the Battle of Waterloo, it was a crime even to be heard admiring violets.
Indiana
This nickname remained a nickname even in the movies. Played by Harrison Ford, the character’s real name was Henry Jones Jr.
Little Dragon
Even decades after his death, fans and loved ones continue to cherish the memory of Bruce Lee by his nickname: “Seu Leung” in Chinese.
Teddy
A nickname coined for a toy cuddly and adorable, after U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt.
The Bad
Sobriquets are nothing more than nicknames attached to a king’s first name, such as this one given to King Charles of Navarre (1332–1387). Infamous for his treacherous nature, he coerced King John II of France to grant him lands from Normandy during the time of the Hundred Years’ War.
The Big Apple
Referring to New York City. In the song, “New York, New York,” Frank Sinatra called it “the city that never sleeps.” But then again, so does Las Vegas.
The Fat
A sobriquet given to King Louis VI (1081–1137) of France. How fat was he? He was so fat that he couldn’t mount a horse. Yet he was known for the peace and prosperity that marked his reign and was well loved as a monarch.
The Golden State
Across the U.S. is the state that became the concentration of the famous gold rush of the 1800’s: California.
The Kid
It is a legacy that Billy the Kid left making him a byword today and probably for generations more to come.
The Mac
Originally a project named “Liza,” it was changed in honor of the luscious Macintosh apples of Washington state.
The Stubborn
Compared to sobriquets like “The Sluggard” for King Louis (966–987) of the Franks, “The Mad” for King Charles (1368–1422) of France, and “The Terrible” for Russia’s Czar Ivan IV (1530–1584), “The Stubborn” or even “The Quarreler” will sound relatively cute. It was coined for another King Louis (the Tenth) of France who ruled from 1314 to 1316.
The Sunshine State
If you’re looking for some place where you can get some rest, try Florida.
Tommy
It continued to sound cute even when used as a nickname for the famous machine gun that came to be popularly identified with the American gangsters: the tommy gun.
