History Main / IronicNickname

-->'''Lord Ogden:''' I never understood that whole Dexter thing.\\

Very popular in Australia, where a bald man will be called "Curly" and a redhead "Bluey." Also popular in the Chicano (Mexican-American) culture, where a rotund man will be called "El Flaco" ("The Skinny Man"), a light-skinned woman will be called "La Negra" ("The Black Woman") and so on.

*** Though Little Oars' name is somewhat explained as Oars/Oz (who Luffy and his crew fought earlier) is positively massive. Compared to him, Little Oars really is little.
** Early on in the series, Luffy makes the off-handed discovery that the Grand Line is sometimes referred to as "Paradise". Considering that every other scrap of information given about the ocean around that time was is that it's a DeathWorld of the highest order, and that it lives up to that reputation later, when the story actually gets there, it seems like an example of this. However, several hundred chapters later, the nickname is brought up again as its origin is revealed: it was given by pirates who have explored the New World, another stretch of ocean that's basically the Grand Line's badass big brother. Even more physics-defying madness and ''far'' more dangerous pirates that makes the Grand Line look like, well, paradise by comparison.
** The island of Little Garden, a LostWorld full of dinosaurs and other prehistoric beasts. Apparently, it got its name because, it's like a 'little garden' compared to the giant creatures living there.
* Officer Hiromi Yamazaki of ''Franchise/{{Patlabor}}'' is roughly 6'3" 250 odd pounds (about 2 meters and 100 kilos). In fact he's too big to pilot most of the mecha (can't fit in the cockpit). He's also a gentle soul (with a GenderBlenderName) who would have been a fisherman like his father, if he didn't get seasick. Half-pint GenkiGirl officer Noa Izumi refers to him as ''Hiromi-chan'' using the diminutive usually reserved for cute girls and pets.

* ''[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/29961147/chapters/76102832#workskin Izuku Midoriya the Rabbit]]'': After stating that she tastes sour after licking her face (as a sign of affection, since he's a rabbit), Izuku dubs Mina, [[AmazingTechnicolorPopulation a person with bright pink skin and hair]], his "orange friend", because she tastes like oranges. Mina [[LampshadeHanging Lampshades]] the irony.

'''Harry:''' Its a joke Lord Tim. Like calling a large man Tiny or a bald one Curly. Since Dexter means right in Latin, wizarding culture has decided that all children born on the left side of the blankets as it were, should be called Dexter.

* In ''Film/ElectraGlideInBlue'', Zipper calls John Wintergreen (Robert Blake, 5'6'') "Big John."

* Sent up (ha) in the ''Film/StarskyAndHutch'' movie, where they conclude that a guy is not the Big Earl they're looking for on the grounds that he's not big enough for it to be an accurate name, and too tall for it to be ironic. When first suggesting it's an ironic thing, Starsky mentions knowing a seven foot tall guy on the Vice squad called Tiny. Incidentally, the real Big Earl turns out to be a pretty tall dude.

* Doubling as a RealLife example, Curly Howard of ''Film/TheThreeStooges'' is completely bald, though the nickname is from before he shaved his head for the act. This can be confusing for newcomers to the series, since Larry Fine actually did have large amounts of curly hair.

* Fat Charlie from ''Literature/AnansiBoys'' isn't fat at all, and he never was. He was a bit pudgy between age ten, when he was bedridden with illness for a month, and fourteen, when he started eating a little less and exercising a little more. However, since the name came from his father [[TricksterGod Anansi]], it stuck.

** In one story, Dangerous investigates the background of a very short man called Lofty. This turns out to be a {{subver|tedTrope}}sion, because the little guy had stolen the identity of the real Lofty who was a six foot two beanpole.
* In book 1 of ''Literature/TheDemonPrinces'', ''Star King'', the lieutenant of Malagate the Woe is Hildemar Dasce, also called "Beauty". Dasce had his eyelids cut off by an enemy and wears a mechanical device to moisten his permanently-exposed eyeballs, and has his face dyed the colour of a rotting orange to render himself still more unattractive.

* In the ''Literature/{{Dragaera}}'' series, one the gangsters working for Vlad was nicknamed "The Healer". This is a reference to an incident in which he approached a recalcitrant debtor with a club and said something like "I see your head is whole. How about I heal it for you?"

** Mr. Pendanski, nicknamed "Mom" by the inmates, initially seems to be the TokenGoodTeammate, but is actually FauxAffablyEvil.
* Among the minor characters in William Saroyan's ''Literature/TheHumanComedy'' are three soldiers nicknamed Texas, Fat and Horse. "Texas" is actually from New Jersey.

* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': There's a forest cleric whose known as "The Sterile Tree". Eric discusses this with his advocate; given how many different kinds of life live on, in and under them; trees are definitely not sterile.

* ''Series/{{Bonanza}}'': Several throughout the series run, but one of the most chilling examples was "Thunder Man," from late in the fourth season. William Poole is a munitions expert who uses this nickname to refer to his expertise with a (then-)new explosive called nitroglycerin, and its use to clear large sections of land quickly for--in this case--cattle pasture. However, it has a much different meaning for young, beautiful women he encounters: That of a cold, cunning serial rapist and killer. When he is finally found out by series protagonist Joe Cartwright, Poole declares himself a "Thunder Man" in a very different sense: That of an invincible person who can and will get what he wants (complete and unquestioned power over women to satisfy his sexual desires), "and not a force in Heaven and Earth can even begin to move me!" ... until Joe shoots him and Poole is killed by his own nitroglycerin.

