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Map of the United States showing the state nicknames as hogs. Lithograph by Mackwitz, St. Louis, 1884.

The London underground is nicknamed "The Tube"

"a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.",^[1] or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name.

It is not interchangeable with a term called "short-for". It can also be the familiar or truncated form of the proper name,^[2] which may sometimes be used simply for convenience (e.g. "Bobby", "Bob", "Rob", or "Bert" for the name Robert).

The term hypocoristic is used to refer to a nickname of affection between those in love or with a close emotional bond, compared with a term of endearment. The term diminutive name refers to nicknames that convey smallness, hence something regarded with affection or familiarity (e.g., referring to children), or contempt.^[3]

The distinction between the two is often blurred. It is a form of endearment and amusement. As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, and also from a title (for example, City of Fountains), although there may be overlap in these concepts.

A nickname is sometimes considered desirable, symbolising a form of acceptance, but can often be a form of ridicule.

Etymology[link]

The compound word ekename, literally meaning "additional name", was attested as early as 1303.^[4] This word was derived from the Old English phrase eaca "an increase", related to eacian "to increase".^[5] By the fifteenth century, the misdivision of the syllables of the phrase "an ekename" led to its reanalysis as "a nekename".^[6] Though the spelling has changed, the pronunciation and meaning of the word have remained relatively stable ever since.

Conventions in various languages[link]

To inform an audience or readership of a person's nickname without actually calling them by their nickname, English nicknames are generally represented in quotes between the bearer's first and last names (e.g., Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower, Daniel Lamont "Bubba" Franks, etc.), however it is also common for the nickname to be identified after a comma following the full real name or later in the body of the text, such as in an obituary. The middle name is generally eliminated (if there is one), especially in speech. Like English, German uses (German-style) quotation marks between the first and last names (e.g., Andreas Nikolaus „Niki“ Lauda). Other languages may use other conventions; for example, Italian writes the nickname after the full name followed by detto 'called' (e.g., Salvatore Schillaci detto Totò), in Spanish the nickname is written in formal contexts at the end in quotes following alias (e.g. Alfonso Tostado, alias «el Abulense»), and Slovenian represents nicknames after a dash or hyphen (e.g., Franc Rozman – Stane). The latter may cause confusion because it resembles an English convention sometimes used for married and maiden names.

Uses in various societies[link]

In Viking societies, many people had nicknames heiti, viðrnefni, or uppnefni which were used in addition to, or instead of their family names. In some circumstances the giving of a nickname had a special status in Viking society in that it created a relationship between the name maker and the recipient of the nickname, to the extent that the creation of a nickname also often entailed a formal ceremony and an exchange of gifts.^{[citation needed]}

Slaves have often used nicknames, so that the master who heard about someone doing something could not identify the slave. In capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, the slaves had nicknames to protect them from being caught, as practicing capoeira was illegal for decades.^{[citation needed]}

In Anglo-American culture, a nickname is often based on a shortening of a person's proper name, a diminutive. However, in other societies, this may not necessarily the case.

In Indian society, for example, generally people have at least one nickname (call name or affection name) and these affection names are generally not related to the person's proper name. Indian nicknames very often are a trivial word or a diminutive (such as Bablu, Dabbu, Banti, Babli, Gudiya, Golu, Sonu, Chhotu, Raju, Adi, Ritu, etc.).

In Indonesia, nicknames are often considered more polite and affectionate, especially when the real name exceeds two syllables. Former Indonesian presidents Abdurrahman Wahid and Achmed Sukarno were usually called 'Gus Dur' and 'Bung Karno', respectively.

In Australian society, Australian men will often give ironic nicknames. For example, a man with red hair will get the nickname 'Bluey'.

Performing arts[link]

Many writers, performing artists, and actors have nicknames, which may develop into a stage name or pseudonym. A bardic name may also result from a nickname. Many writers have pen names which they use instead of their real names. Famous writers with a pen name include Voltaire, Molière, George Sand, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, George Orwell, Dr. Seuss, and Lemony Snicket.

Computing[link]

In the context of information technology, a nickname (or technically a nick) is a common synonym for the screenname or handle of a user.

Nickname is a name to shorten a name. Nick is a term originally used to identify a person in a system for synchronous conferencing. In computer networks it has become a common practice for every person to also have one or more nicknames for the purposes of anonymity, to avoid ambiguity or simply because the natural name or technical address would be too long to type or take too much space on the screen.

Nicknames for people[link]

"I, Jimmy Carter..." James Earl Carter is sworn in as President of the United States using his nickname "Jimmy".

Nicknames are usually awarded to, not chosen by the recipient. Nicknames may be based on a person's name or various attributes. Attributes upon which a nickname may be based include:

Title[link]

They may refer to a person's occupation, social standing, or title. They may also refer to characterists of a person.

• "Bones" for a forensic scientist, surgeon, or mortician
• "Sawbones" for a surgeon.
• "Doc" for a doctor.
• "Sparky" for an electrician
• "Sarge" for a military Sergeant as in the comic strip Beetle Bailey
• "Lou" for a Lieutenant (for example, a police lieutenant)
• Similarly, "Chief" for a police or fire chief
• Moneybags for a wealthy person.
• Genius or brains for some one at school who is believed to be a clever person, although it should be said that "genius" in this colloquial sense is not the same as the technical use of the term "genius" in psychology.

Physical characteristics, personality, or lifestyle[link]

Physical characteristics[link]

The Weimaraner's coat color led to its nickname of the "Silver Ghost".

