My name is Richard. As in the case of millions of Richards, I generally go by my nickname. Richard Nixon did this, too, as did Richard Cheney (neither of whom are among my favorite people) and both took a lot of static for it. I recall "Tricky Dick" as one of the nicer appellations for Nixon and I followed Jon Stewart's "You Don't Know Dick" series on Cheney with appropriate appreciation. However, as a relatively innocent bystander, I resent that I am almost forced to go by Richard due to the inevitable sneers, smirks and sometimes guffaws that follow when I suggest people "call me Dick."
The fact is, my nickname has become a synonym for an individual I would never choose to spend time with. I stopped associating with dicks when I retired and so could pick the people I hung out with. The fact most of the people I worked with were pleasant and entertaining people didn't change the fact that in any workplace, there is probably one (or more) pains in the gluteous maximus that you'd never want to invite home.
Nevertheless, the smirks continue.
A dick, in today's usage, means far more than a male appendage. A dick is unscrupulous, underhanded, generally vindictive and an all-around menace. Most dicks are also bosses or supervisors. Few ever buy the drinks, unless they want something from you. You never trust a wife or girlfriend around one. People who are married to a dick will usually end up in a divorce court. These are some of the reasons so many of us don't use our nickname
Richards aren't the only folks that have this problem. Peters have some of the same problem, except that with Peters, the men involved can always use the nickname, "Pete." In other words, the nickname is worry-free. I can't think of any other name that has so much baggage loaded on it by our sex-happy society. Furthermore, the problem is almost exclusively male. The only female name that I can even imagine having any problem is "Kitty," and that takes a really warped mind.
Sure, in foreign lands, there are names like "Dong," but because they're foreign, most thinking Americans don't attach any suggestive meaning to them. It is Dick, and Dick alone that gets most of the winks and nudges. I've seen a couple of them concerning men named "John," but these are mild and the usage is limited. "Bob" has sometimes had an extra "o" inserted, but this is usually done by friends in jest. It remains an unassailable fact that when it comes to name-calling, most of us would probably prefer to be called a "putz" than a dick, even though they mean the same thing, literally.
You can picture what a burden it is to carry this kind of thing around through no fault of your own. Therefore, I feel we Dicks should start a campaign to clear the nickname of society's nominal prejudice. I suggest doing what the restaurant in Las Vegas named Dick's has done - print T-shirts with the slogan "I love Dicks." Wives and significant others of tall Richards can tell their friends that their Dicks are bigger than average and can kick the butts of those who don't like it. "Few Dicks are dicks" is another idea.
If everyone gets behind efforts like these, Richards will be free, as other are, to go forth freely, flaunting their nicknames to the breeze.
Those opposed to this don't know dick.