** Also, Temperance itself is something of an ironic name: one of the SevenCardinalVirtues (very Christian, which she isn't), it has to do with being mindful of others and one's surroundings (she's not), practicing self-control (she's calm, to be sure, but she really doesn't know when to shut up), and being abstemious and moderate (while she doesn't drink ''that'' much, her sex life can hardly be seen as abstemious or moderate...not in a negative way, but definitely immoderate). Her birth name, changed by her unrepentantly criminal parents, was Joy, and she still has severe personal issues due to spending her childhood a string of foster homes.

* ''Series/{{Monk}}'' had a character named Fat Tony, a gangster who Sharona gets a crush on. He was a fat as a kid and grew up incredibly fit but he's still called "Fat."

** This trope was actually invoked in the ''Top Gear'' vs ''D-Motor'' episode. Clarkson had secretly replaced James May (known as "Captain Slow") with their "tamed racing driver" The Stig for the final racing segment. In a bad attempt to cover the fact that Captain Slow apparently had professional race driving skills he claimed their nicknames are ironic and that Richard Hammond was known as "Lofty". They weren't convinced.

* Used in ''Series/TheWire'', Season 4. Herc is looking for a gangster named Little Kevin (who is in reality tall and overweight), and has the man in question up against a wall. When asked if he is Little Kevin, Kevin replies, "Do I look little to you?" Herc, failing to appreciate this trope, lets him go, and decides to apprehend everyone under 5'10 and 180lbs as possible candidates.

* ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'': Tiny Kong. In her first appearance she was Dixie Kong's little sister and really was tiny, but then [[FanservicePack she hit puberty]]. Now she's one of the taller Kongs.

** Laila Law-Giver, the Jarl of the biggest WretchedHive in the province. An almost tragic case, as while she ''wants'' to be a fair and just lawmaker in her hold, she's so clueless and easily influenced that her authroity means nothing.

* More of an Ironic Title: all of the High Prophets in ''Franchise/{{Halo}}''. Truth is a complete liar and psychopath. Mercy shows no mercy to the humans or Elites, [[spoiler: and was given none by Truth]]. Regret didn't regret anything he did, [[spoiler:even after he was dead]]. With Truth at least it was intentional, as he chose the name to remind of himself of his own lies and hypocrisy.

* Little Eddie, the first boss of ''VideoGame/MadWorld'', is the second or third largest boss in the game, easily 15 feet tall and covered in rock hard muscle. Commentator Kreese Kreeley doesn't understand why they call him that when he's so big, leading Howard "Buckshot" Holmes to explain in detail the very concept of irony to him.

** A fireman is a rescue worker trained to extinguish fire. Fire Man from the first ''VideoGame/MegaMan1'' game on the other hand, is a robot who starts fires.

* One of the heroes in ''VideoGame/SuperheroLeagueOfHoboken'' is Captain Excitement, who is so drowsy, lethargic and boring that his mere presence can put animals and some humans to sleep. His biography mentions that his nickname is deliberately ironic.

* ''VideoGame/WingCommander's'' Chris "Maverick" Blair got the call sign as an ironic take on his by-the-book flying. Todd [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "Maniac"]] Marshal on the other hand, did not.

* One of Mordecai and Rigby's coworkers in ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'' is a fat little guy called Muscle Man. This is a special case because [[StoutStrength he is quite strong]] (his daily tasks are very physically taxing, he likes to work out, and at one point turns to protein supplements as a comfort food). Eventually, it's revealed in "Power Tower" that he was once a bodybuilder, and that his old nickname stuck with him after he got out of shape (Mordecai assumed it was supposed to be ironic).

** Inferno, an Autobot who's vehicle form is a fire truck; he's a lot better at ''putting out'' infernos.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_Murray,_10th_Duke_of_Atholl Iain Murray]] (1931-1996), the 10th Duke of Atholl in Scotland, was known as "Wee Iain". He was 6-feet-5 (196 cm) tall.

* The term "Ham" in "ham radio" is not only an AppropriatedAppellation, but has slowly become this trope over time. In the days of land line telegraphy, new and inexperienced operators were called "hams", short for "ham fisted", because they lacked the dexterity to send Morse code quickly. Nowadays, digital communications have completely eclipsed Morse in all areas ''except'' the amateur service, meaning that hams are the only people around who can copy Morse at all, let alone send it quickly.

* The ''Literature/WaysideSchool'' series has this with [[ThemeNaming the three Erics]]. Basically, there's three kids named Eric in the main class. One, Eric Bacon, is a skinny guy, one, Eric Fry, is an excellent athlete, and one, Eric Ovens, is a fairly nice guy. Bacon is called "Fatso", since Fry is bulky and Ovens is pudgy. Fry is called "Butterfingers" and is constantly forced on right field, because Bacon is weak and Ovens is clumsy. Since Bacon and Fry have insulting nicknames, they're irritable jerks, which leads to Ovens being called "Crabapple." [[MindScrew It's a little surreal, honestly.]]