“Mississippi: “What has four eyes and cannot see?”/“Mississippi.”
"Mississippi" (state and river) has four "I's" (eyes). "Four eyes" is also a term for someone who wears glasses. "An infant says the Mississippi is always…
Alabama: Lizard (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Google BooksApril 1845, Cincinnati Miscellany (Cincinnati, OH), pg. 240, col. 1:Alabama, Lizards. Chronicling America23 August 1845, Ripley (MS) Advertiser, pg. 1, cols.…
Alabama: Yellowhammer State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. OCLC WorldCat recordAlabama : the yellowhammer stateAuthor: Marathon Oil Company.; Rand McNally and Company.; Rand McNally Collection (Newberry Library)Publisher:…
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.…
Arizona: “In Arizona we salt margaritas, not sidewalks”
A margarita cocktail is often served in a glass with a salted rim. A cold climate area might use salt on sidewalks and roads to prevent icing. "We salt margaritas, not sidewalks" (or…
Arizona: Valentine State (nickname)
Arizona is called the "Valentine State" because it was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1912 -- Valentine's Day. U.S. President William Howard Taft purposely chose the special…
Arkansas: “Arkansas is just Kansas for pirates”
The name of the state of "Arkansas" also contains the name of the state of "Kansas." There is "Ar" that is added, and this is something that a pirate might say.…
Arkansas: “Arkansas is the only state mentioned in the Bible” (joke)
It is sometimes claimed that Arkansas is the only state mentioned in the Bible because Noah looked out of the "Ark and saw." "When was Noah in America? When he was on the…
Arkansas: Bear State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. (Oxford English Dictionary)Bear State n. U.S. the state of Arkansas (occas. also California).1848 J. R. Bartlett Dict. Americanisms App. s.v., I once asked a Western man…
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…
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: Toothpick or Toothpicker (nickname)
An "Arkansas toothpick" is a jocular name for a dagger-like blade, similar to a Bowie knife. It was famous for ending fights, not picking teeth. "Arkansas tooth pick" was cited…
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…
California: Commiefornia (nickname)
"Coomiefornia" or "Commie-fornia" (communist + California) is a term that has been used by those who believe that the state of California is a socialist paradise (for better or…
Colorado: “I wonder if colorblind people read Colorado as just ‘ado’”
"Do colorblind ppl see Colorado as just Ado, cause they can’t see Color??" =is a jocular one-liner that was posted on Twitter by 👁Jonny Boy 👁 on April 17, 2019. "normal ppl:…
Colorado: “Where do crayons go on vacation?”/“Colorado.”
Does Colorado have lots of color? A riddle is: Q: Where do crayons go for vacation?A: Colorado. The crayon joke has been cited in print since at least 2006. Wikipedia: ColoradoColorado…
Colorado: Rover (nickname)
A resident of Colorado has been called a "Rover" since at least 1864, when this was included in a list of state nicknames. Gold was discovered at Pike's Peak in 1858, and an 1887…
Connecticut: Freestone State (nickname)
Connecticut was known as the "Freestone State" in the 19th century. There were many freestone quarries throughout the state. "Freestone State" has been cited in print since at…
Connecticut: Land of Steady Habits (nickname)
Connecticut is known as the "Land of Steady Habits." "They have steady habits" was cited in a 1794 Connecticut newspaper and "the steady habits of Connecticut" was…
Connecticut: Nutmeg State (nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Connecticut State LibraryThe “Nutmeg State”According to the book State Names, Flags, Seals, Songs, Birds, Flowers, and Other Symbols by George Earlie Shankle (New…