Endicott: Magic City (nickname)
Endicott, a village in Broome County, New York, grew quickly in the early 1900s around its central business -- the Endicott Johnson show manufacturing company. Many cities in the United States took…
Erb City (New Orleans nickname)
The Angolite is an inmate-edited publication of the Louisiana State Penitentiary (Angola, LA). From 1954 until 1961, the publication called New Orleans "Erb City" and a New Orleans…
Etouffee (Crawfish Étouffée)
"Étouffée" is French for "smothered." "Crawfish Étouffée" (smothered crawfish) is a popular dish in Louisiana, especially in Breaux Bridge, the "Crawfish…
First City of the West (Minneapolis); Last City of the East (St. Paul)
The city of Minneapolis (MN) is on the west side of the Mississippi River, and St. Paul (MN) is on the east side. It's often said of these Twin Cities that Minneapolis is the "First City…
Gapers’ Block
Patrolman Irving Francis ("Irv") Hayden provided rush hour traffic reports on Chicago's WGN radio in the 1960s. He coined the term "gapers' block" (cited in print…
Garden City (Chicago nickname)
Chicago, Illinois has used the Latin motto "Urbs in Horto" (city in a garden) since 1837. There weren't many gardens and there wasn't much city, but Chicago had aspirations.…
Garden State (New Jersey nickname)
"Garden State" is the nickname of New Jersey. Chicago was called "City in a Garden" or "Garden City" from the 1840s, and Illinois became known as the "Garden…
Gateway of the Mississippi Valley (New Orleans nickname)
New Orleans has been called the "Gateway of the Mississippi Valley." "New Orleans, the gateway of the Mississippi Valley" was printed in The Daily Picayune (New Orleans, LA) on…
Gay Paree
Paris is often called "Gay Paree," with "gay" meaning happy, joyful and lively. The musical Can-Can (1953), with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, included the song "Who…
Goshen: Slow-Motion Goshen (nickname)
Goshen is a village with the town of Goshen; it is the country seat of Orange County, New York. Some have called the town "quiet" or "sleepy" and have nicknamed it…
Granville: Colored Slate Capital of the World (nickname)
Granville, New York, has many slate quarries, and the area has been called "Slate Valley." Granville has been nicknamed the "Colored Slate Capital of the World" and the…
Great State of Chicago (Chicago nickname)
Chicago is the most populous city in the state of Illinois. "The great State of 'Chicago'" was cited in 1877, "the great State of Chicago" was cited in 1884 and…
Greatest Free Show on Earth (Mardi Gras in New Orleans)
The annual Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana, has been called the "greatest free show on earth." "Biggest free show on earth" has been cited in print since at least 1937, and…
Greektown (Chicago neighborhood)
"Greektown" or "Greek Town" is a term meaning a city (not in Greece) that has many people of Greek ancestry. The Greektown in Chicago, Illinois, is well known, but there are…
Grillades
Grillades and grits is a popular breakfast combination in New Orleans. Grillades has been described as fried meat, and it's often served with gravy. A recipe for "Grillades a la…
Gumbo City (New Orleans nickname)
Gumbo was designated in 2004 as the official state cuisine of Louisiana. The city of New Orleans has sometimes been called the "Gumbo City," often used as a metaphor similar to…
Halfmoon: Solar Town, USA (nickname)
Halfmoon, New York, converted its town hall to solar energy in 1976 (during the energy crisis), and it made national news when Harry Reasoner reported on it for CBS's 60 Minutes. "Solar…
Harm City
"Harm City" is the perhaps inevitable variant of Baltimore's nickname, "Charm City." It implies a charmless Baltimore that's full of crime. 22 February 1992, Baltimore…
Hogtown (Toronto, Canada nickname)
Toronto, Ontario, has been called "Hogtown" (or "Hog town") since the 1890s. The nickname is probably from the William Davies Company, a pork processing and packing company that…
Hollywood North (Toronto, Canada nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Other Toronto nicknames include "Big Smoke," "Broadway North," "Centre of the Universe," "Hogtown," "Little Apple."…