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How did Richard Braine become Dick Braine?

24 August 2019

9:00 AM

24 August 2019

9:00 AM

Name calling

Richard Braine was appointed leader of Ukip, leading to jokes about the party being led by a ‘Dick Braine’. How did the name Richard come to be shortened?

— There was a common practice in medieval England for rhyming slang, with the first letters of many common names being interchanged, hence Robert became ‘Bob’ and Edward ‘Ted’.

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