In Andalucia every man has a nickname - "un apodo". The women don't. Whether men have "apodos" in other parts of Spain I am not sure.
I've travelled the length and breadth of the country for more than fifty years and have lived for periods in Barcelona (Catalonia); El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona); Extremadura; Frigiliana (Málaga); Jaca (Aragon); Madrid; Olot (Girona); Oviedo (Asturias); and San Sebastián (Guipuzkoa). I've never noticed the widespread use of nicknames in those areas.
[Anon.]
Some of us "guiris" have "coined" nicknames too, but for things, rather than people.
"Apodos"
"Apodos" have proved a challenge for me, and doubtless for other foreigners of a certain age, in that as we become ever more forgetful, to have to learn "two names" for every male is really difficult!
Who are Caniche, Chico, El Gitano, Jesulin de Ubrique, La Raspa, and Pingu?
Antonio, Alonso, Diego, Álvaro, Javi and - por Dios, I've forgotten Pingu's real name! (Just kidding - he's called Cristobal!)
Nicknames
Monty Jack, Ben and Joan and Big Ron are recognisable as Montejaque, Benaoján and Ronda (the first two courtesy of Bill La Peche, an Englishman who lived round these parts. Bill sadly died some 14 years ago, but his widow Jill still delights in using these witty alternative names.
Bill La Peche superimposed on a photo of Montejaque [Karl Smallman]
Mercadonuts and The Chocolate Moose are two more of Bill's, the latter referring to a chocolate coloured statue of a stag located to the north-west of Ronda.
"Noms de plumes"
Many writers over the centuries used "noms de plume" to hide their true identity, mainly female authors who used men's names because of the male-dominated literary world, eg George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) and George Sand (Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil).
Photos of George Eliot and George Sand [both courtesy of Wikipedia]
But who were Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell? (Answer below).
Anonymous bloggers
Nowadays many bloggers use a nickname in an attempt to hide behind a cloak of anonymity as they peddle their extreme views, their bullying and their "hate speech".
Here are some I come across regularly: BrainwashReigns, El Bombero and lesleyfb. Despite challenging these people to come clean, they refuse.
I use "pen names" too, but it's easy to know who I really am.
I am not ashamed of what I write and post.
I am currently Der Auslands-Korrespondent, Diary of a Nobody, Don Pablo, Only Joe King, Pablo de Ronda, Serrania Kitchen, Sporty Sam, The Crazy Guy, The Culture Vulture, The Curmudgeon, The DIY Guy, The "Guiri" Gourmet, The History Man, The Merry Tippler, The "Namer and Shamer", The Spanish Fly.
Each of these "threads" deals with a different topic, as the nickname in each case implies.
But they are all me - Paul Whitelock.
Paul Whitelock aged 21 [Photo: Dave Holt]
Answer to quiz question:
Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell were the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne.
Links of interest:
Ben and Joan, Monty Jack and Big Ron - Eye on Spain (2021)
Ben and Joan, Monty Jack and Big Ron - Help me, Ronda (revised version 2024)
Ben and Joan, Monty Jack and Big Ron - Olive Press News Spain (original version 2010)
My Special Places in Spain - Eye on Spain
Remembering Bill - Secret Serrania de Ronda
What is a guiri? It's what the Spanish call us foreigners - but is it good or bad? - Secret Serrania
© Pablo de Ronda
Photos:
Ayuntamiento de Montejaque, Dave Holt, Jill La Peche, Karl Smallman, Paul Whitelock, Wikipedia
With thanks to:
Ayuntamiento de Montejaque, Diego Sanchez Sanchez, Jill La Peche
Tags:
Acton Bell, apodo, Asturias, Ayuntamiento de Montejaque, Barcelona, Ben & Joan, Big Ron, Bill La Peche, BrainwashReigns, Brontë, Catalonia, Chocolate Moose, Currer Bell, Dave Holt, Der Auslands-Korrespondent, Diary of a Nobody, Diego Sanchez Sanchez, Don Pablo, El Bombero, Ellis Bell, George Eliot, George Sand, Guipuzkoa, guiri, Jill La Peche, Jon Clarke, Karl Smallman, lenox, lesleyfb, Madrid, Mercadonuts, Monty Jack, nickname, Only Joe King, Oviedo, Pablo de Ronda, Paul Whitelock, San Sebastian, Serrania Kitchen, Sporty Sam, The Crazy Guy, The Culture Vulture, The Curmudgeon, The DIY Guy, The "Guiri" Gourmet, The History Man, The Merry Tippler, The "Namer and Shamer", The Spanish Fly, Wikipedia, www.help-me-ronda.com, www.secretserrania.com, www.thecollector.com, www.theolivepress.es