Nicknames

Aussies love to shorten things. Nicknames are rampant. Not to say that they aren't in the states, but here, they've found ways to shorten names that don't even need it.

The usual suspects are here: John/Jack, Richard/Dick, William/Bill, etc. But they've added a new nicknaming convention that doesn't exist in the states.

Take a name, preferably one with an 'a' vowel sound. Chop off everything after the 'a' then add a z. For example:

Sharon=Shaz
Garry=Gaz
Mabel=Maz

This is quite common. If people are in the mood, an 'a', 'm', or 'o' is added to the end (Gaza, Shazo, Mazm).

I don't know how I feel about it. My name for years has stood against all attempts for truncation. My last name has given me such nicknames are "Whitey", "Whiteman", "White Stuff", "The White Oppressor", and my personal favorite, "Cracker Ass". Aaron was "Airhead" in grade school. Now though, people call me "Aza", "Azor", "Azm", and some people at work have taken to calling me Aragorn. I like that one, cause of my blond crew cut and invisible facial hair. It makes me feel rugged and excessively masculine.

So, impress your friends, talk like an Aussie. Using these tricks, you too can give brevity of names a new dimension.

-Az