Nicknames can be a descriptor of a physical characteristic, or the opposite of a physical characteristic. It should be noted that in English, such nicknames are often considered offensive or derogatory, unless the nickname is based on a trait that is viewed positively. Some examples of nicknames related to physical characteristics include:

• Weight: "Fatso" or "Slim" for a person who is overweight or thin.
• Height: "Beanpole" or "Short Fry" for a person who is tall or short.
• Hair colour: "Red", "Ginger", "Ranga", or "Bluey" for a person with red hair. "Blondie" a girl with blonde hair.
• Type of hair: "Curley" or "Cue Ball" for a person without hair as in "Curley" from "The Three Stooges"
• Skin Colour: "Pinky" for a person with Rosacea

Sometimes nicknames are based on things that alter a person's physical appearance. Such nicknames can be temporary.

• "Four-eyes" for a person with glasses
• "Train tracks", "tin teeth", or "braceface" for a person with braces, such as Sharon Spitz on the animated series Braceface
• "Zit" can be a name for someone with pimples.

All of the above examples would be offensive in most contexts.

Personality[link]

Nicknames can be a descriptor of a personality characteristic, or the opposite of a personality characteristic. These types of nicknames were often used in fairy tales such as "Snow White". Sometimes such nicknames may be indicative of a physical disorder.

• Talkative:"Motormouth","Chatterbox","Ratchet-Jaw"
• Cautious: "Nervous Nellie"
• Tired Demeanor: "Sleepy" as in a dwarf from Snow White
• Pessimistic: "Sad Sack"

Mental characteristics[link]

A nickname may allude to a person's apparent intelligence (though often used sarcastically):

• Encyclopedia, as in Donald Sobol's fictional child detective Leroy "Encyclopedia" Brown
• Einstein, referring to the famous physicist.
• Sherlock, in reference to A. C. Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.
• Brainiac, as in the fictional DC Comics character.
• Dopey, as in the dwarf from Snow White

Lifestyle[link]

• Promiscuity: "Hot Lips" as in the character "Margaret Houlihan" from the novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors.

Mary Mallon (1870–1938) was nicknamed "Typhoid Mary"

Abbreviation or modification[link]

A nickname can be a shortened or modified variation on a person's real name.

• Contractions of longer names: Margaret to Greta.
• Initials using the first letters of a person's first and last name.
• Dropping a Letter: With many nicknames a letter, usually R, is dropped: Fanny from Francis, Walt from Walter.
• Phonetic Spelling : Sometimes a nickname is created through the phonetic spelling of a name Len from Leonard.
• Letter Swapping: During the middle ages, the letter R would often be swapped for either L or D: Hal from Harry, Molly from Mary, Sadie from Sarah, Robert: Hob, Dob, Rob, Bob and Nob, from Richard: Rick, Dick, and Hick; Bill from Will (which in turn comes from William), and Peg from Meg (which is derived from Margaret).
• In the 19th century, frontier America, Mary and Molly were often given the nickname Polly.

Name portions[link]

• Front of name:Sometimes a nickname can come from the front: Chris from Christopher/Christina, Ed from Edward/Edmond/Edgar/Edwin, Iz or Izzy from Isaac/Isaiah/Isidore/Izale/Isabel/Isabella, Joe or Jo from Joseph/Josephine/Joanna, Abby from Abigail, Nick or Nico from Nicholas, Peg from Peggy, Sam from Samuel/Samantha/Samson
• End of Name: Drew from Andrew, Xander from Alexander, Eth from Kenneth, Topher from Christopher, Beth from Elizabeth
• Middle of Name: Liz from Elizabeth or Del/Della from Adelaide
• Addition of Diminutives to Names:Before the 17th century, most nicknames had the diminutive ending "in" or "Kin", where the ending is attached to the first syllable: Watkin/Walter/Wat-kin Hobkin/Robert/Hob-kin or Thompkin/Thomas/Thom-Kin. While most of these have died away, a few remain such as Robin (Rob-in, from Robert), Hank (Hen-Kin from Henry), Jack (Jan-kin from John), and Colin (Col-in from Nicolas).
• Many nicknames usually drop the final one or two letters and add ether ie/ee/y as an ending: Davy from David, Charlie from Charles, Danny/Dani/Danie from Daniel/Danielle and Jimmy from James
• In some cases, another name may be used as a nickname.
• Initialization, which forms a nickname from a person's initials: A.C. Slater from Albert Clifford Slater
• Nicknames are sometimes based on a person's last name ("Tommo" for Bill Thompson) or a combination of first and last name ("Droopy" for Andrew Peterson, or "A-Rod" for Alex Rodriguez)
• Loose ties to a person's name with an attached suffix: Gazza for English footballer Paul Gascoigne (though used more widely in Australia for Gary) and similar "zza" forms (Hezza, Prezza, etc.) for other prominent personalities whose activities are frequently reported in the British press. (See also Oxford "-er" for a similar but wider phenomenon.)
• Combination of first and middle name, or variations of a person's first and middle name. For example, a person may have the name Mary Elizabeth but has the nickname "Maz" or "Miz" by combining Mary and Liz.

Relationship[link]

They may refer to the relationship with the person. This is a term of endearment.

• In Japanese culture, Japanese honorifics are designed so that a term of endearment conveys the exact status of the relationship between two people. However, the recipient of the honorific is allowed to restrict the use when used by a certain person.

Surname[link]

To avoid confusion between peer groups with the same given names, surnames may be used.

