A sobriquet (/ˈsoʊbrᵻkeɪ/ SOH-bri-kay) is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another. Distinct from a pseudonym that is assumed as a disguise, it usually is a familiar name, familiar enough such that it may be used in place of a real name without the need of explanation. This salient characteristic is of sufficient familiarity that the sobriquet may become more familiar than the original name.
Examples are Emiye Menelik, a nickname of Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, who was popularly and affectionately recognized for his kindness ('emiye' means mother in Amharic); Genghis Khan, who now is rarely recognized by his original name, Temüjin; and Mohandas Gandhi, who is better known as Mahatma Gandhi. Well-known places often have sobriquets, such as New York City, often referred to as the Big Apple. Therefore, sobriquet may apply to the nickname for a specific person, group of people, or place.
Two early variants of the term are found, sotbriquet and soubriquet; often, the latter form is still used. The modern French spelling is sobriquet. The first form suggests derivation from sot, foolish, and the second form, briquet, is a French adaptation of Italian brichetto, diminutive of bricco, ass, knave, possibly connected with briccone, rogue, which is supposed to be a derivative of the German brechen, to break; but Skeat considers this spelling to be an example of false etymology. The real origin is to be sought in the form soubriquet.
Littré gives an early fourteenth century soubsbriquet as meaning a chuck under the chin, and this would be derived from soubs, mod. sous (Lat. sub), under, and briquet or bruchel, the brisket, or lower part of the throat.
Sobriquets often are found in music, sports, and politics. Candidates and political figures often are branded with sobriquets, either while living or posthumously. For example, president of the United States Abraham Lincoln came to be known as "Honest Abe". Sobriquets are not necessarily complimentary. A banking tycoon and politician from Knoxville, Tennessee, named Jake Butcher was known as "Jake the Snake" after being indicted and subsequently convicted for bank fraud.
A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1926) warned, "Now the sobriquet habit is not a thing to be acquired, but a thing to be avoided; & the selection that follows is compiled for the purpose not of assisting but of discouraging it." Fowler included the sobriquet among what he termed the "battered ornaments" of the language, but opinion on their use varies. Sobriquets remain a common feature of speech today.
The Angel of Death or Der Todesengel – Josef Mengele, Nazi war criminalThe Angelic Doctor – Thomas AquinasThe Antipodes – Australia and New Zealand, close to the Antipodes of Great BritainThe Apple Isle – TasmaniaThe Athens of the North – EdinburghThe Athens of South America – BogotáAuld Reekie – Edinburgh, "Old Smokey" in the Scots languageAuntie or Aunty – either the Australian Broadcasting Corporation or the British Broadcasting CorporationBabe, The Great Bambino, The Sultan of Swat, The Titan of Terror, The Colossus of Clout, The King of Clash – George Herman Ruth, Jr., American baseball playerBaby – Baby Dodds, American jazz drummerBaby Doc – Jean-Claude Duvalier, the President of Haiti from 1971 until his overthrow in 1986Baghdad by the Bay—San FranciscoBangabandhu (Friend of Bengal) – Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 1st president of BangladeshBanker to the Poor – Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner and managing director of Grameen BankThe Bard (of Avon) – William ShakespeareBasedGod – Lil BThe Battleground, Battlefield, or Cock-pit of Europe – Belgium, or the whole area of the former United NetherlandsThe Bayou City – Houston, TexasBeantown – Boston, MassachusettsBecks – David Beckham English footballerThe Beeb – The British Broadcasting CorporationBiebs - Canadian singer/songwriter Justin BieberThe Big Apple – Manhattan, New York City, New YorkBig B – Amitabh Bachchan Bollywood actorThe Big Bopper – Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr.Big D – Dallas, TexasThe Big Easy – New Orleans, LouisianaThe Big Fellow – Michael Collins, Irish General, Director of Intelligence, President of the Irish Republican Brotherhood & Politician.The Big O – Roy OrbisonThe Big Smoke – London, UK, and