What nicknames are for

The world's longest city name is 21 words long, so we call it Bangkok

Image: Martina Jorden

It’s a good thing Picasso signed his works with just his surname. His real name is so long that very few people have taken the trouble of learning it. And let’s not even get started on the full name of Bangkok –nor that of L.A.! You’d be surprised how many famous people, places, and mascots hide hilariously long titles. Get ready for a list of names that –thank goodness– got trimmed down!

Image: Lenny21

It goes on. The name is Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso. We know him as Pablo Picasso, the Spanish genius painter. He was named after a string of saints and relatives, a tradition in Spanish Catholic families.

Image: Roberto Nickson

Today, we just call it L.A. But back in 1781, when the Spanish founded this California settlement, they went with the full poetic flair: "The Town of Our Lady the Queen of Angels of Porciúncula." That mouthful of a title honored a tiny church in Italy connected to St. Francis of Assisi.

Image: Pixabay

He’s better known as Mr. Peanut, the mascot of Planters. The top hat, cane, monocle… You know him. Even though the brand has existed since 1906, it was rather recently, via Twitter, that they revealed his fitting, over-the-top name: "Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe".

Image: WikiImages

We call him Salvador Dalí, the surrealist artist who painted melted clocks and sky-high elephants. His full name, like his art, was brimming with Spanish heritage. Much like Picasso, he had to pick a nickname to sign his works without taking up half of the canvas.

Image: Alina Grubnyak

You know her as Mona Lisa, but the woman in Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait was likely Lisa Gherardini, the wife of Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo. The nickname "Mona" is a contraction of "Madonna," meaning "my lady," and "Gioconda" tied her to her husband.

Image: Julee Juu

To her millions of fans, she’s just Barbie. But the famous doll introduced by Mattel in 1959 actually has a full name: Barbara Millicent Roberts. Ruth Handler, her creator, gave her the first name after her daughter, and added a second name and surname along with a fictional backstory for the popular, multipotential woman.

Image: Zheka Kapusta

Trust us, you would never call it the full Swedish name. The founders knew that, so they went for the acronym "IKEA." The furniture giant’s name comprises Ingvar Kamprad’s (the founder), Elmtaryd (the name of the family farm), and Agunnaryd (his hometown).

Image: Alex P

The real name is so long that you would probably scroll past it. But here it is: Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit.

Did you read it? That’s the full name of Bangkok, Thailand’s capital. It roughly means "City of angels, great city of immortals, magnificent city of the nine gems, seat of the king, city of royal palaces, home of gods incarnate, erected by Vishvakarman at Indra's behest".

Image: Manu Ros

Legally, the university goes by "The President and Fellows of Harvard College." This colonial-era phrasing reflected the school's governance structure and its roots in British academic tradition. Over time, though, branding won. "Harvard" was shorter and much easier to print on sweatshirts.

Image: Аида Тикиева

You know her simply as Cher, but she was born Cherilyn Sarkisian. She then added her stepfather’s last name, LaPierre. As her star rose in the ’60s, first with Sonny and then solo, she dropped the frills and decided to go for the dazzling, memorable "Cher."

Image: Matt Artz

He’s the cartoon sea captain who made breakfast sugary and loud. But "Cap’n Crunch" actually has a full naval name: Horatio Magellan Crunch. It’s a mix of explorer references to give the goofy character some funny gravitas.

Image: Chris Boland

It’s officially quite a mouthful, but most people simply say "Great Britain," or even just "the UK." The full name dates to 1927, after the Irish Free State split from the union. The name had to include all constituent nations.

PREPPERS PARADISE AHEAD

Home Gardening & Buck Saving: 10 Vegetables You Can Grow at Home.

Image: Brooke Lark

Suppose you are making a delicious pesto sauce and find yourself in need of some basil. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just stretch your hand and take a few fresh leaves from your home garden? What about some parsley? Or maybe even a bell pepper? Believe it or not, with a couple of flowerpots, this kind of thing is possible in every home. Read on and discover 10 herbs and vegetables commonly used in the kitchen that can be grown with very little care and space, including plants that you never thought could thrive in such an environment.

