Comments on: A Man Named Fred and his Dad

By: Death, Taxes, Lyon - The Offside - The Offside

Death, Taxes, Lyon - The Offside - The Offside — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 23:39:56 +0000

[...] This year’s Lyon squad is largely the same with a couple of additions in the midfield – Kim Kallstrom and Jeremy Toulalan. The team is still trying to pursue another forward or two to compliment everyone’s favorite Brazilian, the man named Fred. [...]

By: Euler

Euler — Thu, 29 Jun 2006 01:48:17 +0000

Wes, it is very common here in Brazil not to use the surname in most cases. I worked for a while in the Gillette office here in Rio and we never called our boss ‘mister Carlos’ for an example. I always called him ‘Roberto’ just as anybody else. It doesn’t matter if you are wearing a suit or not. His friensd would call him Robertinho probably.

I wrote a whole post about it:

http://brazil.worldcupblog.org/group-f/a-great-selection-of-nicknames.html

By: Claude

Claude — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 00:46:45 +0000

You are correct that Euler was born in Switzerland. He was born in Basil which is right on the border. So I was offside by a mile or less. My bad.

By: Wes

Wes — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:58:27 +0000

What I find odd is the number of Brazillians who drop their surnames and only use their first names.

It’s rather unique, and to put only your first name on the back of your jersey – unheard of!

Is dropping your surname common in Brazillian culture as a whole?

By: Euler

Euler — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:32:32 +0000

Exactly! :)

By: Zé

Zé — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 20:16:25 +0000

Yeah, it’s funny people find it so distinct – it’s a common name around here, short for “Frederico”.

Not criticizing, just saying it’s such a common name that I never thought of it to be anything other than ordinary.

By: Euler

Euler — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 17:00:25 +0000

I believe Euler was Swiss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler

Its in Brazilian Portuguese: (simply) Fred.

His full name is Frederico Chaves Guedes.

http://www.sambafoot.com/en/players/995_Fred.html

By: SES

SES — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 12:58:23 +0000

I think his full name is Fredinho..or something like that. :P

By: Claude

Claude — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 10:05:53 +0000

Euler – Since the world cup is in Germany and the final is in the old Prussian capital then what would be more appropriate then the most famous Fred of all? Frederick the Great, King of Prussia also known as Der alte Fritz. By the way Euler was also a very famous German mathematician and the logorithmic e was named after him. I believe that Euler was the one responsible for solving the Koenigsberg bridge problem which had baffled mathematicians for centuries.

By: Trent

Trent — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 09:27:33 +0000

Euler, is Fred, pronounced in Brazilian Portuguese “Fred” or “Fredjeh”? Or something else entirely? THanks!