a quick guide to Mexican nicknames

Unlike David Brent, Mexicans love nicknames. I usually get called joven (young), profe (short for professor), or güero (fair, blonde, blue-eyed). The last one is odd because it's technically inaccurate, but I think it's because I'm from the U.S. I'm guessing its an especially tapatio (Guadalajaran) thing to say. Once I was at a party talking to someone (I think from Mexico City). She is clearly dark-haired and olive-skinned, but some workmen had called her güera as a weird sort of racist compliment. Mexicans are not nearly as PC as we norteamericanos. Gordo (fat!) is a very common nickname, as is flaco (skinny, as in scrawny). Anyone with an epicanthic fold can expect to be called chino, regardless of whether they are Korean, Japanese, etc. Oddly, people with curly hair also get the nickname chino for some reason. A Spanish teacher was telling me that physical disabilities are fair game for nicknames too: for example manco (one arm). Other nicknames given to strangers are kinder: older women may be called madre or reina (queen) on the street. Younger women, mi hija (my daughter). (Although actually I once heard one drunk guy calling his buddy mi hija as a diss). A couple of times I've been called gallo (rooster, which has a very macho connotation).

I briefly taught a student who went by Manson because of his prowess in soccer. He was rather deflated when I explained who Charles Manson actually was. (Wonder if that's why he dropped the class...?) Jenny's students demand to be called by all kinds of nicknames that keep changing throughout the year. My favorite was a student who insisted that he be referred to as "Buzzlebee". Sadly, she reports that he goes by another nickname now. Finally here are a few examples of the more garden variety nicknames:

First/Middle name combo

Maria Fernandez=Marifer

Maria José=MaJo

José María=Chema

María Ines=Marines (sounds different pronounced in Spanish!)

Juan José=JuanJo

María Eugenia=Maru

That's short for what...? (Seemingly every name can and is shortened, these are just some).

Jesús=Chuy (my favorite, pronounced just like Han Solo's co-pilot)

Ignacio=Nacho

Eduardo=Lalo or Edu

Santiago=Santi

Guillermo=Memo

Antonio=Toño

Tonatiuh (from Aztec sun god)=Tona

xóchitl (hispanisized Aztec word for flower)=xochi

Guillermina=Guille

Valeria or Valentina=Vale

Natalia=Nata

Fernanda (or Fernando)=Fer

Tatiana=Tatis

-ito/ita ("little", term of endearment in Mexican Spanish)

Marta=Martita

Rafael=Rafa=Rafita

et al...