Brass Cupcake, The - Det. Sgt. Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) was an LAPD undercover policewoman on the police drama HUNTER/NBC/1984-91. Although beautiful, brunette and shapely, her tough determined attitude earned her the nickname the "Brass Cupcake" by her fellow male officers. Dee Dee, however, had a softer side. She enjoyed bubble baths, wearing silk undies and owned a little cute brown teddy bear named Tom Dooley. She was teamed with Det. Sgt. Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) whose character was modeled after the movie cop in Dirty Harry (1971) starring Clint Eastwood. TRIVIA NOTE: The Brass Cupcake was also the name of a John D. McDonald novel published in 1954 by Fawcett.

Broccoli - The pejorative nickname given by Ensign Crusher to Lt. Reginald "Broccoli" Barclay (Dwight Schultz) first heard on episode No.69 "Hollow Pursuits" on the sci-fi series STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION/SYN/1987-94.

Bronx Zoo, The - The nickname of Benjamin Harrison High School located in the Bronx section of New York City on the education drama THE BRONX ZOO/NBC/1987-88. The school was so named because of the rowdy population of teenage students. Ed Asner starred as Principal Joe Danzig, the new guy on the block who hoped to get through to the kids whom society just couldn't seem to understand.

The Bronze Goddess of Fire - The showbiz nickname of black actress LaWanda Page who costarred as the feisty, Bible-thumping aunt Esther Anderson on the sitcom SANFORD & SON/NBC/1972-77. During her early days as a nightclub performer LaWanda Page earned the moniker of "The Bronze Goddess of Fire" as she entertained audiences by swallowing fire, setting her body ablaze with fire sticks and lighting cigarettes with her fiery fingertips.

Brown Shoe - Street term referring to anyone who worked in an "establishment" type position, such as banker, stock broker or any other traditional nine-to-five job. Brown Shoe was also nickname of stockbroker Lionel Whitney (Jeff Goldblum) on the detective drama TENSPEED AND BROWN SHOW/ABC/1980. His preoccupation with reading 1930s style detective novels led him to form a detective agency to live the adventurous life. His partner was E. L. Turner (Ben Vereen) a.k.a. "Tenspeed," a black street hustlers E. L. stood for Early LeRoy.

Bub - Nickname of Michael Francis "Bub" O'Casey, a feisty old coot of a housekeeper and father-in-law of engineer Steve Douglas (Fred MacMurray) on the sitcom MY THREE SONS/ABC/CBS/1960-72. Bub earned his moniker because the young Douglas kids couldn't say "Grandpa" hence their attempt in speaking his name turned into "Bub." When William Frawley left the series midway through the 1964-65 season for health reasons, he was written out of the script (by traveling to Ireland) and replaced by a similarly crusty old relative named Uncle Charlie O'Casey (William Demarest), a retired sailor

Bubala - Term of endearment used by slender Morticia Addams (Carolyn Jones) when referring to her eccentric, cigar-smoking husband Gomez Addams (John Astin) on the macabre sitcom THE ADDAMS FAMILY/ABC/1964-66. Morticia also called Gomez "Cara Mio," "Mon Cherie," and "Querido" (Spanish for “The man I desire”). Gomez called Morticia "Cara Mia," "Cara Bella" and "Querida" (Spanish for “The woman I desire”).

Bubba - The name of police Sgt. Bubba Skinner (Alan Autry), a muscular police officer working in the small town of Sparta, Georgia on the police drama IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT/NBC/CBS/1988-94. On the sitcom MAMA'S FAMILY/NBC/SYN/1983-90 Allan Kayser played Bubba Higgins, the delinquent son of Ed (Harvey Korman) & Eunice (Carol Burnett) Higgins. On the police drama BLUE THUNDER/ABC/1984 ex-football star Bubba Smith appeared as Lyman "Bubba" Kelsey, a mobile support team member for an advanced helicopter called Blue Thunder. And on the police drama NASH BRIDGES/CBS/1996-2001 Don Johnson as Detective Nash Bridges referred to everybody as "Bubba."

Bubbleman - The town nickname of Mike Monroe (Anthony Edwards) a hyper-allergic attorney introduced on the episode "Blowing Bubbles" (11-2-92) on the drama NORTHERN EXPOSURE/CBS/1990-96. Mike (a.k.a. "The Bubbleman") suffered from the modern day condition called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. He lived in virtual isolation in an antiseptic Buckminster Fuller-like geodesic dome outside the town of Cicely. If anyone visited his home they were asked to dress in germ free gowns and gloves. When Mike first met pilot Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner) he asked "Are you wearing makeup...eyeliner, perfume, shampoo, conditioner...baby shampoo? How about synthetic clothing?" Maggie says "I think this shell has some nylon in it." Mike responds "Just leave it on the hook, please." TRIVIA NOTE: In 1976, actor John Travolta starred in the made-for-TV movie The Boy In The Plastic Bubble about a boy forced to live in an isolation bubble because he was born without immunities. On the NBC sitcom SEINFELD, episode No.45 "The Bubble Boy" (10/7/92) standup comic Jerry Seinfeld was pressured into visiting an obnoxious fan who was cocooned in a sterile environment. See also - DISEASES & AILMENTS: "Glacier Dropsy"

