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A sobriquet (/ˈsoʊbrɪˌkeɪ, ˌsoʊbrɪˈkeɪ/ 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.
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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 the "Big Apple", or Rome, the "Eternal City" , or Vienna, the "Golden Apple".
The modern French and English spelling is sobriquet.[1] 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.[1][2]
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.[2]
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".[3] They are used in politics, music, literature and for royalty, celebrities, and athletes.[4]
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".[5] An affectionate contemporary sobriquet for Ulysses S. Grant was the "American Sphinx" as a man of deeds rather than for verbal self-promotion.[6]
Early uses of sobriquets in writing and literature include the Dead Sea Scrolls[7] and in Tang and Song (Southern Sung) dynasty poetry.[8] Contemporary usage is common in the English and French languages.[2]
- The King (of rock and roll) – Elvis Presley, famous vocalist and musician[3]
- The Lion City – Singapore, the city-state, also known as Little Red Dot, The Garden City [9]
- The Big Yin – Billy Connolly, Glaswegian comedian commonly referred to as "The Big Yin", meaning "The Big One" in Scots[10]
- 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
- Gautam Buddha – Siddhartha Gautama, derived from the word 'Budh', which means 'enlightened'.
- Uncle Sam – the U.S. in general or specifically its government, likely from the initials "U.S."[11]
- 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, US
- Motor City – Detroit, Michigan, US
- The Mile High City – Denver, Colorado, US
- The Big Apple – New York, New York, US
- The Little Apple – Manhattan, Kansas, US
- The Mini Apple – Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
- 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.
- Scotty from marketing - Scott Morrison, referring to his former marketing career[12]
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