Family[link]

A nickname can be used to distinguish members of the same family sharing the same name from one another. This has several common patterns among sons named for fathers:

• The first bearer of the name can be referred to as Senior, Daddy or have "Big", or "Older" placed in front of his given name, as in "Big Pete", or "Older Pete".
• A son named after his father (but not after his grandfather) is often referred to as Junior, Chip (also a diminutive of Charles, but in this case in reference to "a chip off the old block"), Skip, Sonny, Bud, Buddy, or Deuce. Skip can also refer to a man named after his paternal grandfather, implying that the name "skipped" a generation. Another common, but much less popular nickname for a son named after his father is having "Little" placed in front of his name, as in "Little Pete", though this tends to be avoided if possible (especially if the son happens to become physically bigger than the father he's named after, and/or when the son becomes a full grown adult, regardless of if he does, or doesn't physically outgrow the father he shares a name with), due to its unpopularity with most sons who share the same name with their fathers. Likewise, a similar, and more acceptable form of this kind of nickname is to have "Younger" placed in front of the son's name instead, as in "Younger Pete".
• The third generation carrying a name (usually with III after his name) is often referred to as Trey, Tripp, or Trip (from Triple). Skip also is a frequently used nickname for "thirds" because they "skipped" being a "Junior".
• The fourth generation carrying a name (usually with IV after his name) may be referred to as Ivy, (as in IV) Quad, Quadry, or Dru (from Quadruple).
• The fifth generation carrying a name (usually with V after his name) may be referred to as Quint, Quince, Quincy, or Quinton (from Quintuple).

Action/incident[link]

It may relate to a specific incident or action.

• Capability Brown was so called because he used the word "capability" instead of "possibility".
• Chemical Ali and Comical Ali.
• Thirteen for Dr. Remy Hadley from TV's House M.D., because she was assigned the number 13 in her job interview process and continued to be called by her number even after she was hired.
• "Opa" for the Dutch lifesaving KNRM-hero Dorus Rijkers. Dorus became a Grandpa (Dutch:Opa), at the age of 23 (by marriage to a widow with eight children), and soon everybody called him Opa.
• "The Falling Man" for one of the jumpers during the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center terrorrist attacks.

Famous/fictional character[link]

It may compare the person with a famous or fictional character.

• Napoleon or Hitler for someone with a dictatorial manner.
• Pollyanna for someone with a very optimistic view of things.
• Hawkeye as in Hawkeye Pierce for someone who can make light of a most devastating situation, from the TV series M*A*S*H

Place of origin/residence[link]

It may be related to their place of origin or residence.

• Gloucester, Paul from Gloucester or PFG for someone named Paul who comes from Gloucester.
• Newf or Newfie a person from Newfoundland,Canada

Reputation[link]

It may be derived from or related to what the person is well known for.

• The Duke for John Wayne
• The Angel of Death for Josef Mengele
• The Hangman, The Blonde Beast for Reinhard Heydrich

Affiliation[link]

It may refer to a person's political affiliation.

• Dipper for a member of Canada's New Democratic Party.
• Tory for a person affiliated with the United Kingdom's or Canada's Conservative Party.

Unique[link]

A famous person's nickname may be unique to them:

• Tippecanoe for William Henry Harrison
• Dubya for George W. Bush, a Texan pronunciation of the name of the letter 'W', President Bush's middle initial.

Nicknames of geographical places[link]

Hirakata-shi, Osaka, Japan. Nickname road "Gingko street"

Many geographic places adopt nicknames because they can help in establishing a civic identity, help outsiders recognize a community or attract people to a community because of its nickname, promote civic pride, and build community unity.^[7] Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth"^[8] are also believed to have economic value.^[7] Their economic value is difficult to measure,^[7] but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves by adopting new slogans.^[8]

Collective nicknames of inhabitants of a geographical place[link]

Besides or replacing the demonym, some cities and villages have collective nicknames for their inhabitants. This tradition is still strong nowadays in Wallonia (Belgium), where this sort of nickname is referred to in French as "Blason populaire".

See also[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Look up nickname in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Sports Nicknames: 20,000 Professionals Worldwide by Terry W. Pruyne

Greg Davies^[1] is a Welsh stand-up comedian and actor best known for his roles as Greg in We Are Klang and Mr. Gilbert in The Inbetweeners and his guest appearances in Mock the Week and Fast and Loose. He has performed on the BBC's Live at the Apollo series.

Davies is noted for his stature - he stands at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall, and has size 13 feet^[2] - and also his resemblance to Rik Mayall.^[3]

Early life[link]

Davies was born in St Asaph, Wales but his parents moved across the border to Shropshire soon after his birth.^[4] He grew up in Wem, a small market town in Shropshire where his parents still live and he regularly visits. He was educated at Thomas Adams School. Prior to embarking on a career in comedy, he had taught secondary school drama and English for 13 years.^[3]

Career[link]

Television[link]

Davies has performed on the BBC's Live at the Apollo, and has regularly appeared on the guest panel for Channel 4's 8 out of 10 Cats and the BBC's Mock the Week. He took part in World's Most Dangerous Roads hosted by Ben Fogle, in which he and Rhod Gilbert drove from Nepal's border with India to the border with China.

Davies was Paramount Comedy's continuity writer and announcer between October 2005 and April 2007, providing end-credit voice-overs for their peaktime programme schedule. He was recommended for the job by fellow stand up comic and friend, Rhod Gilbert.

In 2005 Davies played a caricature of cricketer W.G. Grace in a series of adverts for Channel 4's television coverage of The Ashes.^[5]

Davies has appeared regularly in various panel shows including Have I Got News For You, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Mock the Week

Awards[link]

In 2002, Davies won the 'Laughing Horse New Act of The Year' competition and was a finalist in 'So You Think You're Funny'. In 2003, he was a runner up in ITV's 'Take the Mike' competition and a finalist in the 'Leicester Mercury New Act of The Year' competition. He was nominated for 'Best New Act of the Year' in the 2003 Chortle comedy awards.