Image: Yakob Leonov

Whether you are making pesto, a Margherita pizza, or a number of other things, basil is a great herb to have around. And the fresh variety is a huge improvement over the dehydrated one.

Lucky for us, this plant can easily be grown indoors. Just a small flower pot or vessel with small holes for drainage on the bottom, soil, and a bit of sunlight. Harvest by cutting a few stems just above where two leaves meet and the plant will keep on giving!

Image: Chandan Chaurasia

A herb so noble its uses are too varied to count, parsley can be easily grown indoors. All it requires is a small pot, some lightly moistened soil, and a sunny window. Give the plant these humble ingredients and it will reward you with an infinite supply of aromatic leaves that can be minced, chopped, or used in full for a myriad of dishes and sauces.

Image: Jane Duursma

Chives are a basic ingredient for many recipes but groceries only deliver tiny packages of cut chives or full plants that last only one meal or two. Fortunately, chives are a great herb to grow indoors.

The seeds can be sowed in a pot placed in a sunny spot, with a tray of pebbles and water under the pot to give the plant some extra moisture and you’re all set!

Image: Dayana Brooke

Sprinkle it on a pizza, a roasted chicken, a tomato slice, or a thousand other foods, oregano is a celebrity herb in the Mediterranean pantry. And the great news is that, if it is on this list, it can be home grown!

Find a flowerpot with holes on the bottom, add some pebbles and soil, then put the seeds inside. Oregano needs lots of sunlight so make sure to place it near a sunny window and it will provide an infinite amount of flavor for your dishes.

Image: Babette Landmesser

Most people would not believe that a sturdy, shrub-like herb can grow well indoors but, in the case of the rosemary, it does. It is a friendly plant that can be grown in the same pot with basil, as it shares the same soil and sunlight conditions. Snip a few stems to add amazing flavor to meats, pasta, and all kinds of preparations!

Image: Markus Spiske

Add a touch of French cuisine flavor to your everyday dishes with this aromatic wonder. Poultry, salads, soups, egg dishes, and virtually everything can be enhanced with this culinary jack of all trades.

To grow chervil indoors, simply plant the seeds into a small pot or container with some soil and put it close to a sunny window. Trim leaves and stems for your preparations and the plant will keep on giving for as long as you need it to.

Image: Paulina H.

A herb so wonderful that it is even used to drive mosquitoes away, sage can be grown in the comfort of your own home. As with all the plants on our list, it needs all the sunlight your home can provide, a small pot, and fresh soil.

Its soft leaves, resembling bunny ears, can be plucked out to make flavorful stuffings, sausages, sauces, and more.

Image: Anja Junghans

All aromatic plants and herbs are beautiful in their own right and can help decorate a room, but if the plant is especially beautiful like thyme is, then the benefit doubles! This wonderful herb can add flavor to your roasted potatoes, chicken drumsticks, roasted vegetables, pasta, soup, and everything in between.

As usual, give it a sunny spot, a well-drained soil that can dry between waterings, and your gorgeous thyme plant is good to go.

Image: Shaun Meintjes

A multi-talented herb like mint flourishes in all kinds of preparations: from savory dishes and mojitos to chocolate-mint desserts, and as a topping for ice creams or infused in a tea.

If you were to plant it outdoors, mint can run wild and thrive by itself. But, since we are talking indoor plants here, we must advise putting mint in a small pot with rich soil and frequent watering. This way, your mint plant will grow and provide all its freshness for a very long time.

Image: Louis Hansel

Few vegetables are as ubiquitous in our dishes as bell peppers. You can stuff them literally everywhere. And growing bell peppers indoors has the advantage of providing a year-round supply of delicious homegrown produce.

Bell peppers are ideal for growing in pots. They need well-drained rich soil with organic matter and, again, all the sunlight your home can provide. Make a small stick cross, about 12 inches high, and plant it firmly in the soil, so the bell pepper that grows can attach itself to it.