Glen Oubre-Loreauville Nicknames

                                               

                                                       

    NICKNAMES IN LOREAUVILLE    11-13-07

                                                                                                   

      

 I grew up in the small town of Loreauville, Louisiana which had a population  

of about 500 people in the 1950s and 1960s.  One thing that I remember well,

was that most people had a nickname. I think that it was such a tradition that

during that time period, Loreauville had more nicknames than most small towns

in America.

       How the nicknames came about would certainly be interesting to know and

probably would have a good story behind them. How a name was chosen for

certain individuals varied for different reasons.  One story told was one about

a guy nicknamed Full Choke.  This guy lived on a farm and one morning his tractor

wouldn’t start.  He then got his shotgun and shot the tractor.  Thus he got nick-  

name Full Choke, which pertained to the shotgun and his unique way of punishing

his tractor.

    

       The most common nicknames may have come from a prominent physical

feature, a unique behavior, an interesting habit, an occupation, a place of orgin,

a favorite food, or a past memorable incident.  The names were usually terms of

endearment and made us feel good about ourselves. Others, however, were

mean and cruel, and people were made fun of.  Another interesting fact was that

the name stuck like glue and stayed with us for a lifetime.

                                                             

The names started with the most prominent people like the Mayor.  Forbus                                                               

Mestayer was Mayor of Loreauville for 40 years.  Most people didn’t know him

                                                               

as Forbus, but as Baggasse, which is a term related to sugar cane.  His nickname

like many others was said in French or in a Cajun dialect.

       I sat down and wrote down as many nicknames as could I remember.  The

results were so interesting and intriguing, I decided I would write a poem about

the names: 

                                  Nicknames from long ago in Loreauville,

                                  Gave them their claim to fame.

                                  My friends, my relatives, nearly everyone,

                                  Learned to live with their pseudonym.

                                  The Breaux’s all had nicknames,

                                  Like Mutchie, Te-Boy and Buck.

                                  Jackbean, Chicken and Popaye,

                                  The names forever stuck.

                                  There was also Papoose, Cocoon and Maybe,

                                  Papaloon, and her sister Moon.

                                  And their cousin was known as Fe Fe,

                                  Their aunt was known as Perfume.

                                   My friends all had nicknames,

                                   Like Danky, Joe Gato and Mick.

                                   Pooney ,Butsy Paperdoll and Rock,

                                   And ones named Pegleg and Crip.

                                   There was Sunshine, Smiley and Botch,

                                   Corncob, Whitebean and Bou’let.

                                   Some  animal names like Bull and Frog,

                                   Or Jaybird, Possum, and Cri’ket.

                                   

                                                               2.

                                                                  

                                                                

                                    Shock Absorber, what a name he had,

                                    Full Choke, KanKank, Hadacol too.

                                    White Lighting, Hesitation were some others,

                                    Names these guys had to live through.                          

                                    There was Sue Sue, Cho Cho, and Goo Goo,

                                    Names that all sound the same.

                                    And Me Me, Ge Ge and De De,

                                    These were their claim to fame.

                                    An Ancedote I hear about the Ransonets,

                                    A father and his 2 sons.

                                    They called them Rut-a-Put-a-Ban,

                                    As though they were only one.

                                    My neighbors out in the country,

                                    Were Poon, Too Loo and Toe Joe.

                                    Next door were neighbors T-bic and Ze Ze,

                                    Down the road lived Noonon and Lo Lo.

                                    My Mother was called Maya,

                                    My Dad was named Too Too.

                                    My Brother’s name was Bubbles,

                                    Mr. Clean was mine. It’s true.

       I remembered others like Pooyie, Dot-A-Pa-Tat, Ping Ding, Peanut, Fuzzy,

Stinky and so many other more that I had written down.  Although some of these 

people have passed on, their nicknames have gone down in Loreauville history 

almost like folklore characters.  It was fun for me to go back in the past to

reminisce and recall stories of these people who were part of my life when I was

growing up in Loreauville.               

----Glen Oubre