Nicknames

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 185623

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Carol" <justcarol67 at ...> wrote:
>
> Geoff:
> > So, I would suggest that "Snivellus" and "HBP" and any other
> unrevealed names were indeed nicknames. QED.
> 
> Carol:
> 
> Not QED. Just IYO (in your opinion). But it appears that the only
> point we now disagree on is whether "Snivellus," used by just two
> people to our knowledge, constitutes a nickname. 

Geoff:
Maybe the nickname only appears twice in canon but the reaction 
of the Marauders to its use in SWM implies that they were familiar 
with it and hence it had a bit more mileage under its belt than was 
chronicled in the pages of the books.

Carol: 
> At any rate, in your opinion, "Snivellus" is a nickname. In mine, it's
> just a nasty epithet used by two bullies. Harry defines "nickname" as
> "what my friends call me," to which Snape, not questioning that
> definition, responds, "I know what a nickname is." 

Geoff:
That may be Harry's interpretation but, as I quoted from a dictionary 
a day or so ago, the definition does not rule out being used in a 
derogatory way. I don't suppose that Richard Nixon thought very 
highly of "Tricky Dicky".

CArol:
> For the record, here's the definition of "epithet" from
> Merriam-Webster Online:
> 
> 1 a: a characterizing word or phrase accompanying or occurring in
> place of the name of a person or thing b: a disparaging or abusive
> word or phrase
> 
> So "Half-Blood Prince" is an epithet in sense one and "Snivellus" is
> an epithet in sense two.
> 
> Carol, who would have dropped the point had it not been for "QED"

Geoff:
So we agree to disagree.

I thought you would rise to my use of QED.
QED.
:-))