In 2006, Davies was nominated for an If.comedy award as part of We Are Klang. In 2007, Davies was nominated three times in the Chortle Awards, in the categories 'Breakthrough Act' (for his solo stand-up act), 'Best Sketch, Variety or Character Act' and 'Best Full-Length Show' (both as part of sketch team We Are Klang).^[6]

In 2010, Davies' first solo stand-up show 'Firing Cheeseballs At A Dog' was nominated for the Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Festival.^[7] The show was subsequently taken on his first ever tour the following autumn.^[8] He was also nominated for the Edinburgh Fringe's Malcolm Hardee 'Act Most Likely to Make a Million Quid' Award.^[9]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

Peter Pan
Peter Pan character
Illustration of Peter Pan playing the pipes, by F. D. Bedford from Peter and Wendy (1911)
First appearance	The Little White Bird (1902)
Created by	J. M. Barrie
Information
Aliases	The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up
Gender	Male
Nationality	English

Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A mischievous boy who can fly and who never ages, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies, pirates, and occasionally ordinary children from the world outside of Neverland. In addition to two distinct works by Barrie, the character has been featured in a variety of media and merchandise, both adapting and expanding on Barrie's works.

History[link]

Cover of 1915 edition of J. M. Barrie's novel, first published in 1911, illustrated by F. D. Bedford.

Peter Pan first appeared in a section of The Little White Bird, a 1902 novel written by Barrie for adults.

The character's best-known adventure debuted on 27 December 1904, in the stage play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up. The play was adapted and expanded somewhat as a novel, published in 1911 as Peter and Wendy (later as Peter Pan and Wendy, and still later as Peter Pan).

Following the highly successful debut of the 1904 play, Barrie's publishers, Hodder and Stoughton, extracted chapters 13–18 of The Little White Bird and republished them in 1906 under the title Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, with the addition of illustrations by Arthur Rackham.^[1]

Appearance[link]

Barrie never described Peter's appearance in detail, even in the novel Peter and Wendy, leaving much of it to the imagination of the reader and the interpretation of anyone adapting the character. Barrie mentions in Peter and Wendy that Peter Pan still had all of his baby teeth. He describes him as a beautiful boy with a beautiful smile, "clad in skeleton leaves and the juices that flow from trees". In the play, Peter's outfit is made of autumn leaves and cobwebs. His name and playing the flute suggest the mythological character Pan.

Traditionally, the character has been played on stage by an adult woman.

In Peter Pan in Scarlet, Geraldine McCaughrean adds to the description of his appearance, mentioning his blue eyes, and saying that his hair is light (or at least any colour lighter than black). In this novel, Never Land has moved on to autumn, so Peter wears a tunic of jay feathers and maple leaves. In the Starcatcher stories written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter has carrot-orange hair and bright blue eyes.

In the Disney films, Peter wears an outfit that was easier to animate, consisting of a short-sleeved green tunic and tights apparently made of cloth, and a cap with a red feather in it. He has pointed elf-like ears, and his hair is a very red auburn. In the live-action 2003 film, he is portrayed by Jeremy Sumpter, who has blond hair and blue eyes, and his outfit is made of leaves and vines. In Hook, he is played as an adult by Robin Williams with dark brown hair, but in flashbacks to his youth his hair is more orangish. In this film his ears appear pointed only when he is Peter Pan, not Peter Banning; his Pan clothing resembles the Disney outfit.

Age[link]

Statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, London.

Statue of Peter Pan in Kirriemuir.

The notion of a boy who would never grow up was based on J. M. Barrie's older brother who died in an ice-skating accident the day before he turned 14, and thus always stayed a young boy in his mother's mind.^[2] The "boy who wouldn't grow up" has appeared at a variety of ages. In his original appearance in The Little White Bird he was only seven days old. Although his age is not stated in Barrie's later play and novel, his characterization is clearly years older. The book states that he has all of his baby teeth, and Barrie's intended model for the statue of Peter that was erected in Kensington Gardens was a set of photos of Michael Llewelyn Davies taken at the age of six. Early illustrations of the character generally appeared to be that age or perhaps a few years older. In the 1953 Disney adaptation and its 2002 sequel, Peter appears to be in late childhood, between 10 and 13 years old. (The actor who provided the voice in 1953 was 15-year-old Bobby Driscoll.) In the 2003 film, Jeremy Sumpter was 13 at the time filming started; by the end of filming he was 14 and had grown several inches taller. In the movie Hook, Peter is said to have left Neverland many years earlier, forsaking his eternal youth and ageing normally. When remembering his buried past, Peter is shown as a baby, and little boy, and also a near-teenager, suggesting that the ageing process does not entirely stop in Neverland until puberty or just before, or that Peter aged a little bit every time he left Neverland to come to the real world. When Peter says, "I remember you being a lot bigger," in the final duel, Hook answers, "to a 10-year-old I'm huge." He is portrayed by Robin Williams, who turned 40 during production of the film.

Personality[link]

Peter is mainly an exaggerated stereotype of a boastful and careless boy. He is quick to point out how great he is, even when such claims are questionable (such as when he congratulates himself for Wendy's successful reattachment of his shadow).

Peter has a nonchalant, devil-may-care attitude, and is fearlessly cocky when it comes to putting himself in danger. Barrie writes that when Peter thought he was going to die on Marooner's Rock, he felt scared, yet he felt only one shudder run through him when any other person would have felt scared up until death. With his blissful unawareness of the tragedy of death, he says, "To die will be an awfully big adventure". He repeats this line as an adult in the film Hook during the battle with Hook near the film's climax. He then inverts the phrase at the film's very end claiming "To live will be an awfully big adventure."

