By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

ALEXANDRIA, Alabama (November 14, 2024) — Native Phillip Brazier sits at his home computer entering names and nicknames into a spreadsheet in order to document what he now calls The Lynchburg Nickname Project. Over the course of several weeks, he’s accumulated over 230 nicknames associated with locals here in Moore County – and they just keep coming.

“During my last visit back, I began to notice how many people in Lynchburg use nicknames,” he told The Times. “I started trying to recall them all, but my memory is not what it used to be, so I decided to reach out for some help.”

That’s when Brazier posted on the popular Lynchburg Locals Group Page on Facebook.

“Lynchburg and Moore County has always been full of characters. And most of these characters had or have very colorful nicknames. As a matter of fact, I may know more nicknames than I do given names,” he posted, and the names started flooding in. As of the publishing of this article, he’s received nearly 250 comments from locals adding names to his list.

Common in the American South

Though they’re common everywhere, nicknames tend to be more common in the American South, especially in small towns like Lynchburg where everyone knows everyone. They imply familiarity, community, and honestly, they’re just plain fun. Many nicknames get passed down from one generation to the next and, locally, even more get used as a replacement for first names entirely. How many people know the real first name of Sis Eady, Bunt Durm, or Boo Johnston? Not many.

Some of the names on Brazier’s list feel locally infamous like “Frog” the nickname of The Jack Daniel’s Distillery’s fifth master distiller, Frank Bobo, or “Pus”, the nickname of Reagor Burton, a once ubiquitous presence on the historic Lynchburg Square. Heck, even the “Jack” in Jack Daniel is a nickname for Jasper Newton Daniel.

Nicknames also became part of the local landscape – like Pepper, the nickname of Edward Martin, who once owned Martin’s Five & Dime in the historic district or Mickey, the nickname of Lavon Darnell, who once owned a gas station at the corner of Major’s Boulevard and Elm Street. One of the most recent Moore County ballots contained the name Shawn “Shrek” Sherrill, our now Assessor of Property.

Brazier goes by four nicknames

Locals may know Phillip and his wife, Kathy from their decades as Lynchburg residents. They lived on Elm Street, Valley View, as well as the Ledford Mill community before moving to Alexandria, Alabama in 2021 to be closer to their children. Their daughter Roni lives in Alexandria and their son, Brad, lives in Knoxville. Brazier says they picked Alexandria because Knoxville felt a little too big for the small town native.

He’s a born and raised Lynchburg native who grew up in the Cobb Hollow Road area. He attended Lynchburg Elementary, Moore County High School, and Motlow State, where he met his now wife, Kathy Batson Brazier. Phillip retired from The Jack Daniel Distillery after nearly 40 years and Kathy retired from the local UT Extension office.

Brazier says his fascination with nicknames spurred from the four monikers given to him throughout his lifetime. In his childhood, his grandfather, Rufe Frame, nicknamed him “Cobb” – a fact he discovered while purchasing a washing machine as a young adult.

“After Kathy and I were married, we needed to buy a washing machine and my mother suggested we cash in some savings bonds. So, we went to Farmer’s Bank, looked in the lockbox, and there sat a $50 bond made out to Cobb Brazier,” Phillip explained. “My mom started laughing and told me that my grandfather bought it for me. He nicknamed me ‘Cobb’ because we lived on Cobb Hollow Road.  I guess he was getting so many grandkids that this was the easiest way to keep up with us.”

Local Jack “Crip” Hobbs gave Brazier his second nickname, “Soapy” during Lynchburg Little League tryouts. Hobbs recognized Brazier as the grandson of a friend – “Soapy” Frame – and the name stuck.

“I never knew how ‘Soapy’ came about until Mr. Everett Chapman explained it to me one day.  He said that Soapy meant horse thief,” Brazier says. “I was a little taken aback, but he was quick to tell me that my grandfather did a lot of horse trading in his day and people joked that he usually came out on top, thus the nickname. And I wear it proudly.”

In his teens, another local, Tommy Womble, tagged him, “Thistle,” but to this day, he says he’s not clear on the origins of that one.

“Among certain folks it is still used,” he said. “But I’m not really sure how this one came about.”

Finally, during he and Kathy’s days volunteering as a contest representative for the Kansas City Barbecue Society, Brazier earned the nickname, “Walrus.”

“During one of these contests, I replaced a judge for not being in his seat as judging began.  Little did I know that he was a blogger. After the contest, he blogged about being replaced by an ‘overbearing control freak” and used a picture of a walrus in the article,” Brazier explains. “The barbecue world later blasted him because I was just doing my job, so he removed the blog, but the nickname stuck. And over the years I received walrus shirts, stuffed walruses, walrus Christmas ornaments, etc.  And I wear this one proudly, too.”