Buckwheat - Nickname of Billy "Buckwheat" Thomas, black child actor who starred in a series of Hal Roach Our Gang comedies in the 1930s. In 1990 George "Spanky" McFarland, Buchwheat's costar in the Our Gang films exposed an impostor who had fooled the magazine-of-the-air 20/20. The real Buckwheat Thomas had died 10 years earlier. In the 1980s comedian Eddie Murphy resurrected the Buckwheat character ("O-Tay!") in a series of spoofs performed on NBC's late night comedy SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE in which Buckwheat, now fully grown, was a superstar who overindulged in sex, drugs and rock and roll. He was killed in a comedy skit (a la John Lennon) by a lone gunman but later resurfaced in a skit about a visit to his childhood friend, Alfalfa. TRIVIA NOTE: William Russ who played Roger LoCoco on the crime drama WISEGUY/CBS/1987-90 referred to everyone he met as "Buckwheat" (in the same way Don Johnson who played detective Nash Bridges called everyone "Bubba" on the police drama NASH BRIDGES/CBS/1996-2001.

Bucky Beaver - The childhood nickname of actress Jenna Elfman [born Jennifer Mary Batula] who starred as Dharma Freedom Finkelstein Montgomery, the free-spirited daughter of hippies on the sitcom DHARMA & GREG/ABC/1997-2002. While growing up in Los Angeles, the kids at Jenna's school gave her the nickname "Bucky Beaver" because of her overbite. But after three and a half years of orthodontia, Jenna now has a wonderful smile and a winning career as an actress. Jenna's earlier 1996 TV series was called TOWNIES where she played Shannon Canotis, one of three female friends who lived in an East Coast fishing community and who hoped one day to move to the big city.

Bud - The family nickname of James Anderson, Jr. (Billy Gray), the second oldest of three children on the sitcom FATHER KNOWS BEST/CBS/NBC/ABC/1954-63. On the sitcom MARRIED...WITH CHILDREN/FOX/1987-97, David Faustino played a girl-chasing boy named Budrick "Bud" Bundy (His middle name is Franklin). As he once said to his father "I was named after a beer, wasn't I dad?" See also - "Larry 'Bud' Melman"

Bud Light Guy, The - Johnny, "The Bud Light Guy," (Rob Roy Fitzgerald) was a stubbly-faced moocher who snagged Bud Light beers from his family, girlfriend and ever a beer deliveryman with the now classic phrase "I love you, Ma-a-a-n!" on a series of commercial spots that debuted in the spring of 1995. In one commercial Johnny went fishing with his father and brother. Having finished his own supply of Bud Light Beer, Johnny cozied up to his father and in a bogus attempt at bonding says "I love you, Ma-a-a-n!" When his father says "Forget it, Johnny", the beaten but not defeated Johnny used the same line on his brother, but to no avail. The Johnny character made two cameo appearances on David Letterman's CBS late night talk show in the fall of 1995 spoofing his character's affectionate but insincere commercial catchphrase. Before finding success in commercials actor Roy Fitzgerald was a defensive back for the University of Missouri who was later signed by the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals in 1977. When he injured his hamstring, he abandoned football and headed to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career which included a bit part in the motion picture Thelma and Louise (1991) and a guest shot on the legal drama MATLOCK in 1993 (People Weekly 1/8/96 p.116) TRIVIA NOTE: From 1977-1980 Bill Murray used the soppy phrase "I love you, M-a-a-a-n!" during skits on NBC's late night comedy show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

Buddy - The family nickname of Letitia Lawrence (Kristy McNichol) the tomboyish teenager on the prime time soap drama FAMILY/ABC/1976-80. Buddy was also the nickname of Maurice "Buddy" Sorrell (Morey Amsterdam), a New York comedy writer for "The Alan Brady Show" on THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW/CBS/1961-66. On the sitcom CHARLES IN CHARGE/CBS/1984-85/SYN/1987-90, the inept, Buddence "Buddy" Lembeck (Willie Aames) was the best friend of Charles (Scott Baio), a college student. The classic castaway comedy GILLIGAN'S ISLAND/CBS/1964-67 featured a skinny sailor named Gilligan (Bob Denver). His friend the Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.) would always refer to him as his "Little Buddy." Years earlier on the sitcom THE MANY LOVES OF DOBIE GILLIS/CBS/1959-63 Bob Denver appeared as beatnik, Maynard G. Krebs. One of his catchphrases was "Hi ya good buddy" when he spoke to his friend, Dobie Gillis (Dwayne Hickman). And on the sitcom BRINGING UP BUDDY/CBS/1960-61, Frank Aletter starred as bachelor investment counselor, Buddy Flower.