In some variations of the story and some spin-offs, Peter can also be quite nasty and selfish. In the Disney adaptation of the tale, Peter appears very judgemental and pompous (for example, he calls the Lost Boys "blockheads" and when the Darling children say that they should leave for home at once, he gets the wrong message and angrily assumes that they want to grow up). Nonetheless, he has a strong sense of justice and is always quick to help those in danger.

In the 2003 live-action film, Peter Pan is sensitive about the subject of "growing up". When confronted by Hook about Wendy's growing up, marrying and eventually "shutting the window" on Peter, he becomes very depressed and finally gives up on Wendy.

Abilities[link]

Peter Pan statue in Mary Martin's hometown of Weatherford in Parker County, Texas

Peter's archetypal ability is his unending youth. In "Peter and Wendy" it is explained that Peter must forget his own adventures and what he learns about the world in order to stay child-like. The fact that the other Lost Boys are growing up and able to be killed in Peter and Wendy contradicts this idea. The unauthorized prequels by Barry and Pearson attribute Peter's everlasting youth to his exposure to starstuff, a magical substance which has fallen to earth.

Peter's ability to fly is explained somewhat, but inconsistently. In The Little White Bird he is able to fly because he – like all babies – is part bird. In the play and novel, he teaches the Darling children to fly using a combination of "lovely wonderful thoughts" (which became "happy thoughts" in Disney's film) and fairy dust; it is unclear whether he is serious about "happy thoughts" being required (it was stated in the novel that this was merely a silly diversion from the fairy dust being the true source), or whether he requires the fairy dust himself. In Hook, the adult Peter is unable to fly until he remembers his "happy thought". The ability to fly is also attributed to starstuff – apparently the same thing as fairy dust – in the Starcatcher prequels.

Peter has an effect on the whole of Never Land and its inhabitants when he is there. Barrie states that although Never Land appears different to every child, the island "wakes up" when he returns from his trip to London. In the chapter "The Mermaid Lagoon" in the book Peter and Wendy, Barrie writes that there is almost nothing that Peter cannot do. He is a skilled swordsman, rivalling even Captain Hook, whose hand he cut off in a duel. He has remarkably keen vision and hearing. He is skilled in mimicry, copying the voice of Hook, and the tick-tock of the Crocodile. In the 2003 film, the mermaids speak by making dolphin-like noises, which Peter can both understand and speak.

In both Peter Pan and Wendy and Peter Pan in Scarlet, there are various mentions of Peter's ability to imagine things into existence, such as food, though this ability plays a more central role in Peter Pan in Scarlet. He also creates imaginary windows and doors as a kind of physical metaphor for ignoring or shunning his companions. He is said to be able to feel danger when it is near. In Peter Pan in Scarlet, it says that when Curly's puppy licks Peter, it licks off a lot of fairy dust, which may be interpreted to mean that he has become fairy-like to the point of producing his own dust, but could also simply mean that he spends so much time with fairies that he is coated in their dust.

In Peter and Wendy, Barrie states that the Peter Pan legend Mrs Darling heard as a child was that when children died, he accompanied them part of the way to their destination so that they would not be scared; he thus resembles the Greek god Hermes in his role as a psychopomp.

In the original play, Peter states that no one must ever touch him (though he does not know why), and the stage instructions specify that no one does so throughout the play. Wendy approaches Peter to give him a "thimble" (kiss), but is prevented by Tinker Bell.

Relationships[link]

Peter does not know his parents. In Kensington Gardens Barrie wrote that he left them as an infant, and seeing the window closed and a new baby in the house when he returned, he assumed they no longer wanted him. In Starcatchers he is said to be an orphan, though his friends Molly and George discover who his parents are in Rundoon. In Hook, Peter remembers his parents, specifically his mother, who wanted him to grow up and go to the best schools in London to become a judge like his father and have a family of his own. After Peter "ran away" to Neverland, he returned to find his parents forgot about him and had another child (the gender of Peter's sibling is revealed to be another boy in Peter and Wendy).

Peter is the leader of the Lost Boys, a band of boys who were lost by their parents, and came to live in Neverland; it is reported that he "thins them out" when they start to grow up. He is best friends with Tinker Bell, a common fairy who is often jealously protective of him. His arch-enemy is Captain Hook, whose hand he cut off in a duel. Hook's crew, including Smee and Starkey, also consider him a foe. The Starcatchers books introduce additional foes: Slank, Lord Ombra, and Captain Nerezza.

From time to time Peter visits the real world, particularly around Kensington Gardens, and befriends children there. Wendy Darling, whom he recruited to be his "mother", is the most significant of them; he also brings her brothers John and Michael to Neverland at her request. It is hinted that Wendy has romantic feelings for Peter. In the 2003 film Peter Pan, the feeling is mutual, as the only unhappy thoughts that Captain Hook is able to use to take away Peter's ability to fly are thoughts of Wendy leaving him, growing up, and replacing him with a husband; Wendy is also able to save Peter by giving him her hidden kiss (signifying that Peter is her true love), which once again gives him the will to live. He later befriends Wendy's daughter Jane (and her subsequent daughter Margaret), and Peter and Wendy says that he will continue this pattern indefinitely. In Starcatchers he previously befriends Molly Aster and young George Darling.

Peter appears to be known to all the residents of Neverland, including the Indian princess Tiger Lily and her tribe, the mermaids, and the fairies.

In Hook, Peter states that the reason he wanted to grow up was to be a father. He married Wendy's granddaughter, Moira, and they have two children, Maggie and Jack.

