Were Starbuck, Boomer, & Jolly nicknames?

[Dayton3]

Most BG character names have a certain "gravity" to them. Names of constellations or Greek gods what have you.

But Starbuck, Boomer, & Jolly?

They sound more like nicknames.

It makes kind of sense that Starbuck might have a self chosen nickname given that he was an orphan.

But come on "Boomer" and "Jolly".

[Charybdis]

how about Greenbean????

[Dayton3]

Originally posted by Charybdis
how about Greenbean????

Or Greenbean.

I think you can make a case for Boomer being just an easy to pronounce version of his real name. There are indications that Boomer wasn't Caprican and was from a colony that spoke a different language.

We know in the pilot that Boomer knows the native language of Gemons.

Apollo wants to get him to translate the old womans pleas but he is busy talking to core command. Cassiopea translates instead.

[thomas7g]

I don't knowif its related, but in Moby Dick, Mr Starbuck was the second in command to Ahab and he opposed Ahab's obssessed hunt.

:cow:

[originalsinner]

If you get only one name per person sometimes you and up being called Jolly or Boomer or Boxey, Greenbean, how about: Bootees and Puppis in "The lost Warrior
Robber and Assault in "the Long Patrol
Dipper and Duggy in "The Magnificent Warriors
Vector and hecton!
Paul

[BST]

FYI: Bootees is the name of a constellation, viewable in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in the summer months. It's to the "left" of the Big Dipper and, if memory serves, it's shaped somewhat like an elongated pentagon. (...*hoping my memory banks don't fail me* ) :D

[Flamingo Girl]

There is somewhere in the world/history a culture that allows it's children to name themselves, so maybe they are names they liked for themselves, or nicknames that became "legal" names as they became adults.
It is kind of hard to tell if they are real names or nicknames, since no one made any mention to a surname.

[oldwardaggit]

Plus being a long way from earth, these names may not look so dumb to others with different ways and even right here on earth we have different cultures that think different.

Galactica drew many connections with the present day culture of it's time but it also drew on some very ancient ones that went by one name only and that was just one of the things Galactica was about.

If you do some research into some of these ancient cultures, you may be surprised to some of the names that look pretty dumb but then again that's because we were brought up in our culture. :)

OWD

[shiningstar]

I guess that those names would be their real names.
Although Joly was one that didn't quite jive with me.

(That was the NAME not the person Playing HIM)

[originalsinner]

When they get to Paradeen in 'Greetings from Earth" Earthike surnames are use, Sarah fathers grave stone reads John Rwwel Tower!

[Doctor Salik]

Adding my 2 Cents:
"Boomer" was the name of a dog in a children's show.
"Sheba" is a well-known cat food brand.
And is "Jolly" jolly because he eats so much? Like Garfield?

[cobrastrikelead]

might have been a character name could be the mid-1950's Broadway comedy, The Rainmaker.

[originalsinner]

Maybe Jolly becouse hes a fun guy! Maybe his sister was Happy! maybe Boomer brother was name bang!

[Flamingo Girl]

Sheba is a name of a Queen in the Bible

[skippercollecto]

Starbuck, Jolly and Boomer are all 18th century American/English surnames. I know that Starbuck is in "Moby Dick," but I also believe that "Jolly" is in the book too.

There are three Shebas in the Bible:
The Queen of Sheba, who came to visit King Solomon.
Bathsheba, who David loved.
Beersheba, who I believe was in Exodus.

Sarah's father was named John Russell Fowler.

Mary

[Flamingo Girl]

Boomer was also a nickname that meant someone who traveled randomly from place to place, I believe it was born during gold and silver rushes and applied to people who traveled through the "boomtowns" that sprang up outside gold and silver mines/fields.
Starbuck is an anglisization of the Germanic Staubach. Also some darned fine coffee.

[originalsinner]

I couldnt read the gravestone in the Video, but on the DVD Player i can now
And I think the coolest name is Starbuck followed by Boomer and Apollo and Bojay! Maybe that was there full name, Star-Buck Bo-Jay Apo-llo, Jol-ly Oh feldergerb never mind!

[Belloby]

There is nothing to support the idea that Starbuck, Boomer and Jolly were anything BUT their real names.

How Larson arrived at giving the characters such names...well, I think we need to get Glen on the line.

Mr. Larson, you out there????

[Domiano]

Side note here- Jolly was one hairy man. <The Lost Planet of The Gods> and the cutscene in <Saga of a Star World>.