Nicknames

By Glen Atwell
Steve Menes has never quite understood how he ended up with the nickname ‘Jordy’, but appreciates it nevertheless.
Jordy, 31, is the older of brother of ‘Soupy’ Craig, whose nickname caused quite a stir when his love of canned soup was revealed in the Gazette last week.
The Menes immigrated to Pakenham from Scotland when Steve was 12 years old and his new mates at Pakenham Primary School quickly labelled him as Jordy.
“Jordy, or Geordie as it should be spelt, is a nickname commonly given to people from Newcastle, England,” he said.
Steve said the grade six students who took him under their wing decided that Jordy would still suit him no matter where he was born.
“Despite the fact I was from Scotland, it was a case of good enough is close enough,” Steve said.
Steve remembers Paul Drake and the late Tim Utber as the two that coined the nickname in 1986.
Craig said his brother was a clean slate and his new grade six mates moulded him into the perfect aussie bloke.
“I got the feeling they were taking on a personal challenge with Steve.
“He soon loved football, cricket, punting and drinking, so I think it worked,” Craig said.
Craig said for a group of 12-year-olds, coming up with a nickname based on a geographical location was quite clever.
“Most of the other kids had no clue what it was about,” he said.
On the year Jordy celebrates his 20th anniversary, Steve said he is known as his nickname to most people he knows.
“I’m Jordy to my mates but mum and dad have stuck with Steve,” he explained.
Jordy also could be the most international nickname born in Pakenham, having cemented itself in the United States.
“Steve travelled to the US to be best man at Paul Drake’s wedding in Chicago last Christmas, so Jordy is known over there too,” Craig explained.