Alex Murdaugh repeatedly refers to deceased son as 'Pawpaw' during testimony, sparking online buzz

Alex Murdaugh took the stand in his own televised murder trial on Thursday, Feb. 23 — and many observers noted his continued use of the nickname "Pawpaw" in describing his now-deceased son Paul, whom Murdaugh is accused of murdering.

One Twitter user tweeted, during the testimony, "New drinking game: take a swig every time you hear ‘pawpaw.’"

Another tweeted, "Alex Murdaugh seems to think that repeating pawpaw nonstop is his best defense."

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Yet another tweeted, "He’s gonna make #PawPaw trend for a week."

Murdaugh, 54, disgraced South Carolina lawyer and head of a prominent Democratic family in that state, is on trial for the alleged murder of his wife and son, as Fox News Digital has reported.

Prosecutors maintain that Murdaugh shot his wife, 52-year-old Maggie Murdaugh, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, on June 7, 2021.

Alex Murdaugh, shown above, has a pained appearance while on the stand during his double murder trial. Murdaugh is accused of killing his wife and son in June 2021. (POOL)

Many Murdaugh trial watchers noticed the use of the word "Pawpaw" — a name more often recognized as a southern word for "grandfather," according to people who live in southern parts of the U.S.

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"We rode around and we spent time together on the property," Murdaugh told the court on Thursday about time he spent with his son Paul Murdaugh before the son's death, as the U.K.'s Independent noted.

"We went to the duck pond where we stayed for a minute," he continued.

"Pawpaw had planted the duck pond by himself, and he was making a really big deal to me about how much better the corn was doing," he added, using the nickname.

Pawpaw is more often used as a term for "grandfather."

"Papaw is the most commonly used name for ‘grandpa’ in Alabama, West Virginia, Louisiana and Mississippi," notes HealthyJournal.com.

As for the slightly less southern alternative to Papaw (Pawpaw), "it's most popular in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee," the same site also said.

One Tennessee grandfather told Fox News Digital that he had considered Pawpaw for the name his new grandson would call him, but opted for "Papa" — "it just felt right," he said.

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Farther north, in Maryland, an 84-year-old great-grandfather said that his own grandfather was called "Pawpaw" (and his grandmother was "Meemaw"), but he didn’t consider it an option for his own name as grandfather.

"Now your kids assign you your grandparent name, anyway, so Pawpaw may disappear entirely – at least north of the Mason-Dixon line," he said.

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Another 36-year-old man from Middle Tennessee told Fox News Digital, "As a transplant from Boston, I have noticed that while both areas love to give nicknames – especially to men – the southern nicknames seem gentler, and more familiar."

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He added that, to him, calling a son "Pawpaw" might make sense. "Southerners can come up with some very inventive nicknames," he added.

Pawpaw is also the name of a green fruit — considered the largest edible fruit native to North America, according to Healthline.com.