Update: Sumo Nicknames List

[Ian Frank <ianf@aisb.edinburgh.ac.uk>]

Here's the most recent version of the nicknames list.
Thanks to all those who keep contributing.

        - Ian.


Retired rikishi
===============
Y   Taiho          Big Bird
Y   Chiyonofuji    The Wolf
Y   Hokutoumi      The Bulldog
Y   Onokuni        The Panda
Y   Asahifuji      The Sea-slug

Current rikishi
===============
Y   Akebono	   (Bone Man, Boner, Big Boner)
O   Takanonami
O   Takanohana	   The Prince (Pretty Boy)
O   Musashimaru	   (Marlon Brando, Meat Loaf, The Godfather)
O   Wakanohana	   Onii-chan, The Shadow (Ugly Boy)
S   Kotonishiki	
S   Musoyama	
K   Kaio	
K   Terao	   Typhoon (Mother's Boy)
M1  Oginishiki	
M1  Takatoriki	   (Tasmanian Devil)
M2  Higonoumi	
M2  Kenko	
M3  Akinoshima	   The Giant Killer
M3  Kotonowaka	   (Elvis)
M4  Misugisato	
M4  Daizen	
M5  Konishiki	   The Dump truck, Meat Bomb (Waddles, Big Boy)
M5  Kitakachidoki 
M6  Kotobeppu	
M6  Tokitsunada	
M7  Kiraiho	
M7  Tochinowaka	
M8  Hamanoshima 
M8  Tomonohana	   (Sensei)
M9  Kasugafuji	
M9  Kyokudozan	
M10 Wakashoyo	
M10 Takamisugi	   (Bowling Ball Head)
M11 Asanowaka	
M11 Kirishima	
M12 Mainoumi	   (Little Boy, Mighty Mite, Mighty Mouse, The Mouse,
                    The Little Trickster, Tarbaby, Mr Silicon Head)
M12 Kotofuji	
M13 Kotoinazuma 
M13 Kotogaume	
M14 Mitoizumi	   The Salt-shaker (Big Salt)
M14 Daishoho	
M15 Minatofuji
M15 Namimohana	
M16 Asahisato	

Notes:
======

Most nicknames are based on a wrestler's physical appearance (e.g.,
Pretty Boy, Marlon Brando, Meat Bomb), a simple play on a name (e.g.,
Bone Man), or are based on a wreslter's actual manner (e.g., The
Bulldog for Hokutoumi's tenacity, or The Wolf for Chiyonofuji's lupine
stare). Interesting exceptions are:

  O  Akinoshima "The Giant Killer"

     This derives from Akinoshima's knack of defeating Yokozuna.
     Currently (24 May 1994) he holds the record for the number
     of kin-boshi (15).

  O  Mitoizumi "The Salt-shaker"

     From his habit of going rather over the top in the purification
     ritual before a bout, sending huge cascades of salt into the air.

  O  Terao "The Typhoon" "Mother's Boy"

     "Typhoon" because of his skill with the flailing tsuppari
     attack (and because of his speed around the ring?), "Mother's
     Boy" because Terao is his mother's family name.

  O  Mainoumi "Mr Silicon Head"

     From the silicon implant he acquired in order to meet the height
     restrictions (175cm?) for entry into sumo. This implant has
     apparently since been removed.

  O  Taiho "Big Bird"

     Taiho's tai means big, and ho itself means chinese mythological
     "big bird".  This kanji was very rarely used in Japan before Taiho.
     However, Taiho's popularity coincided with the time that the JIS
     Committee for Information Interchange was collecting data to choose
     which characters to include in the JIS-I and JIS-II character sets.
     Taiho was such a common subject for articles/features that based on the
     actual data collected from Japanese newspapers and magazines, it was
     decided to include this rare character into JIS-I level character set.
     It is only for a sekitori named Taiho Kohki.


Contributors :
==============

 	Dave Turkington <U22534@EARN.UICVM>
	MCHAMB@CA.CONCORDIA.VAX2
	jsp@com.morgan.fid (Jordan Plitteris)
	seibed@edu.rpi (Donald C. Seibert Jr.)
	fackler martin <mfack@edu.uiuc.cso.uxa>
	"Alan Macdougall" <ALAN@nz.cri.minister.rimu>
	rogers.cadenhead@org.chrysalis
	ccw@Edu.Caltech.EQL12
	"Douglass Scott"  <dscott@edu.umich.soe.trillium>
	Peter Kaub <p-kaub@au.edu.murdoch.possum>
	nathan@com.hal (Nathan Hoover)
	American Embassy <usemb@tr.net.servis>
        Masumi Abe <abe@talisman.kaleida.com>