by extension other large industrial cities including Toronto, CanadaThe Big Piece – Ryan Howard, Phillies First BasemanThe Big Stick – Theodore Roosevelt's diplomatic policyThe Big Unit – Randy Johnson, baseball pitcherThe Big Yin – Billy Connolly, Scottish comedianThe Body – Elle Macpherson, also Jesse VenturaBiggest Little City – Reno, Nevada, a small casino cityBiggie Smalls – Christopher Wallace, American hip hop and rap singerBilly the Kid, William H. Bonney (1859–1881), the notorious Western outlawThe Bill – The William Webb Ellis Cup – trophy awarded to winners of the Rugby Union World CupKing Billy – William III of England (1650–1702)Bird (or Yardbird) – Charlie Parker, jazz musicianThe Bird – Mark Fidrych, baseball pitcherBirdman – Chris Andersen, U.S. basketball player known for his trademark "bird" celebrationBlighty – Great Britain (used by British servicemen abroad and expatriates)The Black Mamba – Kobe Bryant, American basketball player for the Los Angeles LakersBlackbeard – Edward Teach, English pirateBloody Mary – Queen Mary I of EnglandBody Beautiful Beale or Little Edie – Edith Bouvier BealeBojangles – Bill Robinson, American tap dancer and actorBollywood – [Hindi cinema], film industryBoney – Napoléon Bonaparte, a derogatory nickname used in BritainBonnie Prince Charlie – Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie" means handsome in the Scots Language)Bono (or Bono Vox) – Paul Hewson, singer with U2Bonzo/The Beast – John Bonham, drummer with Led ZeppelinBoom Boom Afridi – Shahid Afridi, Pakistani cricketer known for his aggressive batting styleThe Boss – Bruce Springsteen, US musicianThe Boston Strangler – Albert DeSalvoBoz – Charles Dickens, Boz Burrell, English musicianBrangelina – Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, a portmanteau name used by news media to refer to the coupleBrat Pack – group of young actors and actresses who starred in teen-oriented coming-of-age films of the '80s (by extension from "The Rat Pack" mentioned below)Brew City – Milwaukee, Wisconsin, famous for its beer productionBrisvegas – Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaBroadway Joe – Joe Namath, AFL, NFL, American football playerBubber – James "Bubber" Miley, American jazz trumpeterBuddha – Siddhartha GautamaBuffalo Bill – American frontier showman William Frederick CodyCapital Hill - United States Capitol, United States of America Legislative branch of GovernmentBuffalo Jones – Kansas frontiersman Charles "Buffalo" JonesCalico Jack – John Rackham, English pirateCaligula – Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus GermanicusThe Celtic Tiger – Republic of Ireland and/or its economy during boom period of mid-1990s – mid-2000s decadeChemical Ali – Ali Hassan al-Majid, minister in Saddam Hussein's government held responsible for the use of chemical weapons at HalabjaChrist – Jesus of NazarethComical Ali – Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, Iraqi information minister during the 2003 U.S. invasion; also known as Baghdad Bob, who became a minor celebrity in the west for his unflagging optimism and increasingly grandiose announcementsChosin Few – Survivors of Korean War battle of Chosin ReservoirThe City – the city of London, as central business district of London and by extension the UK financial industry in generalThe City (or The City by the Bay) – San FranciscoThe City Beautiful – Coral Gables, FloridaThe City of Bridges – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; also Saskatoon, SaskatchewanThe City Care Forgot – New Orleans, LouisianaThe City of Angels/L.A. – Los AngelesThe City of Brotherly Love – Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe City of Dreaming Spires – Oxford, EnglandThe City of Light – Paris (La Ville-Lumière in French), also Perth, Western Australia, which lit all its streetlights for the passage of astronaut John Glenn in 1962The City of Medicine – Durham, North CarolinaThe City of Palaces – Kolkata, IndiaThe City of Joy – Kolkata, IndiaThe City so Nice They Named It Twice – New York, New York, also attributed to Walla Walla, WashingtonThe City that Bombed Itself – PhiladelphiaThe Coat Hanger – Sydney Harbour Bridge, Auckland Harbour BridgeCoco – Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, French fashion designerThe Collar City – Troy, New YorkColumbia – The United States or The