Brazier says the response to his little retirement project has been great.

“Over 230 nicknames are on the list, and I am sure this is not all that will be coming forward,” he said. “If this has brought back memories of folks no longer with us or times that you cherished as much as I, then it has been very worthwhile.”

Below are all the nicknames Brazier’s accumulated so far broken down alphabetically by last name. If you would like to add someone to it, reach out to him via email at [email protected].

A – Earl “Squirrel” Amacher, Terry “Turd” Amacher, Dusty “Boom” Ashley

B – James “Beetle” Bailey, Joe “Coon Hunter ” Bailey, Kenneth “Kenny Mule” Bailey, Paul “Chico” Bailey, Billy Wayne “Troy” Baker, Clifton “Kip” Baker, Gina Anne “Cricket” Baker, Stanley “Bug” Baker, Greg “Bubba” Bateman, Mickey “Worm” Baxter, Randy “Goose” Baxter, Glen “Stinky” Benderman, Frank “Frog” Bobo, Jimmie “Monk” Bowles, E.C. “Fat” Bradford, Dudley “Screwdriver” Branch, Ollie “Toodler” Branch, Irvin “Yodler” Brannon, Brad “Bud” Brazier, Wallace “Peewee” Brazier, Willaim Ray “Bud” Brown, Gene “Fruit Jar” Bunn, Roger “Pehonkey” Burgess, Lawrence “Snuffy” Burns, Willis “Abbey” Burns, Billy “Boney” Burton, Clifford “Tip” Burton, Dennis “do Coddy” Burton, Harry “Bug” Burton, Homer “Tub” Burton, Jane “Momma Jane ” Burton, Jeremy “Sammich” Burton, Loud “Coot” Burton, Reagor “Pus” Burton, Robert “Big Bird” Burton, Willis “Smiley” Burton

C – Joe “Tud” Cannon, Wilford “Bud” Cates, Delene “Ding-a-ling” Christian, Sara “Sadie” Christian, Wayne “Tink/Tinky” Copeland, Helen “Cornbread” Crocker, David “Chicken” Cunningham, Rebecca “Tootie” Cunningham Cross, Warren “Tortoise” Currah

D –Hiram “Ham” Daniel, Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel, Lavon “Mickey” Darnell, Terry “Ted” Darnell, A.A. “Dab” Davenport, Alvin “Piddle” Davenport, James “JD” Davis, Jable “Dizzy” Dean, Annette “Dingy” Dehn, Curtis “Stick” Dismuke, Billy “Dewbaby” Durm, Justin “Chewy” Durm, Oma Lee “Bunt” Durm, Orval “Bull” Durm, Denise “Chigger ” Dye, Elmer “Shorty” Dye

E – Claude “Speedy” Eady, Clyde “Lus” Eady, Elzie “Bus” Eady, Geneva “Sis” Eady, Zeno “Buck” Early, Parks “Bull” Edde, Marion “Boss” Edens, Glen “Tubbie” Ervin, Horace “Tub” Ervin, Max “Tadpole” Ervin , GW “Pug” Evans, Chris “Billy Bob” Everett

F – Dottie “Toots” Fanning, Stanley “Pig” Fanning, Steve “Bird” Fanning, Stewart “Tutt” Fanning, Walker “Pickhandle/Pic” Fanning, Buddy “Sawmill” Farrar, Phillip “Soapy” Frame, Rufus “Soapy” Frame

G – George “Mouse” Gant, Jeff “Chub” Gattis, R.L. “Flat Top” Gattis, Michael “Bubba ” Glascoe, J.C. “Dude” Golden, Roy “Spider” Grammer, Richard “Boogie” Grant, Willard “Craig” Grant, George “Mutt” Gray, Gilford “Double” Gray, Clifton “Clicky” Green, Edward “Pesky” Green, Chris “Lurch” Grizzard

H – John “Cubby” Hale, Kerry “Hambone” Hannah, Billy “Willy Joe” Hardin, Miranda “Tree” Harmon, Harriet “Peewee” Harris, Claude “Spook” Harrison, Darin “Block” Harrison, Kenny “Booger” Harrison, Leland “Slick” Harrison, Marvin “Shy” Harrison, Charles “Tootie” Hart, Ronnie “Huggy Bear” Hart, Tracey “Big Daddy” Hart, Tony “Dink” Hasty, Bobby “Chicken George” Henderson, Glenn “Smokey” Henderson, Odell “Pappy” Henderson, Roy Lee “Killer” Hensley, Charles “Chick” Hinkle, Jack “Crip” Hobbs, William “George” Hobbs, Chad “Thick” Holt, David “Bolt” Holt, Josh “Toad” Hornaday,

