Nicknames seen to be more common around here than the old (alleged) southern habit of using two first names (Billy-bob, etc.) I often wonder how some of these nicknames are arrived at...

For instance (this is no joke) I have a great-uncle who's nickname is "Rat". I always thought it was because he was the youngest and smallest, but it turns out he spent a good bit of his youth hunting muskrats with a .22 rifle.

We've got two Frogs, a Pumkin, a Hobbit, a Scutter, an Uncle Goob, a Toby, numerous Butch's, several Juniors (I'm not sure if that one counts), several many "big 'un's" (I've had that one hung on me before) and Tar Baby.

I have no idea how Tar Baby got his name, but his real name is Ishmael or some other biblical name that begins with an "I". I think he actually likes Tar Baby better.

At some point in time, I need to run down Frog (one of 'em anyway) and get him to recount the story of Tar Baby's wedding night, because he was right in the thick of it and I don't want to screw up the story.

Just for a teaser, it involes drinking, stolen cars, more drinking, a knocked up preacher's daughter, and yet more drinking.