Date: 27 Oct 25
Subject: (Continuation of: " What's In A Name " ...

(Continuation of: " What's In A Name " Oct. 27, 2025)

In getting started with category number two (Something he does or has done), my research brought me to the conclusion that the vast majority of these guys have no complaints with the nicknames designated to them. And, if anything, I would think it would be good advertisement if he was running a hustle. However, of the ten examples I did come across one guy who had a problem with his new name. And I'll admit, if everyone was calling me, "Lollipop" I would be a bit unhappy too. But that's what can happen if you're someone producing and selling little homemade morsels of candy on a stick, and there was already a guy doing it before you with the nickname, "Candy Man."

Let's say a guy is a bit of an electronic whiz, and knows how to repair radios and headphones. Then he'll almost always pick up the nickname, "Radio Man." Or if there is some guy peddling just about anything he can get his hands on, then, "Hustle Man" is bound to be his new identification title.

So as we see, our salesmen tend to pick up nicknames that are simple and straight to the point. However, there are some other reasons for the designation of a nickname to be so simple. I mean, what are you going to assume when you are told that a guy's nickname is, "Checker Bill?" (Gee. I wonder.) Or, maybe the type of art work he does. There's a guy at this camp who draws these incredible looking mazes freehand. Plus, when you solve them, some words or pictures will appear that you could not see prior to solving it. So everyone started calling him, "Maze."

"Money," I'm guessing, is a nickname a guy might like simply because he just wants to show off the fact that he's loaded, and is constantly coming back from canteen with a bag or two full of goodies. Of course the problem with that is he constantly has to put up with guys that he barely knows all of a sudden becoming his best friends -- looking for hand outs.

On the past-tense side of the scene (things he HAS done), a nickname like, "New York" comes to mind. Which will sometimes be designated not only because the guy is from New York, but also because he thinks the place is so great. Naturally, this brings about the question: if New York is such a great place, then what the heck was he doing down here in Florida?

Another relation to the Has Done crowd can be the crime they committed for which they were arrested. So the nickname, "Shotgun" spells out to me what his charges were rather clearly. However, due to my ignorance in firearms, when I came across someone who was called, "38" it didn't indicate to me that he had shot anybody. So after getting to know the guy, and discovering that he did not have a thirty-eight year sentence, but did appear to be in his upper thirties, I finally had to ask, "On your birthday, will your nickname get changed to 39 ?"

In the opening of category number three (characteristic features), please believe me when I say you have all kinds of character in the prison system. However, with only a 17% ratio for cause of designation, I guess a guys character doesn't really seem to attract the nickname-designate crowd. Now there is one factor that could raise the percentage considerably, and for this reason I'm going to start with the men who would rather be women.

The general title that is appointed to them is, "Sissy." However, since I don't wish to sound as though I'm making fun of them, I simply refer to them with my more logical term: "Female Wannabees." These guy/girls gladly accept, or even come to prison with, some kind of female nickname. Two examples I'm living amongst now are, "Tanya" and "Tammy." Naturally, the list could be endless as to how many different female names are available to these individuals who find themselves in some kind of an ecstasy every time a strip search is called in the dorm. Some of these female wannabes aren't quite as serious about the matter, and will have a nickname like, "Honeybun." I guess the one I saw who was the most serious about his character was the guy with the breast implants I had mentioned in an earlier chapter while I was still in the county jail. Unfortunately, I never did catch its name.

The nickname, "Goldfish" certainly doesn't seem like it belongs in this category. However, the guy told me there was a legitimate reason for his cellmate giving him that nickname. Apparently, goldfish are known to have bad memories. So his cellmate started calling him that to keep reminding him that he was always forgetting things -- to each his own.

I guess this next example is one I can relate with pretty well. As a matter-of-fact, just thinking about it has reminded me of the nickname that a guy tried to stick me with that I mentioned in my first category. Since I don't have a thriving income, I have to pay attention to my spending. And for that, the title, "Tightwad" had been the ATTEMPTED nickname for me. Now when I met another guy who was in the same boat I was, in regards to finances, I learned his nickname was, "Greedy." Of the two, I like Tightwad better, not that I would want either one. I mean, it's not like we are some type of misers, or anything like that. We simply don't want to waste our money on gambling, drugs, or buying everybody else snacks from canteen. And it seems no matter how much I try to explain to these guys about budgeting money, I'm looked upon as a cheapskate since I'm not blowing away MY money with everyone else.

And finally, my last two examples of this category are, "Cowboy," and "Country." Both of which are suitable names for the characters known as Redneck's

Redneck: (Offensive Slang) : Used as a disparaging term for a member of the white rural laboring class, especially in the Southern United States.

(I guess we'll have to start with category number 4 next week, because I'm just about out of characters on my tablet. Be sure to check back later.)

Maze