Buffalo Bill, Jr. - Adopted name of town deputy marshal on the western adventure BUFFALO BILL, JR./SYN/1955. Bill (Dick Jones) and his sister (Nancy Gilbert) were lone survivors of an Indian attack on a wagon train in the Black Hills. When they were found by Judge Ben Wiley (Harry Cheshire) the young boy was carrying his sister in a buffalo robe and so the Judge decided to call him Buffalo Bill, Jr. His sister bears the name Calamity Jane after the frontier sharpshooter and stagecoach driver.

Buffalo Butt - The not-so-politically correct nickname given to overweight building superintendent Nathan Bookman (Johnny Brown) by Chicago housing project tenants Willona Woods (Ja'net DuBois) and J.J. Evans (Jimmie Walker) on the sitcom GOOD TIMES/CBS/1974-79. Once, when Bookman's wife threw him out of his apartment, he tried to move in with Willona who quickly refused his proposition with the remark "Make you home where the buffalo roam!"

Bull - The towering , bald court bailiff Nostradamus Shannon (Richard Moll) on the sitcom NIGHT COURT/NBC/1984-92 was known more commonly by the nickname "Bull." He received this moniker from his mother who reportedly said "Bull" when she found out she was pregnant.

Bulldog - The nickname of radio talk show personality Bulldog Briscoe (Dan Butler), a skirt-chasing host of a Seattle sports call-in show on the sitcom FRASIER/NBC/1993-2004 (He loved women who didn't wear underwear). Bulldog was also the nickname of a rough and tumble construction worker played by Noble Willingham in the sitcom WHEN THE WHISTLE BLOWS/ABC/1980; and the sobriquet of police detective Bill "Bulldog" Brennan (Alan Hewitt), a human bloodhound who sniffed out suspicious goings-on at the house of newspaper reporter Tim O'Hara (Bill Bixby) who was hiding a Martian (Ray Walston) on the sitcom MY FAVORITE MARTIAN/CBS/1963-66.

Bullet - The nickname of officer Judy "J.J." Tingreedes (Eileen Davidson) a gorgeous blonde undercover detective (on psychological disability) working for the Bay City police on the police drama BROKEN BADGES/NBC/1990-91. Bullet rode a Harley motorcycle, and had a tough-as-nails personality ("I'm a street bitch with an attitude"). She liked "kicking butt" and hated people who stared at her breasts. She punched out anyone who looked at them.

Bully Boys - Showbiz nickname of comedians Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and John Belushi from the late night comedy show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE/NBC/1976+. Producer Lorne Micheal dubbed the comedians "Bully Boys" for their high energy, out-spoken antics back stage on the show. Reportedly, the boys were always late for rehearsals and unprepared while the girl comics were always on time and prepared for the show.

Bunny - Pet name for Alice Kramden (Audrey Meadows) when she was first married to bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) on the sitcom THE HONEYMOONERS/CBS/1955-56. Bunny was also the name of Sgt. Vince Carter's girlfriend "Bunny" Olsen (Barbara Stuart) on the military comedy GOMER PYLE, U.S.M.C/CBS/1964-70; and the name of Charlie Halper's wife "Bunny" Halper (Pat Carroll) on the sitcom THE DANNY THOMAS SHOW/ABC/CBS/1953-65. And on the sitcom SUGAR AND SPICE/CBS/1990 Cliff Buttram (Gerrit Graham) was called "Bunny Lips" by his wife, Bonnie (Stephanie Hodge); Cliff called his wife "Prairie Blossom" and "Cuddle Buns." See also - SIGNOFFS: "Be a good bunny!"

Buster  See - ""Fatman"

Butchie - Childhood nickname of Jake Styles (Joe Penny), a special investigator for district attorney J.L. McCabe (William Conrad) on the detective drama JAKE AND THE FATMAN/CBS/1987-92.

Butterfly McQueen - The nickname of black actress Thelma McQueen, born in 1911 in Tampa, Florida. She received her nickname when she danced as a young woman in the Butterfly Ballet in a stage production of "A Mid-Summer Night's Dream." On the sitcom BEULAH/ABC/1950-53 Butterfly McQueen appeared as Oriole, the girlfriend of Beulah, "TVs favorite black maid." She is best remembered for her role as Sassy, the slave girl who mislead Scarlett O'Hara into believing she had experience with birthing babies in the now classic film Gone With the Wind (1939).

Butt-head - The pejorative nickname of Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage) given to him by his obnoxious older brother Wayne Arnold (Jason Hervey) on the sitcom THE WONDER YEARS/ABC/1988-93. Butt-head was also the name of a dumb, crude, and thoughtless teenager on the cartoon series BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD/MTV/1993-97. On the sitcom THE DREW CAREY SHOW/ABC/1995-2003 Oswald (Diedrich Bader) revealed that he was nicknamed Butt-head by his mother, because "When I was born I came out backwards. I didn't have oxygen for two whole minutes."

Button - The family nickname of the eldest child, Paige Thacher (Monique Lanier), on the domestic drama LIVE GOES ON/ABC/1989-93. Paige was a college dropout who returned home to live with her parents.

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