“I can’t die! I’m booked!”
New York-born actor and comedian George Burns (1896-1996) wanted to live to at least age 100 and he constantly worked, without formally retiring. He long-planned to celebrate his 100th birthday…
“America is a healthy body; its resistance is its patriotism, morality and spiritual life”
Russian leader Joseph Stalin (1878-1953) is frequently credited with saying: "America is like a healthy body, and its resistance is threefold: its patriotism, its morality, and its spiritual…
“It was so hot in New York that I walked past Grant’s Tomb—and the door was open”
New York syndicated entertainment columnist Earl Wilson (1907-1987) repeated a classic New York gag every summer, crediting American actor and comedian Don Sherman (1932-2012): "The warm…
“It was so hot in New York that you could fry an egg on the sidewalk”
"It's so hot," runs the expression, "that you can fry an egg on the sidewalk!" New York City has plenty of sidewalks. Is it ever possible to fry an egg on one? A…
“It was so cold in New York that they canceled the Central Park ice festival”
"It was so cold in New York that they canceled the Central Park ice festival" is not just a joke -- it really did happen in February 2016. On February 12, 2016, the Central Park…
“It was so cold in New York that they canceled the ice festival”
"It was so cold in New York that they canceled the ice festival" is not just a joke -- it really did happen in February 2016. On February 12, 2016, the Central Park Conservancy canceled…
“It was so cold in New York that I saw a dog stuck to a fire hydrant”
"It was so cold in New York that I saw a dog stuck to a fire hydrant" is a classic joke about the weather. The joke has been cited in print since at least 1986 and may have been…
“It was so cold in New York that I saw a politician with his hands in his own pockets”
"It's so cold I saw a lawyer/politician with his hands in his own pockets!" is a joke that's frequently credited to comedians Johnny Carson (1925-2005) and Fred Allen…
“It was so cold in New York the Statue of Liberty put the torch under her dress”
"It was so cold in New York City that the Statue of Liberty put the torch inside/under/up her dress" is a jocular line that has been printed on T-shirts. Many late night television…
“It was so cold in New York the Statue of Liberty put the torch under her dress”
"It was so cold in New York City that the Statue of Liberty put the torch inside/under/up her dress" is a jocular line that has been printed on T-shirts. Many late night television…
Arkansas: Wonder State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & CultureState Nicknamesaka: Official State Nickname(...)In the early 1940s, a group of Little Rock (Pulaski County) businessmen…
Arkansas: The Natural State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & CultureState Nicknamesaka: Official State Nickname(...)In the early 1940s, a group of Little Rock (Pulaski County) businessmen…
Arkansas: Land of Opportunity (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Land of opportunityThe land of opportunity is a phrase used to suggest that a place presents many possibilities for people to earn a prosperous living, and…
Kansas: Sunflower State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)Sunflower State n. U.S. a nickname for Kansas.1888 Harper's Mag. June 39/1 Her citizens affectionately speak of Kansas as the ‘Sunflower…
Alaska: The Last Frontier (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)last frontier n. (a) orig. and chiefly U.S. that part of a country, region, etc., which is the last to be settled, explored, or developed; spec.…
Tennessee: Hog and Hominy State (nickname)
"Hog and hominy" s a classic combination of Southern foods. Several states that produced pigs and corn were "hog and hominy states," but the nickname was most frequently applied…
South Dakota: Coyote State (nickname)
Coyotes are so common in South Dakota that the University of South Dakota athletic teams are the "Coyotes." The coyote was made the official state animal in 1949. South Dakota became a…
North Dakota: Flickertail State (nickname)
North Dakota is frequently called the "Flickertail State," after Richardson's ground squirrel (or "flickertail"). There was a formal "Flickertail State"…
Pennsylvania: Keystone State (nickname)
Pennsylvania has been called the "Keystone State" for several reasons. A keystone is a wedge-shaped stone that holds an arch in place. Pennsylvania was located in the center of the 13…
Georgia: Empire State of the South (nickname)
New York has been called the "Empire State" since at least 1830. Georgia has been called the "Empire State of the South" since at least 1840. "If not now, she soon must be…