Post #25 My top 5 official U.S. state nicknames

Welcome back to Elliott's Quarantine Quintet!

This is the first post of week nine of EQQ.

Most states have several unofficial nicknames, so, to keep things consistent, I am only considering official state nicknames.

For the sake of objectivity (in an otherwise completely subjective ranking), I have omitted Texas (the Lone Star State) from this ranking.

    1. The First State-Delaware 

Delaware gets to claim this unique title due to its being the first of the thirteen colonies to ratify the Constitution. That is certainly a fact of which all Delawarians can take great pride.

    2. The Keystone State-Pennsylvania

A keystone is the central piece at the top of an arch which holds the whole thing together. In a more metaphorical sense, a keystone is the most important part of something. Pennsylvania claims this nickname due to its significant role in the independence movement (i.e. home to Independence Hall, Constitution Hall, the Liberty Bell, etc.).

    3. The Centennial State-Colorado

Colorado was admitted to the Union in 1876, the centennial of American independence. That is certainly a cool fact to which Colorado can lay claim.

    4. The Equality State-Wyoming

Wyoming's official state nickname stems from it being the first state to grant women the right to vote (accordingly, it was earlier called the Suffrage State). Wyoming granted women the right to vote in 1869 (though it was not admitted into the Union until 1890).

    5. The Mount Rushmore State-South Dakota

When there is only one thing that anybody knows about your state, you might as well own it. South Dakota has the right to be proud to be the home of Mount Rushmore.


If you liked this post, check out Post #5 My top 5 United States mottos at https://quarantinequintet.blogspot.com/2020/05/post-4-my-top-5-united-states-mottos.html

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post #4 My top 5 United States mottos

Welcome back to Elliott's Quarantine Quintet! Is it true that when you say something in Latin or Greek you automatically sound much cooler?     1. Esse quam videri, to be rather than to seem (North Carolina) This quote, which is attributed to the great Latin orator Cicero is all about keeping things real. I try not to be a poser, and I like when other people don’t try to be posers. Also, Latin mottos remind me of my six years of Latin in middle and high school, good times!     2, Dum spiro, spero, while I breathe, I hope (South Carolina) It is just a coincidence that my top two state mottos happen to come from the Carolinas. Yet I really like the optimism of this Latin motto. Remind yourself of this when you feel like giving up. Also, the alliteration makes it fun to say.     3. Live Free or Die (New Hampshire) Despite the fact that New Hampshire’s state motto has been co-opted by a certain movie franchise, I think it perfectly captures the A...
Read more

Post #7 My top 5 collective nouns for groups of animals

Welcome back to Elliott's Quarantine Quintet! I don’t know who gets to come up with these terms and who gets to decide what they are, but there are some pretty awesome collective nouns for a groups of animals.        1. A murder of crows This group sounds both cool and tough.     2. A conspiracy of lemurs Lemurs always look like they’re up to something.     3. A consortium of crabs I like the idea of crabs sidling along but saying in a snobby, British accent, “We’re a consortium.”     4. A pride of lions It is only fitting that the kings of the jungle get a majestic name.     5. A flamboyance of flamingos They’re pink, have skinny legs and are often preening themselves, so this name seems fitting. I’m looking for suggestions. What should the collective noun be for a group of journalists?
Read more

Post #28 My top 5 portmanteaus

Welcome back to Elliott's Quarantine Quintet! We are beginning Week 10 of EQQ. A portmanteau is "a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others." Such words come in handy when trying to convey an idea that no one word totally captures. 1. Brunch (breakfast and lunch) When you eat a meal at 11 in the morning, it's not really breakfast, and it's not really lunch. That's where this term comes in handy. Brunch is probably the portmanteau that I (and most people) use most often. 2. Spork (spoon and fork) I'm a bit surprised that this utensil - which combines the uses of two utensils into one - is not more widely used. I am ready to join the movement to mainstream the spork.  3. Bionic (biology and electronic) The use of technology to enhance human bodies is an age-old idea, and, with recent technological improvements, as well as those to come in the near future, I think we will soon see a greatly increased use of bionics. 4. Tween (between ...
Read more