The Ultimate Compilation of Hilarious Nicknames Shawn Gives Gus in Psych

Summary

The TV show Psych features a recurring gag where Shawn gives his best friend Gus embarrassing and funny nicknames, which fans love.

Shawn and Gus, childhood buddies, team up as private investigators, utilizing Shawn's keen observation abilities while also masquerading as a psychic.

Presented within this compilation are all the playful monikers bestowed by Shawn upon Gus throughout the entirety of the series, each one eliciting comical responses from Gus and sometimes even resulting in unforeseen predicaments.

Throughout almost every episode of Psych, Shawn Spencer, played by James Roday, would affectionately give his best friend and partner, Burton "Gus" Guster, played by Dulé Hill, a new embarrassing nickname. This became a weekly tradition, with Shawn introducing Gus with amusing but false names that often left Gus looking frustrated. The Psych Gus nicknames have become a beloved aspect of the show for fans. To satisfy curiosity, here is a comprehensive list of all the nicknames Spencer has bestowed upon Gus.

Psych starred Roday and Hill as Shawn and Gus, two lifelong friends who venture into the world of private investigation. Using Shawn's remarkable observational skills and photographic memory, they assist the Santa Barbara Police Department in solving cases, much to the annoyance of Detective Carl Lassiter, portrayed by Timothy Omundson. In order to avoid legal consequences, Shawn and Gus must maintain the facade of being psychic detectives. In each episode, they employ their unconventional methods to solve a new case, often resulting in hilarious outcomes.

All Psych Gus Nicknames In The TV Show

In the TV show Psych, the detective duo of Shawn and Gus satirize the typical methods used in investigating cases. Shawn has a habit of introducing himself as "Shawn Spencer" when speaking with suspects and witnesses, while Gus often goes by an alias or a quirky nickname, such as "Gus 'Silly Pants' Jackson" which was featured in one of the earliest episodes of Psych. This often leads to amusing reactions from the people they interact with, as Gus usually opts to remain silent rather than correct Shawn. Below, you will find a list of all the different nicknames that Gus has been given throughout the 8 seasons of the show, as well as in the movies like Psych 3's Burton Guster Rodriguez. The first nickname on the list is from the episode "Die Harder ("Daredevils!")".

Bighead Burton ("And Down The Stretch Comes Murder")

Homeskillet ("The Greatest Adventure In The History Of Basic Cable")

Big Baby Burton ("The Greatest Adventure In The History Of Basic Cable")

Burt the Billowy Bear ("And Down The Stretch Comes Murder")

Blackstar ("The Greatest Adventure In The History Of Basic Cable")

Chocolate Columbo ("Shawn vs. The Red Phantom")

Magic Head ("Shawn vs. The Red Phantom")

SuperSmeller/ SuperSniffer ("Spellingg Bee")

Slicks ("Tuesday The 17th")

Peter Panic ("Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Piece")

Gus T.T. Showbiz (The Extra T is for Extra Talent) ("American Duos")

Ovaltine Jenkins ("Zero To Murder In 60 Seconds")

Schoonie “U-Turn” Singleton ("Gus' Dad May Have Killed An Old Guy")

Earnest Lambert Watkins ("Game, Set... Murder")

Mr. Vocab ("Game, Set... Murder")

Bud (from “The Cosby Show”) ("Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast")

Nick Nack ("The Old And The Restless)

Bruton Gaster ("Shawn (And Gus) Of The Dead")

Lavender Gooms ("Lights, Camera... Homicidio")

Lemongrass Gogulope ("Ghosts")

Squirts MacIntosh ("Daredevils!")

Mc ('tongue clicking sounds') Took ("Forget Me Not")

François ("Who Ya Gonna Call")

Galileo Humpkins ("Bounty Hunters!")

Gus “Silly Pants” Jackson ("9 Lives")

Fearless Guster ("Ghosts")

Shmuel Cohen ("Rob-a-bye Baby")

Methuselah Honeysuckle ("Disco Didn't Die; It Was Murdered")

Chesterfield McMillan ("There Might Be Blood")

Felicia Fancybottom ("Poker? I Barely Know Her")

Tan ("Black And Tan: A Crime of Fashion")

Ernesto Agapito Garces con y a de Abelar ("The Greatest Adventure In The History Of Basic Cable")

Longbranch Pennywhistle ("Talk Derby To Me")

Scrooge Jones ("Christmas Joy")

D’Andre Pride ("Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast")

Hummingbird Saltalamacchia ("Six Feet Under The Sea")

Wally Ali ("Earth, Wind, And... Wait For It")

Gustice ("Mr. Yin Presents")

Dequan “Smallpox” Randolph ("Any Given Friday Night At 10PM, 9PM Central")

Trapezius Milkington ("An Evening With Mr. Yang")

Sterling Cooper ("An Evening With Mr. Yang")

Burton “Oil Can” Guster ("And Down The Stretch Comes Murder")