Americas, poetic nameThe Continent – Continental Europe, generally used by British peopleCootie – Cootie Williams, American jazz trumpeterCountry – Enos Slaughter, American Major League playerCowtown – The city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, also attributed to Fort Worth, TexasD.F. – Mexico City, (Distrito Federal)Daffy – Paul Dean, American Major League pitcher, brother of Dizzy DeanThe Dark Continent – AfricaThe Desert Fox – Erwin Rommel, German field marshal of World War IIDevil Dog – member of the United States Marine CorpsDiamond Dave – David Lee Roth, SingerDigger – Australian soldierDixie, Dixieland – (from the Mason–Dixon line of latitude, the northern limit of legal slavery); the eleven Southern states that seceded and fought against the U.S. in the American Civil War: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia; still used affectionately by SouthernersDizzy – Dizzy Gillespie, American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader; also Dizzy Dean, American Major Leagur pitcher, brother of Paul "Daffy" Dean; also Jason Gillespie, Australian cricketerDoc – Oliver Perry, American jazz pianist and bandleaderThe Don – Sir Donald BradmanThe Donald – Donald TrumpDonnie Baseball – Don MattinglyDr. Death – Jack Kevorkian proponent of assisted suicideDr. J – Julius Erving, Hall of Fame NBA playerThe Dragon – China (as an economy)Dubya – George W. BushDullsville – Perth, Western AustraliaDuke – Duke Ellington, American jazz pianist, composer and orchestra leaderThe Duke – John WayneThe Edge – David Howell Evans, guitarist in the rock band U2The Elephant Man – Joseph MerrickThe Edinburgh of the South – Dunedin, New ZealandThe Emerald Isle – Ireland or Puerto RicoThe Emerald City – Seattle, WashingtonEmiye Menelik – Emperor Menelik II of EthiopiaThe Enchanted Isle – (from 'la isla del encanto') Puerto RicoThe Eternal City – RomeThe Fab Five – 1991 University of Michigan men's basketball teamThe Fab Four – The BeatlesThe Fastest Girl on Earth – Dorothy LevittFatha – Earl Hines, American jazz pianist and bandleaderFather of his country – George WashingtonFats – Fats Waller, American pianist, composer and singer; also Fats Domino, American pianist and singer-songwriterThe Federal City – Washington, D.C.The First Lady of Waikiki – Moana HotelThe Five O'Clock Follies – U.S. Military press briefings during the Vietnam WarFlea – Michael Balzary, bassist for Red Hot Chili PeppersFoggy Bottom – United States Department of State, named for the Washington, D.C., neighborhood in which it is headquarteredThe Fourth Estate – the pressFrisco – San Francisco, CaliforniaThe Garden City – Christchurch, New ZealandGarrincha – Manoel Francisco dos SantosGenghis Khan – TemüjinThe Gherkin – 30 St Mary AxeThe Glimmer Twins – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Rolling Stones original members, they co-wrote most of the hitsThe Godfather of Grunge – Neil YoungThe Godfather of Soul – James BrownThe Golden Bear – Jack NicklausThe Golden State – CaliforniaGood Queen Bess – Queen Elizabeth I of EnglandThe Good Road State – North CarolinaGOC or Gods' Own County – YorkshireGOP (Grand Old Party) – Republican Party (United States)Gotham – New York CityThe Governator – Arnold Schwarzenegger, 38th governor of CaliforniaThe Grauniad – The Guardian newspaper, England (because of its formerly frequent typographical errors, such as an edition where the masthead was spelled The Gaurdian)The Great Communicator – Ronald Reagan, 40th president of the United States of AmericaThe Great Compromiser – Henry Clay, nineteenth century Kentucky statesmanThe Great Emancipator – Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the United States of AmericaThe Great One – Wayne Gretzky, WHA/NHL hockey playerThe Great Orator – Daniel WebsterThe Great Triumvirate – Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel WebsterThe Great White North – CanadaThe Greatest – Muhammad Ali, boxerGrits – a media term for the Liberal Party of CanadaThe Gray Lady – The New York TimesThe Great Commoner – William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham ("Pitt the Elder") or William Jennings BryanGrizzly – Grizzly Smith, American pro wrestler, father of Jake "The Snake" RobertsGrizzly Adams – James Adams, California mountain manThe Gunners – Arsenal Football ClubGurudev – Rabindranath TagoreHanoi