In the 1953 Disney film version it is hinted at the end that Wendy's father George also met Peter Pan once and went to Neverland, when Mr. Darling, seeing the Pirate Ship flying through the air, remarks that he has a strange feeling he has seen the ship before, when he was very young.

In the adaptation of Peter Pan by French comic artist Loisel, Peter Pan is a bastard child and is kicked out of the house by his abusive mother. He does not have a good relationship with her; he tries to win her love by procuring gold for her from Neverland, yet she rejects him countless times. She is later murdered but Peter Pan eventually forgets her death and seems to remember his mother as a kindhearted, beautiful woman and believes she is still alive; it is also implied that Hook is his father, as Hook has a photo of Peter's mother, but this point never was developed in the series.

In the 2011 Neverland TV miniseries, the origin story of Peter Pan is discussed. It is hinted at multiple points throughout the TV special that Peter and the Indian Princess, Tiger Lily, have romantic feelings for each other. It is also mentioned that James "Jimmy" Hook was originally a friend of Peter's. Prior to the film, Hook loved Peter's mother and murdered Peter's father. Feeling guilty after Peter's mother died, Hook took care of Peter, until later on when Peter finds out and becomes angry with Hook, sparking his hatred towards him. The hatred became mutual when Peter (as in other adaptations) cut off Hook's hand and fed it to a crocodile.

Major stories[link]

Of the stories written about Peter Pan, several have gained widespread notability.

By Barrie[link]

• Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens: Infant Peter flies from his home, makes friends with fairies, and takes up residence in Kensington Gardens. It is a "book-within-a-book" that was first published in Barrie's The Little White Bird.
• Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (play) and Peter and Wendy (novel): Peter brings Wendy and her brothers to Never Land, where he has a climactic showdown with his nemesis, Captain Hook. This story was originally told in Barrie's stage play and novel, and repeatedly adapted in various media.

Later expansion[link]

• Hook, a film by Steven Spielberg: Peter has grown up, forgotten about his life in Never Land, and has a wife and children of his own. While the family is in London visiting a now elderly Wendy, Captain Hook abducts Peter's children to lure him back for a final duel to the death.
• Return to Never Land, a Disney film: During World War II, Wendy's slightly war-hardened daughter Jane is taken to Neverland by Captain Hook, but Peter saves her and asks her to be the Lost Boys' new mother
• Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, Peter and the Sword of Mercy, a series of novels by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.: Peter leaves a London orphanage for a series of adventures, which offer an origin story for Captain Hook, fairies, his abilities, and the Lost Boys.
• Peter Pan in Scarlet, a novel by Geraldine McCaughrean: Wendy, John, and most of the Lost Boys return to Neverland, where Peter has begun to take Captain Hook's place. It serves as an official sequel to Peter and Wendy.
• Neverland, a TV miniseries, is a prequel to and re-imagining of the Peter Pan story.

In popular culture[link]

Statue in Queens Gardens, Perth, Western Australia

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2012)

The character of Peter Pan (or thinly disguised versions of him) has appeared in tributes and parodies and has been the subject of several later works of fiction. (See Works based on Peter Pan for notable examples.) J. R. R. Tolkien's biographer Humphrey Carpenter has speculated that Tolkien's impressions of a production of Barrie's Peter Pan in Birmingham in 1910 "may have had a little to do with" his original conception of the Elves of Middle Earth.^[3] Since featuring the character in their 1953 animated film, Walt Disney has continued to use him as one of their traditional characters, featuring him in the sequel film Return to Neverland and in their parks as a meetable character, and the focus of the dark ride, Peter Pan's Flight; he appears in House of Mouse, Mickey's Magical Christmas, and the Kingdom Hearts video games.

The name Peter Pan has been adopted for various purposes over the years. Three thoroughbred racehorses have been given the name, the first born in 1904. It has been adopted by several businesses, including Peter Pan peanut butter, Peter Pan Bus Lines, and Peter Pan Records. An early 1960s program in which Cuban children were sent unattended to Miami to escape feared mistreatment under the then-new Castro regime was called Operation Peter Pan (or Operación Pedro Pan). The Peter Pan syndrome was popularized in 1983 by a book with that name, about individuals (usually male) with underdeveloped maturity. Peter Pan is the name for an Indonesian pop-rock band.

Peter Pan has appeared in a number of adaptations, sequels, and prequels. These include the 1953 Disney animated feature film Peter Pan, various stage musicals (including one by Jerome Robbins, starring Cyril Ritchard and Mary Martin, filmed for television), live-action feature films Hook (1991) and Peter Pan (2003), and the authorized sequel novel Peter Pan in Scarlet (2006). He has also appeared in various works not authorized by the holders of the character's copyright, which has lapsed in most parts of the world.

Peter Pan is depicted in public sculpture. The original statue in Kensington Gardens by sculptor George Frampton was commissioned by Barrie and erected overnight on 30 April 1912 as a May Day surprise to the children of London. There are seven statues cast from the original mould.^[4] The other six are located in:

Two statues by a different sculptor are in Kirriemuir, Scotland, the birthplace of J. M. Barrie.^[12][13] A bronze statue by Diarmuid Byron O'Connor was commissioned by Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and unveiled in 2000, showing Peter blowing fairy dust, with Tinker Bell added in 2005.^[14]

See also[link]