Hollabackatcha ("Truer Lies")

Jazz Hands ("He Dead")

Gus Brown ("High Top Fade-Out")

John Slade ("High Top Fade-Out")

Detective Miles ("High Top Fade-Out")

Greg ("Bollywood Homicide")

Doughnut Holschtein ("Shawn Takes A Shot In The Dark")

Ron Davis ("Let's Get Hairy")

Bob Adams ("Let's Get Hairy")

Harry Munroe ("Let's Get Hairy")

Rich Fingerland ("Let's Get Hairy")

Black Magic ("Let's Get Hairy")

Cheswick ("Let's Get Hairy")

Shawn ("The Devil's In The Details... And The Upstairs Bedroom")

Ghee Buttersnaps aka “The Heater” ("You Can't Handle This Episode")

The Vault of Secrets ("A Very Juliet Episode")

Clementine Woolysocks ("Think Tank")

Guts ("The Head, The Tail, The Whole Damn Episode")

Ol’ Ironside ("The Head, The Tail, The Whole Damn Episode")

Old Iron Stomach ("The Head, The Tail, The Whole Damn Episode")

John Jacob Jingley-Schmidt ("Romeo And Juliet And Juliet")

Santonio Holmes ("Feet Don't Kill Me Now")

Deon Richmond ("Feet Don't Kill Me Now")

Gurton Buster ("Not Even Close... Encounters")

Chaz Bono ("Chivalry Is Not Dead... But Someone Is")

Chocolate Einstein ("Shawn And Gus In Drag (Racing)")

MC ClapYoHandz ("Shawn And Gus In Drag (Racing)")

Sher-Black-Lock ("Shawn And Gus In Drag (Racing)")

Miss Whittlebury ("Shawn And Gus In Drag (Racing)")

Road Rash ("Shawn And Gus In Drag (Racing)")

G-Force ("Shawn And Gus In Drag (Racing)")

Mellowrush ("Shawn And Gus In Drag (Racing)")

Crankshaft ("Shawn And Gus In Drag (Racing)")

Imhotep or He Cometh In Peace ("Viagra Falls")

Control Alt Delete ("Viagra Falls")

The Jackal ("From The Earth To Starbucks")

Yasmine Bleeth ("Extradition II: The Actual Extradition Part")

Lodge Blackmunn ("Dual Spires")

Jet Blackness ("Dual Spires")

Mission Figgs ("We'd Like To Thank The Academy")

Radio Star (Video will kill him) ("Dead Bear Walking")

Gusjay Gupta ("Dead Bear Walking")

Reginald G-String AKA Crowd Pleaser ("Dead Bear Walking")

Tabricksha Schillington ("Meat Is Murder, But Murder Is Also Murder")

Cowboy Lendo ("Meat Is Murder, But Murder Is Also Murder")

Dr. Guster ("Dis-Lodged")

Count Chocula ("This Episode Sucks")

Blacula ("This Episode Sucks")

Tap-Man (The Amazing Psych-Man & Tap-Man, Issue 2")

Watson Williams (The Amazing Psych-Man & Tap-Man, Issue 2")

Benedict Arnold Jackson (The Amazing Psych-Man & Tap-Man, Issue 2")

Suggs ("Shawn, Interrupted")

Ingle Woods ("In For A Penny...")

Brutal Hustler ("Indiana Shawn And The Temple Of The Kinda Crappy, Rusty Old Dagger")

Fellatio del Toro ("Heeeeere's Lassie")

Eddie Adams From Torrance ("Heeeeere's Lassie")

Larenz Tate ("Shawn and the Real Girl")

Candyman ("Santabarbaratown")

Sh'Dynasty ("Santabarbaratown")

Gurn Blandsten ("Santabarbaratown 2")

Immaculate Conception ("Juliet Takes a Luvvah")

Pootie Tang ("Lassie Jerky ")

Nutella ("Lassie Jerky ")

Domo Arigato ("100 Clues")

Jonas Gustavsson ("Right Turn or Left for Dead")

Blue Ivy Carter ("Juliet Wears the Pantsuit")

Bill Ofrights ("Santa Barbarian Candidate")

Vijay Armitraj ("Dead Air")

Django Unchained ("Dead Air")

A Playa Named Gus ("Dead Air")

Darryl ("Nip and Suck It")

Flapjack Palmdale (emergency contact in doctor's computer) ("Nip and Suck It")

Burton Trout (no relation) ("No Trout About It")

Bad News Marvin Barnes ("No Trout About It")

Lil' Wayne ("Psych: The Musical")

King Mongkut ("Psych: The Musical")

Gigi Van Trarn ("Psych: The Musical")

Trending Ontwitter ("S.E.I.Z.E. the Day")

Robert "Booooooooooob" Jones (Remake A.K.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement")

My Black Cameron ("Remake A.K.A. Cloudy... With a Chance of Improvement")

In the episode titled "A Nightmare on State Street," Burton Guster, also known as Gus, experienced the consequences of Shawn's comical nicknames. At times, these playful introductions led them into trouble, and typically, Gus was the one who faced the brunt of it. In season 1 of Psych, Shawn referred to Gus as African veterinarian Dr. McTook, a name that involved distinct tongue-clicking sounds. As a result of Shawn's deception, Gus found himself in a predicament where he had to assist in the delivery of a warthog baby.

