Why Harry, Hal, and Hank for Henry? Or Chuck and Chip for Charles? Or Gus for Constantine? Or Sandy for Alexander? Or Stosh for Stanislaus?

Bob is old, of course. In A Christmas Carol, Dickens notes that Bob Cratchit received 15 copies of himself per week -- 15 'bob' or shillings = $3.75 at the time, or in today's value about $100 (for 5-1/2 days work 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. mon-fri, 9 to 1 pm Sat.)

Now that I come to think of it, Bob Cratchit didn't do so bad. In my first job after getting out of the Army in 1965 about 130 years after Cratchit's time, I got $100 per week for 5-1/2 days except I only had to work to 5:00 pm mon-Fri. But then, I only had 1 child and my wife worked.