Novels portal

• Peter and Wendy#Copyright status

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Peter and Wendy

• Peter Pan at Project Gutenberg (1991 Millennium Fulcrum Edition)
• Neverpedia
• The Pain of Peter Pan – Newsweek

v t e J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan Characters and setting Peter Pan Wendy Darling Captain Hook Tinker Bell The Lost Boys Other characters Neverland Official books and plays The Little White Bird (1902) Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens (1906) Peter and Wendy (1911) Peter Pan in Scarlet (2006) Films Peter Pan (1924) Peter Pan (1953) Hook (1991) Return to Never Land (2002) Peter Pan (2003) Neverland (2003) Finding Neverland (2004) Tinker Bell films Tinker Bell (2008) The Lost Treasure (2009) The Great Fairy Rescue (2010) Pixie Hollow Games (2011) Secret of the Wings (2012) TV series The Lost Boys (1978) The Adventures of Peter Pan (1989) Peter Pan and the Pirates (1990–91) Jake and the Never Land Pirates (2011–present) Neverland (2011) Theatre 1950 musical 1954 musical 1976 musical Peter Pan: A Musical Adventure Peter and the Starcatcher (play) Peter Pan 360 (play) Video games Peter Pan and the Pirates Hook Starcatchers books Peter and the Starcatchers Peter and the Shadow Thieves Peter and the Secret of Rundoon Peter and the Sword of Mercy The Bridge to Neverland Never Land Books Other media Peter Pan's Flight (ride)

Rasheed Wallace

Rasheed Wallace during his tenure with the Pistons
No. 30, 36
Power forward / Center
Personal information
Born	(1974-09-17) September 17, 1974 (age 37) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Nationality	American
High school	Simon Gratz (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College	North Carolina (1993–1995)
NBA Draft	1995 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the Washington Bullets
Pro career	1995–2010
Career history
1995–1996	Washington Bullets
1996–2004	Portland Trail Blazers
2004	Atlanta Hawks
2004–2009	Detroit Pistons
2009–2010	Boston Celtics
Career highlights and awards
NBA Champion (2004) 4× NBA All-Star (2000–2001, 2006, 2008) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (1996) Consensus NCAA All-American Second Team (1995)
Career statistics
Points	15,860 (14.6 ppg)
Rebounds	7,321 (6.7 rpg)
Blocks	1,445 (1.3 bpg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Rasheed Abdul Wallace (born September 17, 1974) is a retired American professional basketball power forward and center who played from 1995 to 2010 in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he played college basketball at the University of North Carolina before joining the NBA.

Originally selected by the Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) as the fourth pick in the 1995 NBA Draft, Wallace was named to the All-Rookie second team following his first season. He was then traded to the Portland Trail Blazers after the season. With Portland he was a key member of the Blazers team that made it to the Western Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000, and was an NBA All-Star in 2000 and 2001. Wallace averaged a career best 19.4 points per game in 2002 for the Blazers.

During the 2003–04 season Portland traded him to the Atlanta Hawks where he played one game before he was traded to the Detroit Pistons. With the Pistons he won the NBA championship in 2004 and lost the NBA Finals the following season, and individually he was an All-Star in 2006 and 2008. After the 2008–09 season he left Detroit as a free agent and signed with the Boston Celtics.

Wallace is currently the NBA's all-time leader in technical fouls (as a player) with 304.^[1] Wallace also holds the single-season record for technical fouls. In the 2000-01 season, Wallace received 41 technical fouls over a span of 80 games (about 1 technical every 2 games).

Biography[link]

Early years[link]

Wallace was born and raised in the inner city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began his basketball career in Philadelphia and attended Simon Gratz High School.^[2] He was named USA Today High School Player of the Year after the 1992–93 season and was selected first team All America by Basketball Times. Wallace was also a two-time Parade All-American first teamer. Despite limited playing time of just 19 minutes per game, Wallace still managed to average 16 points, 15 rebounds and 7 blocks during his senior year. In addition to basketball, Wallace also ran track and high jumped as a teenager.

College career[link]

University of North Carolina coach Dean Smith recruited Wallace to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for his college years. Smith was a revered mentor both to Wallace and Wallace's eventual Detroit coach Larry Brown; Wallace has indicated that this North Carolina bond with Brown helped him adjust quickly to the Piston system. During his brief time at North Carolina, Wallace had success in the national spotlight. He was named a second-team All-American by the AP his second year at UNC.

Wallace and fellow future NBA player Jerry Stackhouse helped lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four in 1995. He left North Carolina to enter the 1995 NBA Draft after his sophomore season, being selected with the 4th pick overall by the Washington Bullets.

NBA career[link]

Washington Bullets[link]

As a rookie with the Bullets, Wallace played in 65 games, of which he started 51 for the injured Chris Webber. Wallace was selected to the rookie team for the All-Star Weekend. Later that year, he fractured his left thumb during a game against Orlando and could not return until the following year. Wallace scored 655 points during his rookie season at Washington. He played 1,788 minutes.

Portland Trail Blazers[link]

After the season, Wallace was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Rod Strickland, a move that proved beneficial for both sides: Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 8.9 apg after the trade, helping the Bullets make the playoffs in 1997 for the first time in 8 seasons, and upped those stats to 17.8 ppg and a league-leading 10.5 apg the following year.

Meanwhile, Wallace ranked third in the league in field goal percentage.^[3] However, just as his season was gaining momentum, Wallace again broke his left thumb and was forced to miss the next month of the season,^[4] but he returned in time for a strong performance in the first round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, which the Blazers lost.

Next season, he signed a long-term contract to stay with the Blazers. He began extending himself into the community more than ever, most notably with his Rasheed Wallace Foundation, but his career suffered from numerous missteps on and off the court. In the NBA season, he set an NBA record with 38 technical fouls for the season.^[5] However, he would be fifth in the league in field goal percentage.^[6] The following year, he broke his own record with 40 technicals.^[5] Wallace was also suspended by the NBA for 7 games for threatening then referee Tim Donaghy on an arena loading dock after a home game in 2003. That was the league's longest suspension for an offense that did not involve violence or substance abuse.^[7]

Wallace was named an NBA All-Star in 2000 and 2001 and led the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000, losing to the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively. Both teams would go on to win the NBA Finals. The 2000 series against the Lakers was most noted for the underdog Blazers squandering a 15-point lead going into the fourth quarter of Game 7.

