Nicked by a Name

Summary
There is a virus spreading through Lakewood Elementary! It changes the way everyone behaves and how they treat each other - it's the new nicknames! Can Brain stop the virus he created or will everyone be mean to each other forever?

Plot
Arthur starts the show by saying that mean words can hurt, "and sometimes one little word can make you feel so rotten you just want to disappear!"

Nicked by a Name

During a soccer game, Francine scores a goal, and Brain says, "Give it up for Francine the Soccer Queen!" Francine likes the nickname, and Binky wants one as well. Brain says that it's "a pretty tall order," and then suggests "Tall Order" to Binky. Arthur wants a nickname, but Brain denies and goes to the library.

Buster approaches Brain, who is reading a book on advertising, wanting a nickname. Buster imagines himself in an advertising company and comes up with "Bust-a-Gut." Arthur asks for a nickname, but is denied.

George enters the ice cream shop, asking for a nickname. Again thinking about being in an advertising company, Brain nicknames him "Head Gear." George likes it and runs out of the store, passing Arthur, who again wants a nickname.

Arthur asks Brain again in the middle of a soccer game, and Brain angrily names him "Average Arthur." Arthur dislikes it, especially when Buster and Binky start making jokes about his nickname. Brain re-names Binky "Stinky Binky," who names him "Antenna Ears." Francine starts mocking Buster, and Buster responds by calling her "Bossy Boots."

Brain imagines himself in the advertising company again, and imagines everyone as literal versions of their nicknames; Binky floats in a large ball of stink, Francine is a boot, Buster has a TV for a head, and Brain is turned into a real brain.

When the insulting nicknames cause distractions during a soccer game, Brain comes up with "cool soccer nicknames" for everyone; Arthur is "Awesome Action Aardvark," Binky is "Barnstormer," and Buster is "Eat-My-Dust Buster." Francine stays "Francine the Soccer Queen." Using these names, they are able to win the soccer game.

Arthur realizes that Brain never got a nickname, and he responds that he already has one: Brain. Everyone starts suggesting different nicknames as the episode ends.

Main

 * Arthur Read
 * Buster Baxter
 * Francine Frensky
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * The Brain
 * Binky Barnes

Minor

 * Mighty Mountain Player
 * George Lundgren
 * Frog

Cameo

 * Tom Tapir
 * Nancy
 * Luke
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Alex
 * 3rd Grade Male Aardvark
 * Jack Weasel
 * 3rd Grade Female Aardvark (Number 5)
 * Sam Scarborough
 * Mighty Mountain Bowler No. 8

Trivia

 * The Mighty Mountain Cheerleaders singing "Pass it to Antenna Ears!" might be a reference to the book, Arthur and the True Francine, where Muffy refers to Buster by that name. Additionally, "Antenna Ears" is Buster's username in Virtual Goose!

Cultural references

 * When Brain has his imagine spot, it's most likely a parody of , a show about an ad business in the 1960s.

Errors

 * In the opening scene, Muffy is shown cheering the soccer team on wearing a skirt, but by the end of practice, she is depicted wearing normal soccer shorts like everyone else on the team.
 * When Arthur enters the ice cream shop, Mr. Armstrong and Sue Ellen suddenly appear in line behind him. But in the next shot, they disappear.