If you’re introduced to Seppu, Küsu, Vanä and Simä, you might think you’ve woken up in Finland. But you’re actually in the Swiss capital, Bern, and have just met Joseph, Markus, Vanessa and Simone. Welcome to the colourful world of Bernese nicknames. Nicknames, sobriquets, monikers – call them what you like, almost all cultures have them. They can be used for convenience (Alex for Alexander, Liz for Elizabeth), to express affection, or to signal that you’ve been accepted by a group – that you belong. Nicknames A nickname, in its broadest sense, is an informal substitute for a person’s real name. It can be a shortened form (Tom, Sue), a term of endearment (Pumpkin), or a funny description based on physical characteristics (“Big Mac” if tall and Scottish – these are often ironic, hence “Curly” for someone who is bald). It is not the same as a pseudonym (Le Corbusier), a pen name (Mark Twain, Elena Ferrante) or stage name (many, many actors and musicians – Marilyn Monroe, John Denver ...
