Hatrack River Forum: Edward = Teddy ??? So confused!

This is topic Edward = Teddy ??? So confused! in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :

Okay, I've got to know. Why is Edward M. Kennedy called Teddy??

Maybe I'm just clueless, or really young, or something, but I don't get it! Ed is short for Edward...or maybe Eddie, even...but Ted? Definitely not.

Where does it come from? Anyone know?

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Actually, Ted is a not-uncommon nickname for Edward.

No stranger than Dick for Richard. [Dont Know]

Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :

I always think of him as Lalo Kennedy.

Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :

Heh. And Pop once more demonstrates why I'm attracted to him.

Edward to Ed to Ted to Teddy. It's not as much of a stretch as it seems -- not that much unlike calling William Clinton "Bill." William to Will to Bill.

Though, personally, I think Spanish familiars are much better...

Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :

I've never understood the Eduardo -> Lalo thing. Care to explain to the poor gringos?

Posted by Leonide (Member # 4157) on :

No, the real confusion is when you can't understand why they keep calling Teddy "Laurie" in Little Women. Until you figure out what his last name is. And then you just feel silly.

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

[ROFL]

that happened to me too Leonide.

Little Men was so much better than Little Women!

AJ

Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :

Actually, my grasp on Spanish isn't quite tenacious enough to make any immediate connection between Eduardo and Lalo. By contrast, my brother, named Fernando, has the relatively easy nickname Nando -- or Nandito as the familar familiar. (Lalo's familiar familiar would be Lalito.)

I'd imagine it's just one of those things, similar to Rivka's comparison of Richard-to-Dick.

Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :

Spanish nicknames make no sense. My friend Anselmo goes by Chemito, or Cheeto, for short. In fact, I think my dad used his name for SOMEthing, forget what ...

Either way, in the olden days in England, it was really common to give people rhyming nicknames — Bill for William, Ted for Edward, Dick for Richard, Bob for Robert, etc ... it was just how you did it back then. A few of the ones attached to our most common names from that era survive today.

Posted by Papa Moose (Member # 1992) on :

Dog doesn't rhyme with Geoffrey... how'd you get that one?

Posted by Lalo (Member # 3772) on :

I think we'd have to ask that one to Geoff's exes, dude...