J – Mike “Country or Jenks” Jennings, Larry “Chigger/Hacksaw” Johnston, Charles “Boo” Johnston

K – Cecily “Peewee” Keen, Wendell “Rooster” Keen, Denny “Fluffy” Keller, Keith “Yank” Kennedy, David “Red” Knight

L – “Shorty” Lawson, Lisa “Leelee” Locke, Jeff “Chicken Man” Logan, Mark “Bojo” Logan, Roy “Mater Head” Logan

M – Jayson “Jaybird” Mallard, Edward “Pepper” Martin, Hiawatha “Kitty” McGee, Milton “Mitt” McGee, Oscar “Big O” McGee, Ricky “Rug” McGee, William “Moody” McGee, J.B. “Mack” McGowan, L.B. “Monk ” McGowan, Junior “Hun” McKenzie, Nath “Doc” Medley, Evan “Fred” Miller, Freddie “Rock Man” Millsap, Robert “Sap” Millsap, Sr., Earl “Rat” Moore, Harold “Drag” Moore, Terry “Rat” Moore, Jason “Jaybird” Murray

N – Clayton “Tuffy” Neal, Joe “Heavy” Norman, Larry “Dr. Scholl’s” Norman, Parks “Wormy” Norman, Robert “Jug” Norman, Sr.

O – Henry “Big Hen” O’Neal, Paulina “Peachy” Ortiz

P – Billy Wayne “Poochie” Painter, Phillip “Skippy” Parkes, Roy H. “Buster” Parkes, Mark “Farkle” Parks, Terry “Ridge Runner” Patterson, Jim “The King” Pearson, Leroy “Baby” Phelps, Bryan “Beaver” Powell, Bill “Wild Bill” Price, Don “Uncle Duck” Primus

Q – Makayla “Monkey” Qualls

R – Lavon “Rusty” Redd, James “Jimbo” Reese, James Daniel “Bookey” Reese, James “Barney” Reynolds, James “Hoss” Rolman, James “Shorty” Rowlett, Frankie “Rut” Rutledge

S – Roy Lee “Foot” Scott, Leon “Hondas” Sebastian, George “Goober” Shelton, Lucille “Sally” Shelton, Shaun “Shrek” Sherill, Douglas “Candyman” Simmons, Walter “Red” Simpson, Estil “Bally” Smith, Glen “Heado” Smith, Harold “Dump” Smith, Jimmy “Jump Back” Smith, Ronnie “Bootsie” Smith, Ronnie “Skeeter” Smith, Roscoe “Coley” Smith, Loyd “June” Smith, Jr., Jimmy “Long Neck” Snell, Travis “Sparky” Sparks, Howard “Speedy” Speegle, Herman “Boots” Spencer, Laws “Doc” Spencer, Willie T. “Rosie” Spencer, Ray “Block” Steelman, Wayne “Duck Tape” Stewart, Felix “Buster” Stone, Lawrence “Sully” Sullenger, Robert “Horse” Sullenger, Shaun “Round Man” Sullenger, Drucilla “Tubie” Sullivan, Edward “Bully” Sullivan

T – Allata “Boo” Taylor, Jimmy “Rut” Taylor, John “Tink” Taylor, Shane “Huleo” Taylor, Clay “Clay Bob” Thomas, Ronny “Cracker” Thomas, Burnie “Ground Hog” Thomison, Robert “Chick” Thomison, Charlie “Fox” Tipps, Homer “Coot” Tipps, Jim “Mouse” Tipps, Melody “Monk” Tomlin

V – James “Lil Man ” Vaughn, Malcom “Tarzan” Vaughn, Sr.,

W – Bert Earl “Bull” Waggoner, Evangelist “Guyrod” Waggoner, James “Pie Face” Walker, Andy “Spoon” Weatherspoon, Larry “Spoonie” Weatherspoon, Finas “Bad News” Webb, Leroy Clay “Jack” Weddington, Henry “Louie Lips” Whitaker, Phil “Weegie” Whitaker, Mike “Peewee” Womack, Seaborn “Seabo” Womack, David “Rufe” Womble, John “Slab” Womble, Larry “Goat” Womble, Richard “Shorty” Womble, Johnny “Big Dog” Woods

Y – Harold “Duck” Young, Kevin “George” Young

{The Lynchburg Times is a locally-owned and locally-operated community newspaper in Lynchburg, Tennessee and one of the few women-owned newspapers in the state. It’s owned by a Tulane University-educated journalist with over 20 years of experience. If it happens in Lynchburg, you’ll read it here first. Click here to support us.}