I’m not quite sure how this happened. Some of the students in one of my comp classes at San Jose State University call me Professor Diddy. HOw on earth did I get such a nickname? I must admit, it’s my fault entirely. Here (I think) is what happened: A couple of my students were trying to figure out what to call me in class. They threw out a whole bunch of possibilities. “Dan.” “Mr. Dan.””Professor Dan,” “Mr. White.” “Professor White.” I could have chosen any one of those options and it would have been just fine. The problem is, I overthought the situation. “Mister White” sounded a little too much like a hated PE teacher, while “Dan” sounded too informal. I didn’t like “Professor Dan” because it sounded a bit too much like “Ranger Rick.” I’m a lecturer, technically speaking, but “Lecturer White” sounds weird to me, like a character for a Phillip K. Dick novel. I said that they could probably call me “Adjunct Professor White” but that is very wordy and awkward-sounding. Finally, I said that I didn’t really care what they called me, as long as they don’t call me something ridiculous, such as “Diddy.” Voila. A nickname was born!
Professor Diddy: the origins of a nickname
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