Shawn often used larger pop culture references for many of Gus' nicknames in Psych. One example is "Trending Ontwitter," which referenced the show's later seasons when fans were encouraged to live-tweet the episodes alongside the cast and creative teams. The use of social media also helped fans participate in spotting the hidden pineapple in each episode. Other nicknames were nods to celebrities, such as Shawn calling Gus "Yasmine Bleeth," one of the stars of Baywatch during the show's run, or referring to him as "Blue Ivy Carter," the name of Beyonce and Jay-Z's daughter. Additionally, Shawn would make references to Gus' ethnic background and their detective work, like with the nickname "Chocolate Columbo," celebrating another TV detective.

Not all the nicknames were meant to reference pop culture though. Some were used to create awkward situations, like "Gus 'Sillypants' Jackson." These nicknames served as a way to gauge whether the person they were talking to would willingly go along with Shawn's line of questioning, as well as test Gus' own patience with his best friend. Throughout Psych's eight-season run, Shawn and Gus' friendship was filled with moments like these. The use of strange nicknames and fabricated stories by Shawn was part of the show's charm and contributed to the unique dynamic of their relationship on TV.

How The Psych Movies Addressed The Name Gag

Psych has released three movie spin-offs up to this point - Psych: The Movie, Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, and Psych 3: This Is Gus. These films maintain the same humor as the show, incorporating numerous pop-culture references and recurring jokes. Throughout the trilogy, Shawn continues to come up with various amusing nicknames for Gus, including an instance in the first movie where Gus playfully introduces themselves as "Burton Guster, and my partner: White Privilege," prompting Shawn to react, "Hey, that's my thing!"

Psych 3: This Is Gus further adds to the list of nicknames for the character Burton Guster, including Birdindahand Anddabush, Burton Guster-Rodriguez, and Black Jack Arnold. However, it is in Psych 2: Lassie Come Home where the Psych Gus nickname gag takes an interesting turn. In the second movie, Gus finally decides he has had enough of these nicknames, particularly despising the unwanted pseudonym "Bill Poopington." To Shawn's annoyance, Gus manages to establish a system where all nicknames must be approved, resulting in a comical list of potential choices. The Psych Gus nicknames that are rejected and accepted in Psych 2: Lassie Come Home are as follows:

Bill Poopington is rejected, with Gus settling on "All the Pips in One"

Leggo My Eggo and Norman Brown Butter are both rejected in favor of "Dijon Hounsou"

The names Ding-Dong Ditch, Claude O'Dern, and Big Poppa Pump have all been rejected for the phrase "Lemon-a Lemon-a Lemon-a Liiime." Furthermore, it is mentioned that Gus sometimes calls himself Jermajesty, and it is disclosed that his nickname in his adult Dodgeball league was "Black Jello."

Shawn's Best Nickname For Gus According To The Psych Stars

There is currently no news regarding the possibility of a Psych 4 movie, but the creators have not completely ruled it out. Jazmyn Simon, the star of Psych: The Movie, also expressed optimism about a potential fourth Psych movie in a recent update (via Variety). The original Psych series concluded in 2014, and with the latest movie released in 2021, seven years later, fans of Psych are quietly hopeful that Gus, Shawn, and the rest of the characters will return for another exciting TV movie. If another movie is indeed planned for the franchise in the future, it is certain to include even more humorous Gus nicknames that fans can enjoy.

Following Psych 2: Lassie Come Home, Maggie Lawson, Dulé Hill, and James Roday engaged in a conversation with People regarding the feature film and their favored ludicrous Psych Gus nicknames. Reflecting on their return to the set, they shared a humorous anecdote about welcoming guests and commencing each day with a resounding chorus of the "Happy Birthday" song. When People inquired about Roday's most memorable Psych Gus nickname, he specifically mentioned "Bill Poopington," despite the name being rejected.

People then turned to Hill to find out the Psych Gus nicknames fans had given the actor over the years. He listed several, including "Gus 'Sillypants' Jackson," "Lavender Gooms," "MC ClapYoHandz," and "Dequan 'Smallpox' Randolph." Interestingly, he noted that "Dequan Randolph" was actually the name of one of his cousins. The list of Psych Gus nicknames is extensive and includes some that are inspired by real-life individuals, such as "Dequan Randolph." With the upcoming Psych 4 movie and the potential return of Psych characters, there will undoubtedly be more amusing Gus nicknames to add to the collection.