Nickname

A nickname is a short, clever, cute, derogatory, or otherwise substitute name for a person or thing's real name (for example, Tom is short for Thomas). As a concept, it is distinct from both pseudonym and stage name, although there may be overlap in these concepts.

Nicknames for political terms

• Pinko - a communist
• Red - a communist, but can also mean a rebel who is against the government
• Hawk - a person who supports and pursues aggressive foreign policies, such as going to war in order to achieve his/her goals
• Dove - a person who supports and pursues peaceful means to conduct foreign policy, as opposed to war
• Skinhead - a neo-Nazi or a white supremacist
• Tory - a person belonging to the Conservative Party in Great Britain and Canada
• Grit - a person belonging to the Liberal Party in Canada
• The Little Red Book - the book that contains quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong, often called that because the book itself has a red cover and small enough to fit into a pocket