Nicknames: Simply Speedier

First came J. Lo, a.k.a. the dancing, singing actress Jennifer Lopez. Now comes J. Rod, otherwise known as Jennifer Rodriguez, the double bronze Olympic medalist who nailed her second medal Wednesday night and cemented her shortened handle among sports announcers broadcasting her victory.

“J. Rod captures the bronze! J. Rod skates to another medal! There’s J. Rod’s parents in the stands!”

“There is something so unique about a perfectly fitting nickname that when it works it’s fabulous,” says urban cultural anthropologist Jennifer James, who lectures on cultural change and is a former University of Washington faculty member in the psychiatry and behavioral sciences department. “For sure, you can’t get a spark of a nickname out of Gwyneth Paltrow. On the other hand, Beverly Sills was called ‘Bubbles’ because, well, you couldn’t call her B.S.”

James, who was nicknamed “J Bird” when she was a kid, often goes by J.J. today. She says with today’s gender equality, “the freedom to tag nicknames on women is a good thing.”

So we’ve made it easy for other Jennifers. See if you can match them up. Answers follow.

1. J. Con

2. J. An

3. J. Gar

4. J. Til

5. J. Cap

6. J. Flav

7. J. LoH

8. J. JaL

9. J. O’

10. J. Wa

[Answers: 1. Jennifer Connelly (best supporting actress Academy Award nominee); 2. Jennifer Aniston (“Friends” co-star); 3. Jennifer Garner (“Alias” star); 4. Jennifer Tilly (actress); 5. Jennifer Capriati (tennis professional); 6. Jennifer Flavin (former model married to Sylvester Stallone); 7. Jennifer Love Hewitt (actress); 8. Jennifer Jason Leigh (actress and now on Broadway); 9. Jennifer O’Neill (former model and actress); 10. Jennifer Warnes (singer-songwriter].