Atticus was older than most of Jem's and Scout's schoolmates' parents, and they seemed to find him boring. Atticus wouldn't play tackle football with Jem, like many of the other fathers. Worst of all, 

     Atticus was feeble: he was nearly fifty... Besides that he wore glasses...
     Our father didn't do anything.

Atticus didn't hunt, fish, drink, smoke or play poker. When he wasn't at the office, he spent most of his reading. According to Jem's and Scout's way of thinking, being an attorney wasn't as interesting as farming, working in a garage, being the sheriff or driving a dump-truck. Miss Maudie assured them that Atticus had hidden talents:

     "... he's the best checker player in this town...
     Did you know he can play a Jew's harp?"

The children would soon find that he had another talent of which he had never spoken--and a nickname: "Ol' One Shot."