Originally Posted by Homemother
We heard our elders say so many phrases that are unacceptable today, but really didn't mean any harm.
My dad grew up in Chicago and everybody had a nickname - mostly based on parents' nationality. Mic, Pole, Swede, Svenski, Wop. I think they were easier to remember/pronounce than the given names.
For that matter how many remember going to HS graduation and wondering who the announcer was talking about when he read some names. Turns out the kid we went to school with from K-12 grad had been using an 'alias' and only when getting his/her diploma did we hear & learn the family surname.