经济学人 | 取外号居然有这么多讲究？

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But in time, they denote familiarity and, often, affection. On December 13th the City of London approved plans for a new skyscraper that will be as tall as the Shard; the chances are high that it will eventually wind up with a sobriquet based on its shape.

然而，随着时间推移，这些绰号逐渐为人们所熟知，其中往往还蕴含着人们的喜爱之情。12月13日，伦敦金融城批准了一项计划，将建造一座与碎片大厦高度相当的新摩天大楼；从外观推测，这栋建筑很有可能也会获得一个独特的绰号。

There are good reasons why buildings acquire monikers . The Bottle Opener resonates more than the World Financial Centre Shanghai; the Lipstick Building is easier to remember than 885 Third Avenue.

建筑物获得绰号并非毫无缘由。“开瓶器”比上海环球金融中心更能引发人们的共鸣；“口红大厦”也比第三大道885号更易被人记住。

Consumers give brands nicknames, too. BMW owners in Britain drive “ beamers ” ; in America they might be at the wheel of a “ bimmer ” . If you ’ re a high-roller, you might wear a Rollie on your wrist. You probably would not shop at Tarjay, an ironically Gallic pronunciation of Target, a mass-market retailer.

不仅如此，消费者也会给品牌起绰号。在英国，宝马车主常常驾驶着“beamers”；而在美国，人们可能更愿意称之为“bimmer”。如果你是个有钱人，或许会在手腕上佩戴一块Rollie（劳力士的绰号），而不会选择去Tarjay（Target的讽刺性法式发音，一家大众市场零售商）购物。

Athletes ’ nicknames can become brand-like. LeBron James, a basketball star, successfully opposed an attempt by a cruise liner to trademark “ King James ” .

运动员的绰号有时也能转变为品牌商标，比如篮球明星勒布朗·詹姆斯就成功阻止了一家游轮公司将“King James”注册为商标的行为。

Brand nicknames are not always flattering: Neiman Marcus, another retailer, was once christened “Needless Markup”. But usually they suggest that consumers feel a genuine connection to a product.

品牌绰号并不总是令人愉快：另一家零售商内曼·马库斯就曾被戏称为“无理由涨价”。但通常情况下，品牌绰号能够传达出一种暗示，让消费者感受到与产品的真正联系。

In a recent paper Zhe Zhang of Western University in Canada and Vanessa Patrick of the University of Houston looked at how people react to the use of nicknames by other consumers.

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