I’ve been out of college for almost four years and looking back, an interesting aspect of the life was the nick names that people earned through popularity, unpopularity, stupid actions, heroic deeds, physical features, behavioral features or through plain bad luck. Let me share a few of them with you without revealing the real names. I’m sure you would have some interesting names and stories too.
Let me start with a couple of names that were inherited by the poor victims from seniors. One is ‘Kochappa’ which was given to him just because the senior who had the title originally passed out and it was the only way to keep it going. But the biggest hit in my time at college came from another inherited name – ‘Mandan’ which became such popular that even some of the teachers started calling him by the name.
Another interesting name came when this guy went to a place where some of our friends lived during the initial stages of Iraq war and told them how the US army surrounded Saddam’s palace and he was hiding in a dark corner when a snake bit him and he died. He managed to fool them with the story but it earned him the nick name -‘Saddam’. He says he is lucky to have that name because later he was involved in some campus clashes and nobody knew his real name and the opposite side could only name as ‘Saddam’ to the police and hence he escaped from the criminal case.
Then there were other names like ‘Achayan’ for the owner of this site, ‘Nithya Harita Kamukan’ for a frequenter here, ‘Paamp’ for one and ‘Pareekkutty’ or ‘Pyari’ in short for another guy for obvious reasons. This guy was with the girls in Mysore Vrindavan garden all the time during a tour and ended up with the name ‘Charakku’ as he became one of the girls. There was ‘Petti’ denoting a term for gay in Kollam area. There was ‘Sathan’ who claim to know many ‘quotation’ teams in Kochi. In a related note, there was also a ‘Montha’ for someone who resembled the character with the name from the same movie.
Let me conclude with the most interesting name I have ever come across. This hapless victim from one of the Cochin University campuses got the name ‘Void Main’ because when he was standing, his legs use to resemble the empty parentheses that come after void main on a C program. I bet you can’t beat that. Could you tell me some name that you know that beats that?
Love that Saddam story. I heard about similar stories but escaping police is a class apart!
I used to be called Ritvik by seniors because I played Ritvik from Idea star singer on freshers day. Even today people recognise me as ‘Ritvik’
Comment by jesvin — December 15, 2008 @ 10:27 am
If this “petty” did his Btech in adoor engg. college, and is a well known dancer, with weird hair styles…. I think I know him!
Comment by ഞാന് — December 15, 2008 @ 10:54 am
ammoooo i didnt know petty is that famous …. kalip thanne
Comment by Kenney Jacob — December 15, 2008 @ 12:58 pm
petty (Ra.Sa) was my class-mate from 3rd to 12th
Comment by njaan — December 16, 2008 @ 12:34 am
hmm… interesting post.
there must be some universal set of such names, the “petti” being a member of that clan. IMHO, those are derogatory than just being funny. Another such is “kundan”. These two terms discriminate against sexual minorities. Chandupottu has also joined the bandwagon after that film.
But there are some really funny names too. A basketball coach in kottayam was called ‘NityaGarbhini’, thanks to his beer belly. another coach was called ‘Visiluvizhungi’ as he always used to blow beagles. A prof. in my college was named Belt Mathai as he wore huge belt and his briefcase which he always carried was reffered to as ‘Mathaippetty’. A long fellow, another prof, was named Ettadiveeran. A guy who wrote amusing parody to popular film songs was reffered to as Vikada Kalidasan. Elikunjamma (Eli as in thorappaneli!) was the nick name of a school teacher. Thorappan was another guys name. Our headmaster in school was called ‘Chatti’ as he was bald. (I wonder, why Kenny is called achayan and not Chatti! – take it in lighter mode please.) Plate is another name that used to go rounds. (vettithilangunna plate). Vallivittaval was a derogatory ref to an open minded girl – here bosoms were never open! Heard about a teacher who was called ‘Shathamanam’ as her fashion of wearing a saree seemed like the percentage sign. Lot to add man…
Comment by sebin — January 15, 2009 @ 5:42 pm
“void main” was the best.. and you were called a good name like “achayan”.. c’on, i know it cannot be that simple…
Comment by Archana — January 27, 2009 @ 10:28 am
the latest in our campus is “Pedali”……..
this is w.r.t. the character of the same name in the film “Meesa Madhavan”. I won’t take his name here but he’s always calling up or offering to call up someone or the other whenever some prob arises ( though nothing materializes).!!
then there is “manavalan” for a salim kumar look alike……the day he shaves his moustache he can’t walk without being called tht name.
then there are some unmentionable ones but they hilarious none the less!!
Comment by Sibi — February 12, 2009 @ 9:02 pm
the latest in our campus is “Pedali”……..
this is w.r.t. the character of the same name in the film “Meesa Madhavan”. I won’t take his name here but he’s always calling up or offering to call up someone or the other whenever some prob arises ( though nothing materializes).!!
then there is “manavalan” for a salim kumar look alike……the day he shaves his moustache he can’t walk without being called tht name.
then there are some unmentionable ones but they are hilarious none the less!!
Comment by sibi — February 12, 2009 @ 9:03 pm
Shathamanam…. hmm… funny. I can visualize that.
And yes, I can relate to our student politicians who were like Pedali. If KSU, he would claim about calls to Tvm, or even delhi, if SFI, it translates to local committee, state commitee, PB etc. LOL
Comment by Domestic Avalanche — February 13, 2009 @ 1:07 am
hahaha… kollam..
i too have a classmate whom we call “petti”..!! hihi..
then we have
P.A Nicker (his last name is Panicker)
Tintu
Pious
Gajettan
Puttu
Patti Vasu
Uppayi Mappila
Bikini ( his lastname is B. Kini)
Earth Thoma
Thavala
Chembankolli
Pogo
Achayan
Malancharaku
and many more…….!!
Comment by kevinbabu — March 16, 2009 @ 7:52 pm
LOLing on Void Main
Comment by Kunal Gautam — April 10, 2009 @ 4:48 am