Jane – Jane Fonda, for her anti-war stance during the Vietnam War including visiting Hanoi, seen as an act of treason to many AmericansThe Hardest-Working Man in Show Business – James BrownThe Haryana Hurricane – Kapil Dev, Indian cricketer known for his fast bowlingHaystack – Haystacks Calhoun, American pro wrestlerHef – Hugh HefnerThe Hick from French Lick – Larry BirdHis Airness – Michael Jordan(The) Hoff – David HasselhoffHogtown – Toronto, Ontario, CanadaHollywood North – Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaHollywood of the South – Covington, GeorgiaThe Holy Land – Israel or PalestineThe Home of Cricket – Lord's Cricket GroundHonest Abe – Abraham LincolnThe Hub – Boston, MassachusettsThe Humbler - Danny GattonThe Iron Duke – Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of WellingtonThe Iron Lady – Margaret ThatcherIz the Wiz – Michael Martin, Graffiti writerJock – a Scot, especially a Scottish soldierJoe the Plumber – Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, an American plumbing contractor who was cited as an example of a middle class American during the 2008 U.S. presidential election season by Republican nominee for president, John McCainJoltin' Joe – Joe DiMaggio, Baseball player; former husband of Marilyn MonroeKaká – Ricardo Izecson dos Santos LeiteThe Keystone State – PennsylvaniaKid – Kid Ory, American jazz trombonist and bandleaderThe Killer – Jerry Lee LewisKing – King Oliver, American jazz trumpeterThe King Khan – Shahrukh Khan, Bollywood ActorThe King (of baseball) – Félix HernándezThe King (of all Media) – Howard SternThe King (of golf) – Arnold PalmerThe King (of NASCAR) – Richard PettyThe King (of Rock and Roll) – Elvis PresleyThe King of Reggae – Bob MarleyThe King (of Rugby League (particularly in Australia)) – Wally LewisKing James – LeBron JamesThe King of Pop – Michael JacksonThe King of Spain – Ashley GilesThe King of Spin – Shane WarneThe King of Swing – Benny Goodman, American bandleader and clarinettistKnick Killer – Reggie MillerThe Lady – Aung San Suu KyiLady Day – Billie Holiday, American jazz singerThe Lady with the Lamp – Florence NightingaleThe Land of a Thousand Lakes – FinlandThe Land of the Long White Cloud – New ZealandLarry Legend – Larry BirdThe Last Emperor – Xuantong EmperorThe Lion – Willie "The Lion" Smith, American jazz pianistThe Lion of the Round Top – Col. Joshua L. Chamberlain, commander of the 20th Maine Regiment, American Civil WarThe Little Apple – Manhattan, Kansas, after The Big Apple – Manhattan in New York CityThe Little Corporal – Napoléon BonaparteLittle Richard – Rev. Richard Wayne Penniman, a prominent figure in rock n' rollThe Little General – Ron Lancaster, former quarterback and coach in the Canadian Football LeagueThe Little Fellow – Charlie ChaplinThe Little Master – Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, Indian cricketerLittle Paris – Bucharest, RomaniaThe Little Sparrow – Édith Piaf, French singerThe Little Sparrow – Sezen Aksu, Turkish singerLuckey – Luckey Roberts, American jazz pianist and composerMacca – Sir Paul McCartneyMad Dog and The Professor – Greg Maddux – Major League Baseball Player and Hall of FamerMadge – MadonnaMadiba – Nelson MandelaMega Star – Chiranjeevi (Actor), IndiaMagic – Earvin JohnsonThe Magic City – Miami, FloridaThe Man from Tennessee – Andrew JacksonThe Man in Black – Johnny CashManitas de Plata – Flamenco guitarist Ricardo BaliardoThe Master – Henry JamesThe Material Girl – MadonnaThe Myth – Bodybuilding great Sergio OlivaMahatma Gandhi – Mohandas K. GandhiMaynard – James Herbert KeenanMeat Loaf – Marvin AdayThe Mick – Mickey MantleThe Mile-High City – Denver, from its elevation above sea levelMing (the Merciless) – Sir Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia (perhaps from Scots pronunciation of surname, "Mingiss")Mini-Mick – James Jagger, eldest son of Sir Mick JaggerMr. Baseball - Bob Uecker, Major League Baseball Player and Hall of Fame Broadcaster honoreeMr. Cricket – Michael Hussey, Cricket player who currently plays for Chennai Super Kings of the Indian Premier LeagueMr. October – Reggie Jackson, Major League Baseball Player and Hall of Fame honoreeMr. Hockey – Gordie HoweMr. Warmth - Don Rickles, American stand-up comedian and actorMother Monster – Lady GagaMother of the World (Umm al-Dunya) (أم الدنيا) – Egypt, for its ancient historyThe