Dirtbags, Geoducks, Hokies, Hoyas, and Wahoos

More Strange and Unusual College and University Nicknames

Dec 4, 2008

Some universities and colleges, rather than select common nicknames such as warriors or wildcats, have opted for names that are unique and sometimes weird.

Long Beach State (California) has as its official nickname the 49ers, however players on one of its athletic teams have the unofficial nickname of Dirtbags, defined by Webster as “a dirty, unkempt, or contemptible person(s).” The name is not only seemingly derogatory, but also brings to mind similar, uncomplimentary and vulgar terms. So, why would Long Beach State use such a name? The answer is simple but logical.

The name is used only for its baseball team. When the sport was added to Long Beach’s athletic program in 1989, baseball facilities were so poor that practice was held on a nearby all-dirt field. That, plus the team’s aggressive style of play, resulted in the players covered in dust at the end of the day. Thus, Dirtbags was not meant as an insult, but as a compliment to the players’ blue collar attitude.

Evergreen State College Geoducks

So is the nickname for this Washington state school based on some web-footed bird? No, the geoduck, (pronounced GOO-ee-duck, not JEE-oh-duck) is actually a mollusk that is common to the Pacific Northwest. It is the largest burrowing clam in the world, measuring seven to nine inches in length with a “neck” or siphon that can stretch thirty-six inches or more. The siphon is considered a delicacy in some Asian cultures.

The name actually comes from A Nisqualy Indian word that means “deep diggers” because of the clam’s ability to burrow deep in the sand.

Virginia Tech Hokies and Gobblers

According to the University website, Hokie is a nonsense word that was created by O. M. Stull (class of 1896) who used it in a cheer that he wrote for a contest:

An “e” was later added to Hoki. Although Stull claimed that he made the word up, variations meaning “hooray” have been traced back to 1842.

The school’s mascot is called the Hokie Bird, so it is only natural for one to think that Tech’s other official nickname, the Gobblers, refers to a turkey. However, there is one theory that suggests the name does not refer to the Thanksgiving favorite, but had its origin in the early 1900s when “gobblers” was allegedly used as a reference to the voracious appetites of the school’s athletes.

Georgetown University Hoyas

Since the mascot for this Washington, D.C. school is Jack the Bulldog, a Hoya must be some form of canine, right? Wrong! According to one Georgetown website, the word is of obscure, and debated, origin. What is known is that, by 1920, a campus newspaper called The Hoya was started and the word also, like "hoki", was being used in a cheer:

By the end of the 1920s, Hoyas began to be applied to Georgetown athletic teams, both in the media and by students, replacing the previously used Hilltoppers.

University of Virginia Wahoos

Although the Cavaliers is the more well known Virginia nickname and is the one most often used by the media, Wahoos (or "hoos") is also official and is frequently used by the university’s students and fans. So, what exactly is a “wahoo?” Well, according to Webster, it can be a type of tree, shrub, or bush or a cry of enthusiasm. In Virginia’s case, it may have meant something else. According to legend, in the 1890s, Washington & Lee baseball fans used “wahoos” as a derogatory term for the Virginia players.

It is actually an older nickname than Cavaliers which did not come into usage until after 1923 when two students won a campus newspaper contest for best fight song with their The Cavalier Song. Although it failed to become part of school tradition, the song did inspire the name Cavaliers.

The copyright of the article Dirtbags, Geoducks, Hokies, Hoyas, and Wahoos in Modern US History is owned by John K. Davis. Permission to republish Dirtbags, Geoducks, Hokies, Hoyas, and Wahoos in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.