Nebraska: Antelope State (nickname)
Nebraska had many antelope in its fields in the 19th century. The Nebraska nickname of "Antelope State" has been cited in print since at least 1866. Nebraska has also been called the…
Nebraska: Bug Eater (nickname)
Citizens of Nebraska in the 1800s were called "Bug Eaters" (or "Bugeaters"), and Nebraska was called the "Bug Eater State." The name is from the bug-eating European…
Nebraska: Cornhusker (nickname)
Citizens of Nebraska were called "Bug Eaters" in the 1800s, and Nebraska was called the 'Bug Eater State" and the "Tree Planters State." Charles Sumner…
Nebraska: Tree Planters State (nickname)
Most of the trees in Nebraska were planted by its citizens, and >he first "Arbor Day" was founded in Nebraska in 1872. "Tree Planters State" was suggested as a Nebraska state…
Nevada: Sage Hen (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)sage cock n.1840 A. Wislizenus Ausflug nach Felsen-Gebirgen 1839 ix. 49 Sage cock, cock of the plains.sage hen n. = sage cock n.1843 J. Williams…
New England: Eel (nickname)
Eel fishing was very popular in New England in the 19th century. "The Yankees are called Eels" was cited in an 1834 newspaper. "The Eels of New-England" was cited in a passage…
New Hampshire: “Iowa picks corn, New Hampshire picks presidents”
New Hampshire likes to brag that its primary is more important that the Iowa caucus to the presidential election cycle. In 1988, Vice President George H. W. Bush lost the Iowa caucus to Kansas…
New Hampshire: “Live free or die” (motto)
"Live Free or Die" is the New Hampshire motto, approved in 1945 by its legislature after a suggestion by the Daughters of the American Revolution. New Hampshire's John Stark…
New Hampshire: Granite State (nickname)
New Hampshire was first called the "Granite State" at an honorary dinner for Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) on June 22, 1825. Philip Carrigain (1772-1842), a former secretary of state…
New Jersey: “What did Delaware?”/“Her New Jersey.”
"What did Delaware?" ("What did Della wear?") is an old pun on the state name. "her New Jersey!" is the usual answer. "What did Delaware?" was asked in the…
New Jersey: Armpit of the Nation (nickname)
A city of a state that's not very pleasant might be called the "armpit of the nation" or the "armpit of America." Armpits smell. "The midwest is the armpit of the…
New Jersey: Blue State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: 1st New Jersey RegimentThe 1st New Jersey Regiment was the first organized militia regiment in New Jersey, formed in 1673 in Piscataway "to repel foreign…
New Jersey: Clam-catcher (nickname)
The New Jersey shore is a haven for many clam-catchers, and it became a nickname for people from the state. "Clam-catchers of Cape May" was cited in an 1835 book. "New Jersey,…
New Jersey: Medicine Chest of the World (nickname)
New Jersey has been the location of many pharmaceutical companies. A popular state nickname has been "Nation's/World's Medicine Chest," or "Medicine Chest of the…
New Mexico: Vermin State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 22 March 1866, Louisville (KY) Daily Journal, "Nicknames," pg. 1, col. 4:New Mexico, Vermin State. 7 April 1866, The Daily Cleveland Herald (Cleveland, OH),…
North Carolina: Old North State (nickname)
"Old North State" is one of the oldest nicknames for the state of North Carolina. "The old north State" was cited in print in April 1824 in the Raleigh Register, and…
North Carolina: Rip Van Winkle State (nickname)
Rip Van Winkle is the famous sleeper in a popular story of that name by author Washington Irving (1783-1859) that appeared in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. (1819). In 1833, William…
North Carolina: Turpentine State (nickname)
North Carolina is now known as the "Tar Heel State," but in the early 19th century it was known as the "Tar and Turpentine State" (or just "Turpentine State"). The…
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"…
Ohio: “It’s winter in Ohio…” (funny winter poem)
A funny winter poem has been said about several cold places, such as Wisconsin and Ohio. Authorship is unknown. The Wisconsin version was printed in the Boscobel (WI) Dial on April 11, 1996:…