Motor City – Detroit, from its automotive heritageMotown – Detroit, from its musical heritageMr. MojoRisin – Jim MorrisonMuggsy – Muggsy Spanier, American jazz cornet player; also Tyrone Bogues, NBA PlayerMuddy Waters - McKinley Morganfield Singer, songwriter, guitarist, harmonica, bandleader, was an American blues musician who is often cited as the "father of modern Chicago blues"Naptown – IndianapolisNetaji – Subhas Chandra Bose, Indian freedom fighter, the leader of the Provisional Government of Free India and leader of Indian National ArmyNew York's Finest – New York City Police DepartmentNew York's Best – NYC*EMS, originally run by the Health and Hospitals Corporation, taken over by FDNY in 1996 and is now FDNY EMSNew York's Bravest – New York City Fire DepartmentNew York's Boldest – New York City Department of Correction (who work in the City's jails)New York's Strongest – New York City Department of SanitationNightingale of India – Sarojini Naidu, poet, writer, social activistObamacare – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, generally derogatoryThe Ochre City – Marrakech, MoroccoThe Old Bill – South London Metropolitan PoliceThe Old Lady of Threadneedle Street – the Bank of EnglandOld Nick – in Christianity, the DevilOld St. Nick – Santa ClausThe Old Bailey – The Central Criminal Court in EnglandOl' Blue Eyes – Frank SinatraOld Hickory – Andrew Jackson, 7th president of the United StatesOld Kinderhook (OK) – Martin Van Buren, 8th president of the United StatesThe Old Pretender – James Francis Edward StuartOld Rough and Ready – Zachary TaylorThe Ox – John EntwistleOxford of the East – University of Dhaka in the early twentieth centuryPapa – Ernest Hemingway, American authorPapa Doc – François Duvalier, Haitian presidentPara or Paras – British soldier in the Parachute Regiment or the parachute regimentThe Paris of the Baltics – Riga, LatviaThe Paris of the North – Riga, LatviaThe Paris of the North – Tromsø, NorwayThe Paris of the West – San Francisco, CaliforniaThe Paris of the South – São Paulo and Buenos AiresPearl of the Danube – Budapest, HungaryPearl of the Orient/Pearl of the Orient Seas – the PhilippinesPearl of the Orient – Hong KongPearl of the Orient – Penang, MalaysiaPelé – Edson Arantes do NascimentoPensioneers – Chelsea football clubThe Peoples champ – Kevin 'Pigsy' McCannThe People's champ – Manny Pacquiao, former division 8 title holder in boxingThe People's Princess – Diana, Princess of WalesPerfidious Albion – Great Britain (from French, Albion perfide)The Philosopher – AristotleThe Pie Man – Andy Smith (darts player)Pink (stylized P!nk) – Alecia MoorePink City – Jaipur, IndiaPink Palace of the Pacific – Royal Hawaiian Hotel, also known as the Pink LadyPommy (or Pom) – Australian name for an English person, vaguely affectionate except when "Pommy" is succeeded by "bastard"Porsche's Quiet Giant – Lake UnderwoodPretty Purdie - Bernard PurdiePrez – Lester YoungPrince of the Humanists – Desiderius ErasmusPrince of Kolkata – Saurav GangulyPrince of Darkness – Ozzy OsbourneProfessor of politics (Kenya) – Daniel arap MoiThe Queen City – Charlotte, North CarolinaThe Queen City of the West – Cincinnati, Ohio Nicknames of CincinnatiThe Queen of the Arabian Sea – CochinThe Queen of Pop – MadonnaThe Queen of Soul – Aretha FranklinQueen of the Suburbs – The residential area called Ealing in EnglandThe Rat Pack – A group of American singers and entertainers from the late 1950s to the early 1970sThe Rawalpindi Express – Shoaib AkhtarThe Red Arrows – (British) Royal Air Force Aerobatic TeamThe Red Baron – Manfred von Richthofen, World War I, German flying aceThe Red Devils – (British) parachute regiment, Manchester United Football ClubThe Red Planet – MarsThe Republic – Republic of Ireland or South AfricaThe Roadrunner (person) – Yvan CournoyerThe Rock (person) – Dwayne JohnsonThe Rock (place) – Newfoundland, CanadaThe Rock (prison) – Alcatraz PrisonThe Rock Chameleon – David BowieThe Rocket – Maurice Richard, Hall of Fame NHL playerRough Riders – 1st United States Volunteer CavalryRubberlips – Sir Michael Philip "Mick" JaggerSlim Shady – EminemThe Safari Capital of the World – Nairobi, KenyaSaint Jimmy – Billie Joe ArmstrongSaint of the Gutter – Mother TeresaSandman – Howard Sims, dancerSassenach – Scottish and Irish term for an English personSatch – Joe Satriani, American rock