Nicknames. There is a certain fascination that attaches to some nicknames. Namely (a pun), what is its origin?

Some are fairly obvious. Some are a bit more obscure.

Anyhow, a number of folks have long observed that our town — our county — have seemed to have a preponderance of nicknames. More than most places. Or so it seems to some of us.

Paul Credle, a native of our fair town, but removed by well over half a century now, set about gathering the varied nicknames of folks who were from Washington and nearby.

My Sally, Paul’s first cousin, joined in the project. Others of us added to the woodpile as best we could. Folks like Graham Ramsay, Carolyn Harding, Punkin and Fritz Tanner. Much information was gleaned from the 50th reunion of the WHS Class of 1953. Other sources were tapped into.

Understand, only a portion of the nicknames we have are listed here. We did not identify anyone by last name. If you just can’t figure it out, call me.

Many of the appellations you will see here were for people who have left us, many of them a long time ago. In their time they were better known, some almost exclusively, by their nicknames.

So. Here are a few — by no means all — of those nicknames:

Bimbo, Stooge, Gumshoe, Spanky, Pinky, Winky, Punkin, Red, Doodlebug, Junebug, Peach Belly, Root, Cutie, Skinny, and Skybo.

Simple, Crazy Legs, All State, Bunk, Buster, Skipper, Tater Will, Zeke, Bootsie, Weensie, Boo, Pappy, Googie, Doogie, and Fats.

Beefy, Duffy, Bully, Dog Head, Togo, Butt Head, Nub, Rabbitt, Moose, Monk, Bicycle Eddie, Coconut, Baby, Woman, Buddha, Bomber, Bear, and Droop.

Bojay, Weasel, Fat Rat, White Rat, Cat, Weasie, Blue, Flipper, Doc, E-Bette, Bitsy, Brownie, Cowboy Lee, Fritz, Mickey, Teny, Teeny, Goon, ’Possum, Dog, and Rubber Belly.

Pop, Tick, Cut-Rate, Sis, Snooks, Kimbo, Slick, Catbird, Catty Webb, Curly, Bubs, Peepie, Kack, Bud, Buddy, Doughnut, and Buster.

Bo, Flip, Ace, Choppy, Ox, Pongo, Snookie, Karo, Gun, Bunny, Gray Rabbitt, Binks, Brother, Bird, Chip, and Kingfish.

Dutchie, Posey, Hard Rock, Dum Dum, Yo Yo, Little Beaver, Swifty, Whirley, Shotgun, Whitey, Reuben, Weeza, Murr, Mud Duck, and Butterball.

Brer, Rusty, Mokey, Turkey, Poochie, Puz, Boogie, Bubba, Dill, Libethy, Cubby, Obie, Piggy, Tay, Chester, Skeeter, Skeets, Smoke, Nanny Goat, Skip, Frog, and Big Head.

Seegoo, Jinks, Bibs, Dummy, Mugsy, Mac, and Pie and, well, there are more. Some we have, and probably many, many we don’t have.

It seems fair to say, though, that we have had more than our “share” of nicknames. For sure.

APROPOS — What’s in a name? said Shakespeare