We asked 50 people, one from each state in the U.S., to tell us their state's nickname.
While some folks went more informal, how many knew their backyard's official sobriquet?
From the Empire State to the Golden State, find out on this episode of Culturally Speaking.
- Well, it's called the Pelican State.It's called the Bayou State.And on the license platesit says Sportsman Paradisebecause a lotta peoplelike to kill things.Ah, not me personally.[upbeat music]- Nickname.Wow.- The state nickname to me is probablyI would call like the zone, or zona.Sounds mad corny.- I mean the Hip State.- 49th State, like Sourdough, something.- It's called the Nutmeg State.And it's because thereused to be travelerswho brought in nutmeg,and then we were likethe spice central cityof like the east coast.And it's like a really bigthing because we have nutmeg.- I don't know of anynicknames for Arkansas.Maybe like,just passin' through.- I would think Californiawould be the Stoner State.- The official nicknameof Washington Stateis the Evergreen State.And they have earnedthat name for the treesand most recently the legal marijuana.- I mean it's called the Centennial State,just because it became a state in 1876.- We're called the Equality State,because we gave the vote to women first.- The Heartland is thestate nickname for Nebraska.- Wisco.I don't know why, but every time I'm homeeveryone is like Wisco!- The Mountain State.And it's pretty obvious.- The Green Mountain State,because we have a lotta green mountains.- The Pine Tree State.Also Vacationland, becausewe get a lotta tourists.The population I thinktriples in the summerfrom about one million to three million.- It's called the GardenState because of the green.But you gotta go furtherdown to get to that green.- We're the Granite State.- The Mount Rushmore State.- The Sunshine State.- It's like the Snow State.- It's the Hawkeye State.- The Sooner State.- We are the Hoosiers, but Iactually couldn't tell you why.- It's the Buckeye State.It comes from a buckeye tree.- Well they call New York the Big Apple,but a lotta people don'trealize like when you go upstateto go apple picking during the fall,that's why they call it the Big Apple.- Pennsylvania is knownas the Keystone State.- Land of Manana is the state's nickname.And I think it comesfrom the fact that it isa little bit more of a slower pace,just because a lotta people are like,ah I'm just gonna chillout, take a siesta.- Well the nickname forKansas is the Sunflower State.- The Magnolia State.- The Peach State.- It's the Bluegrass State baby,'cause we got grass thatlooks blue sometimes.- We are the Silver State.- Our state's nickname is Little Rhodieand it's just our name shortened.- We have the Wolverine State.- The Small Wonder.- The Tar Heel State.- I'm gonna say it's the Show Me State.- So when it comes toIllinois, specifically Chicagowe are known for being the Windy City.Many people think it'sbecause it is windy.It is actually because of our politics.They say that it's a lotof wind that we talk.- I believe it's the Flicker Tail State,or the Peace Garden State.- Definitely a seafood town, seafood town.[woman laughs]I can see the commentersright now, just typing away,getting ready to get on me.- Well people from Massachusettsare often referred toas Massholes, not alwaysin the nicest way.- Aren't they they SandwichIsles, or wasn't that?I could be totally wrong.Ah, my Dad's gonna be mad at me.- The Big Sky State.- The North Star State.- The Lone Star State,because there's one staron the flag.- I'm gonna guess.Old Smokey.- Someone actually just saidthis to me the other day,talkin' about South Carolinathey said bodunk town.I don't encourage it or support it.- I've heard it calledthe Mother of States.I guess it's just because it was likeone of the first statesto birth the other states.- People probably callus the Potato State.Even though technicallywe're the Gem State.But no one knows that.- Heart of Dixie.It has to do somethin''bout a war that happeneda while back, that has somethin' to do.I really don't really know'cause I fell asleep in fourth grade.