was given many nicknames due to his distinct appearance and attractive personality. • The
American Talleyrand •
Blue Whiskey Van, a reference to his excessive drinking of
whiskey • The
Careful Dutchman, Van Buren's first language was
Dutch •
Dandy President, critics called him for his fancy expensive outfits • The
Enchanter •
Machiavellian Bellshazzar, given to him by detractors •
Martin Van Ruin • The
Mistletoe Politician, so called by
Joseph Peyton of
Tennessee, a
Whig opponent, who charged that "Martin Van Buren was a mere political parasite, a branch of
mistletoe, that owed its elevation, its growth--nay, its very existence, to the tall trunk of an aged hickory" (i.e. Andrew Jackson) •
Old Kinderhook (OK), a reference to his
home town •
Red Fox of Kinderhook, a reference to his red hair and home town • The
Sage of Lindenwald • The
Sly Fox ==William Henry Harrison==