Atlanta Hawks[link]

On February 9, 2004 Wallace was traded to the Atlanta Hawks along with Wesley Person for Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff, and Dan Dickau.^[8] Wallace played only one game for the Hawks, scoring 20 points. He also had 6 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 assists and a steal in a close loss against the New Jersey Nets.^[9] Wallace was again traded, in a deal that saw him go from the Hawks along with guard Mike James from the Celtics to the Pistons. In turn, Detroit sent guards Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter, and a first-round draft pick to Boston and guard Bob Sura, center Zeljko Rebraca, and a first-round draft pick to Atlanta. Boston also sent forward Chris Mills to Atlanta to complete the deal.^[10]

Detroit Pistons[link]

Wallace in a game against the Golden State Warriors

After falling behind against the Indiana Pacers in the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals, he stated boldly in an interview that "We will win Game 2",^[11] a promise he helped fulfill.^[12]

Wallace helped the Pistons win an unexpected NBA title, beating the heavily favored Lakers 4 games to 1.^[13] After the championship season, he paid for replica WWE World Heavyweight Championship belts to be made for each of his teammates and presented them as gifts when the 2004–05 regular season started.^[14]

In the off-season following the Pistons' championship win, Wallace signed a 5-year, $57 million contract to remain with Detroit.^[15] He also changed the number of his jersey from #30 to #36.

Throughout the 2004–05 season, Wallace often carried the belt into his locker before games to inspire the Pistons' title defense. He had several notable moments in the playoffs. After the second-round elimination of the Pacers, Wallace played his best series of the postseason in the Eastern Conference finals against the top-seeded Miami Heat. After falling behind again, he again "guaranteed success". He shot a 50% field goal percentage and averaged 14.5 points per game in the series' seven games, and saved his hottest-shooting night for the decisive Game 7. Against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, Wallace was criticized for leaving Robert Horry, one of the greatest clutch shooters of all time, open for the game-winning three-pointer in Game 5. Wallace's tenacious defense and clutch shooting helped the Pistons to split the series 3–3,^[16] but in the final game, the Pistons lost 81–74.

In the 2005–06 season, he helped lead them to a 64–18 record, and the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs. The Pistons beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 4–1 in the first round and then beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4–3 in the second round of the playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons played the Heat in a rematch of the previous year's Conference Finals. The Pistons lost in six games to the Miami Heat, who went on to capture their first NBA title.

On March 26, 2007, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, Wallace threw up a 60-foot shot off a stolen inbound pass with 1.5 seconds remaining and banked it in from just behind halfcourt to force overtime letting out a huge roar from what was left of the diminishing Palace crowd, who had assumed the game to be a loss. The Pistons went on to win the game, 113–109.^[17]

On June 2, 2007, Wallace fouled out of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after committing a foul on LeBron James and then received two technical fouls, resulting in an automatic ejection, for arguing with a referee.^[18]

Prior to the 2007–08 NBA season, the Pistons would not re-sign Chris Webber, and putting Antonio McDyess as a starting power forward, put Wallace at center. On February 10, 2008, it was announced that Wallace would be replacing Boston Celtics' injured forward Kevin Garnett in the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in New Orleans.^[19] The decision was made by NBA commissioner David Stern. This was Wallace's fourth All-Star appearance.

In the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons played Garnett and the Celtics. This marked the sixth consecutive time that the Pistons had made it to this point, and five times they had gotten there with Wallace in the lineup. Still, Detroit lost a third consecutive year in the Conference Finals, losing to Boston 4–2. After the game, Wallace reportedly told reporters, without taking any questions, "It's over, man," perhaps indicating that Pistons' General Manager Joe Dumars would break up the core of the team following the defeat. He changed his number from 36 back to his original 30, perhaps to change his and the team's fortunes, but sure enough, Dumars did indeed break up the core: at the beginning of the 2008–2009 campaign, Dumars traded longtime starting point guard Chauncey Billups to Denver. It was to be Wallace's last year with the team; after the season came to a close, Wallace and the Pistons decided to part ways.

Boston Celtics[link]

Wallace signed a three-year contract with the Boston Celtics on July 8, 2009.^[20] During the regular season, Rasheed struggled, averaging career lows in points per game and rebounds per game. Also, he only shot 28% on three pointers and 40% from the field. The Celtics made the NBA Finals in 2010 but lost the series to the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3. In Game 6 of the Finals, the Celtics' starting center Kendrick Perkins injured his right knee, so Wallace started Game 7. In Game 7, Wallace scored 11 points and was 5 of 11 from the field.^[21] Wallace's agent Bill Strickland announced on June 25, 2010 that Wallace would likely retire from the NBA,^[22] which was made official on August 10, following the buyout of his contract by the Celtics.^[23]

On-court moments[link]

During the 2008 Playoffs Wallace went on an expletive-laced tirade following Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics^[24][25] in which he lashed out at the officiating.

Personal[link]

Wallace is a Muslim.^[26] He has three children with his wife Fatima.^[27]

Wallace roots for his hometown Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and Philadelphia Phillies (MLB), but not the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. Instead, he is a longtime fan of the Kansas City Chiefs.^[27]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

Playoffs[link]

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association players with 1000 games played
• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff 3-point scoring leaders

References[link]