(Andrew Jackson)
The Hero of New Orleans; for his military victory in the Battle of New Orleans
Old Hickory; allegedly given to him by his soldiers for being as "tough as old hickory"
King Mob; due to his populist appeal
King Andrew; for his supposedly excessive use of the veto power
Jackass Andrew Jackson's critics disparaged him as a "Jackass" however Jackson embraced the animal, making it the unofficial symbol of the Democratic Party.
(Martin Van Buren)
The American Talleyrand
The Careful Dutchman; Van Buren's first language was Dutch.
The Enchanter
The Great Manager
The Master Spirit
Martin Van Ruin
Matty Van from "Tippecanoe Songs of 1840"
The Mistletoe Politician, so called by Joseph Peyton of Tennessee, a Whig opponent, who charged that "Martin Van Buren was a mere political parasite, a branch of mistletoe, that owed its elevation, its growth--nay, its very existence, to the tall trunk of an aged hickory" (i.e. Andrew Jackson).
Old Kinderhook (OK), a reference to his home town,
Red Fox of Kinderhook, a reference to his red hair and home town
The Little Magician given to him during his time in the state of New York, because of his smooth politics and short stature
(William Henry Harrison)
General Mum, as in the expression, "keep it mum". Because of his avoidance of speaking out on controversial issues during his election campaign
Tippecanoe or also Old Tippecanoe, a reference to Harrison's victory at the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe; used in the campaign song Tippecanoe and Tyler Too during the 1840 Presidential election
Washington of the West, a reference to Harrison's victories at the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe and 1813 Battle of the Thames
(John Tyler)
His Accidency, a nickname given by his opponents; the first president to be elevated to the presidency by the death of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison
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christomacin (4526)
5 years ago
(James K. Polk)
Napoleon of the Stump for his potent oratory during his campaign for the Tennessee state legislature
Young Hickory because he was a particular protégé of "Old Hickory", Andrew Jackson
(Zachary Taylor)
Old Rough and Ready
(Millard Fillmore)
The American Louis Philippe
(Franklin Pierce)
Young Hickory of the Granite Hills "Young Hickory" compared his military deeds (in the Mexican–American War) with those of Andrew Jackson. "The Granite Hills" were his home state of New Hampshire
Handsome Frank
(James Buchanan)
Old Public Functionary, used by Buchanan in his December 1859 State of the Union address and adopted by newspapers
Old Buck, from a shortening of his last name, used later in life
Bachelor President, per his unmarried status
Ten-Cent Jimmy, derogatory, as a reaction to Buchanan's campaign statement that ten cents a day was decent pay for a worker
(Abraham Lincoln)
The Ancient One, a nickname favored by White House insiders because of his "ancient wisdom"
The Great Emancipator and The Liberator for the emancipation of the slaves
Honest Abe
The Rail-Splitter
The Tycoon for the energetic and ambitious conduct of his Civil War administration
Uncle Abe for his avuncularity in his later years
(Andrew Johnson)
The Tennessee Tailor for his career as a tailor before going into politics
(Ulysses S. Grant)
Unconditional Surrender Grant, for his uncompromising demand for unconditional surrender during the Battle of Fort Donelson in 1862, which made him a hero
(Rutherford B. Hayes)
Rutherfraud or His Fraudulency, because after the disputed results of the 1876 Election, many Democrats did not consider him legitimately to be president
(James Garfield)
Boatman Jim, referencing his work on the Ohio canals in his youth
Preacher President
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christomacin (4526)
5 years ago
(Chester A. Arthur)
Chet, shortened version of his name used by publications of that era
Gentleman Boss, as the dapper leader of New York State's Republican party
Prince Arthur and The Dude President for his fancy attire and indulgence in extravagant luxury
(Grover Cleveland)
His Obstinacy; he vetoed more bills than the first 21 presidents combined
Uncle Jumbo
Grover the Good for his honesty and public integrity
(Benjamin Harrison)
The Front Porch Campaigner; during the 1888 election, he gave nearly ninety speeches from his front porch to crowds gathered in the yard of his Indianapolis home; this nickname has been widely but erroneously attributed to William McKinley
The Human Iceberg, although he could warmly engage a crowd with his speeches, he was cold and detached when speaking with people on an individual basis
Little Ben, given to him by Democrats of his era because of his stature; this could also be a reference to his being the grandson of former President William Henry Harrison, who had served fifty years before
(William McKinley)
The Napoleon of Protection, referring to high tariffs such as the one he wrote in 1890
(Theodore Roosevelt)
The Hero of San Juan Hill; for leading his Rough Riders up San Juan Hill during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba in 1898
The Lion
Teddy in The New York Times at least as early as 1900, even though he hated the nickname
TR for signing communications this way; the first president to be known by his initials
The Trust Buster, so called as a pioneer of busting business trusts
(William Howard Taft)
Big Chief
Big Lub, boyhood nickname
(Woodrow Wilson)
The Phrasemaker: as an acclaimed historian, Wilson had no need of speech-writers to supply his oratorical eloquence
The Schoolmaster: a bespectacled academic who lectured his visitors
(Warren G. Harding)
Wobbly Warren
(Calvin Coolidge)
Cautious Cal
Cool Cal His reelection campaign used the slogan, "Keep It Cool With Coolidge"
Silent Cal
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christomacin (4526)
5 years ago
(Herbert Hoover)
The Great Engineer and The Great Humanitarian He was a civil engineer of some distinction and when the Mississippi burst its banks in 1927, engulfing thousands of acres of agricultural land, he volunteered his services and did extensive flood control work. The latter nickname would later be used facetiously in reference to his perceived indifference to the hardships faced by his constituents during the Great Depression. However, the nickname dates back to 1921, when the ARA under Hoover saved millions of Russians suffering from famine. "It was such considerations that Walter Lippmann took into account when he wrote of Hoover's Russian undertaking in the New York World in May 1922: 'probably no other living man could have done nearly so much.'"
The Chief, a nickname picked up at 23 as a geologist surveying in the Australian Outback, that stuck for the rest of his life
(Franklin D. Roosevelt)
FDR
That Man in the White House
Sphinx
(Harry S. Truman)
Give 'Em Hell Harry (also a campaign slogan)
The Haberdasher
(Dwight D. Eisenhower)
Ike, known for being in his campaign slogan "I like Ike"
(John F. Kennedy)
Jack, Kennedy was usually referred to as either "John F. Kennedy" or "Jack Kennedy"
JFK, most prominent nickname and abbreviation of his full name
(Lyndon B. Johnson)
Bullshit Johnson (Bull Johnson in public) for his reputation for boasting at Southwest Texas State Teachers College
Landslide Lyndon, sarcastic reference to the hotly disputed 87-vote win that took him to the Senate in 1949, which became more appropriate following his landslide victory in the 1964 presidential election
Light-Bulb Lyndon, because he hated wasting electricity, and would often storm around the White House shutting off unnecessary lights
LBJ; he liked to be known by this abbreviation, which was used in the campaign slogan, "All the way with LBJ"; later it would be used in the Anti-Vietnam War political slogan "Hey, Hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today
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