Adam's Apple
Senior Member
- Apr 25, 2004
- 4,092
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State nicknames range from dignified to amusing to downright mysterious. Together they pay proper tribute to the vivid patchwork of geography and culture that makes the United States so fascinating. How well do you know state nicknames?
1. Indiana's nickname, the Hoosier State, is among the most widely known state nicknames. But what exactly is a Hoosier?
a) A follower of religious reformer Jan Hus.
b) A slang term for a cornhusker.
c) An alternate term for "hoopster," or basketball player.
d) Nobody knows for sure.
2. You probably know where the Empire State Building is, but do you know which state is known as the Empire State?
a) New York
b) New Jersey
c) Hawaii
d) Maine
3. What does Kentucky's nickname, the Bluegrass State, refer to?
a) Legendary singer and mandolin player Fritz Blaugras, considered the father of bluegrass music.
b) A regional variety of grass that grows buds with a purplish-blue hue.
c) A bluish species of wheat originally cultivated by the early Mississippian culture.
d) Nobody knows for sure.
4. Which state is officially nicknamed the First State, but is also known as the Diamond State and, more recently, Small Wonder?
a) Delaware
b) District of Columbia
c) Rhode Island
d) Virginia
5. The Grand Canyon was carved by the Colorado River, which passes through five states. Which state is known as the Grand Canyon State?
a) Colorado
b) New Mexico
c) Arizona
d) Nevada
6. Oklahoma is known as the Sooner State, but what does the word Sooner refer to?
a) A corruption of the word schooner, referring to the twin-masted ships that brought the first European settlers to Oklahoma's rocky shores.
b) An anglicized pronunciation of the Plains peoples' name for the region.
c) Early settlers who jumped the starting gun to claim land sooner than they were legally entitled to do so.
d) Nobody knows for sure.
7. Which state is nicknamed the Mount Rushmore State?
a) Montana
b) Wisconsin
c) North Dakota
d) South Dakota
8. Which state, now nicknamed the Volunteer State, was once called the Hog and Hominy State?
a) Arkansas
b) Louisiana
c) Mississippi
d) Tennessee
9. Which state is nicknamed the Beehive State?
a) New Hampshire
b) Utah
c) Idaho
d) Florida
10. Which state, officially nicknamed the Constitution State, has also been known as the Nutmeg State, the Arsenal of the Nation, and the Land of Steady Habits?
a) Connecticut
b) Nevada
c) Kansas
d) Minnesota
11. To whom does Iowa's nickname, the Hawkeye State, pay tribute?
a) Legendary field surgeon Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce.
b) Chief Black Hawk, a leader of the Sac people.
c) Early agricultural settlers who used trained hawks to rid the land of vermin.
d) French-Canadian settlers whose skill with the "hache" (axe) helped clear Iowa's prairies.
12. The Equality State gained its nickname as the first state to specifically give women the right to vote. Which state is it?
a) Vermont
b) North Carolina
c) Oregon
d) Wyoming
13. Ohio is known as the Buckeye State. What is a buckeye?
a) The common name for several shrubs or trees of the horse chestnut family.
b) A regional species of hegehog noted for its protruding eyeballs.
c) An individual molecule of Buckminsterfullerene, which is a form of carbon.
d) Nobody knows for sure.
14. Which state is nicknamed the Show Me State?
a) Nevada
b) Georgia
c) Missouri
d) Washington
ANSWERS: D, A, B, A, C, C, D, D, B A, B, D, A, C
1. Indiana's nickname, the Hoosier State, is among the most widely known state nicknames. But what exactly is a Hoosier?
a) A follower of religious reformer Jan Hus.
b) A slang term for a cornhusker.
c) An alternate term for "hoopster," or basketball player.
d) Nobody knows for sure.
2. You probably know where the Empire State Building is, but do you know which state is known as the Empire State?
a) New York
b) New Jersey
c) Hawaii
d) Maine
3. What does Kentucky's nickname, the Bluegrass State, refer to?
a) Legendary singer and mandolin player Fritz Blaugras, considered the father of bluegrass music.
b) A regional variety of grass that grows buds with a purplish-blue hue.
c) A bluish species of wheat originally cultivated by the early Mississippian culture.
d) Nobody knows for sure.
4. Which state is officially nicknamed the First State, but is also known as the Diamond State and, more recently, Small Wonder?
a) Delaware
b) District of Columbia
c) Rhode Island
d) Virginia
5. The Grand Canyon was carved by the Colorado River, which passes through five states. Which state is known as the Grand Canyon State?
a) Colorado
b) New Mexico
c) Arizona
d) Nevada
6. Oklahoma is known as the Sooner State, but what does the word Sooner refer to?
a) A corruption of the word schooner, referring to the twin-masted ships that brought the first European settlers to Oklahoma's rocky shores.
b) An anglicized pronunciation of the Plains peoples' name for the region.
c) Early settlers who jumped the starting gun to claim land sooner than they were legally entitled to do so.
d) Nobody knows for sure.
7. Which state is nicknamed the Mount Rushmore State?
a) Montana
b) Wisconsin
c) North Dakota
d) South Dakota
8. Which state, now nicknamed the Volunteer State, was once called the Hog and Hominy State?
a) Arkansas
b) Louisiana
c) Mississippi
d) Tennessee
9. Which state is nicknamed the Beehive State?
a) New Hampshire
b) Utah
c) Idaho
d) Florida
10. Which state, officially nicknamed the Constitution State, has also been known as the Nutmeg State, the Arsenal of the Nation, and the Land of Steady Habits?
a) Connecticut
b) Nevada
c) Kansas
d) Minnesota
11. To whom does Iowa's nickname, the Hawkeye State, pay tribute?
a) Legendary field surgeon Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce.
b) Chief Black Hawk, a leader of the Sac people.
c) Early agricultural settlers who used trained hawks to rid the land of vermin.
d) French-Canadian settlers whose skill with the "hache" (axe) helped clear Iowa's prairies.
12. The Equality State gained its nickname as the first state to specifically give women the right to vote. Which state is it?
a) Vermont
b) North Carolina
c) Oregon
d) Wyoming
13. Ohio is known as the Buckeye State. What is a buckeye?
a) The common name for several shrubs or trees of the horse chestnut family.
b) A regional species of hegehog noted for its protruding eyeballs.
c) An individual molecule of Buckminsterfullerene, which is a form of carbon.
d) Nobody knows for sure.
14. Which state is nicknamed the Show Me State?
a) Nevada
b) Georgia
c) Missouri
d) Washington
ANSWERS: D, A, B, A, C, C, D, D, B A, B, D, A, C