guitaristSatchmo – Louis ArmstrongSeven Sisters – North Eastern Region of India inclusive of the seven states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and TripuraThe Say Hey Kid – Willie Mays, American, Major League baseball player and Hall of Fame honoreeThe Scottish Play – MacbethThe Secretary of Defense, Gary Maddox, American, Major League baseball playerSher-e-Bangla (Tiger of Bengal) – A. K. Fazlul Huq, twentieth century Bengali political leader and statesmanWilliam the Silent – William I of Orange (1533–1584)Sin City – Las Vegas, Nevada, USSlash – Saul Hudson, guitaristSlick Willie – Bill Clinton, Willie Sutton, Willie Brown, W. W. HerentonSlowhand – Eric ClaptonThe Smoke – LondonThe Snake – the River Thames, especially the Tideway portion; also BBC's EastEnders show, from signature opening satellite image; also, Jake Roberts, American pro wrestlerThe Spider – Anderson Silva, MMA legendSnakehips – Earl Snakehips Tucker, American dancer and entertainer; also Ken Snakehips Johnson, British jazz band leader and dancer, born in British GuianaSoapy Sam – Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of OxfordThe Spaceman – Major League Baseball player Bill LeeThe Splendid Splinter – Baseball player Ted WilliamsStan the Man - Stan Musial, American baseball playerThe Steel Butterfly – Imelda MarcosThe Steel City – Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, Pittsburgh, United StatesSteeltown – Hamilton, Ontario, CanadaSting – Gordon SumnerStoryville – Storyville, New Orleans, the city's red-light district from 1897 to 1917; it now lies in Faubourg TreméStrays – Billy Strayhorn, American jazz pianist and composerThe Subtle Doctor – John Duns ScotusThe Sultan of Swat – Babe Ruth, Major league Baseball player and Hall of Fame honoreeThe Sunshine State – FloridaSwee' Pea – Billy Strayhorn, American jazz pianist and composerSweets – Harry Edison, American jazz trumpeterTeddy Ballgame - Ted Williams, American baseball playerThe Teflon Don – mobster John GottiThe Teflon Taoiseach – Bertie Ahern, former Taoiseach of IrelandThe Tiger of Malaya – Tomoyuki Yamashita, general of the Imperial Japanese Army during World War IIThe Thin White Duke – David Bowie, Actor, EntertainerThe Thunderer – The Times newspaper, LondonToby – Otto Hardwick, American jazz saxophonistThe Toxic Twins – Aerosmith members Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, due to their massive drug intake during the '70s and '80sTree-Town – Ann Arbor, MichiganThe Twin Cities – Saint Paul and Minneapolis, MinnesotaThe Twin Towers – former World Trade Center, New York CityTinseltown – Hollywood, CaliforniaTrane – John ColtraneTricky Dick – Richard Nixon, 37th president of the United StatesTurd Blossom – name given by George W. Bush to Karl RoveTwentieth Century Dinosaurs – sculptures of dinosaurs made by Jim Gary out of automobile parts of the twentieth century and the exhibition of them that traveled around the worldUncle Sam – the U.S. in general or specifically, its governmentVariety Vacationland – North CarolinaVenice of the North – Stockholm, Sweden and the City of Cork, IrelandVenice of the East – Alappuzha, IndiaThe Virgin Queen – Queen Elizabeth I of EnglandThe Voice – Whitney HoustonThe Wall – Rahul Dravid; also the Western Wall in JerusalemThe Walled City – Intramuros, ManilaThe War on the Shore – 1991 Ryder CupThe war to end all wars – World War IWestminster – the British ParliamentWhitehall – the British government including Parliament but excluding the monarchy, often refers primarily to the British Civil ServiceThe Windy City – Chicago, Illinois (also various other cities including Wellington, New Zealand and Port Elizabeth, South Africa)The Wizard (Indian field hockey) – Dhyan ChandThe Wizard (American baseball) – Ozzie SmithX-22 – backgammon champion Paul MagrielYankee – an American of European ancestry not sympathetic to the Southern cause, originally only from the states that fought against the Confederacy in the Civil War, but now from any non-Southern state; used outside the U.S. to mean any American; sometimes derogatory in either usageYank (a short form of "Yankee") – originally used derogatorily by Southerners but now often heard outside the U.S.Yardbird – jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker (also shortened simply to "Bird")The Young Pretender – Charles Edward Stuart