Where does your state get its nickname(s) from?

[MobBoss]

Washington State: The Evergreen State. Why? Because, ah, we have a lot of evergreen trees here, and also because it rains so dang much green stuff is here pretty much year round.

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

Badger State.
“Badger State” Although the badger has been closely associated with Wisconsin since territorial days, it was not declared the official state animal until 1957. Over the years its likeness had been incorporated in the state coat of arms, the seal, the flag and even State Capitol architecture, as well as being immortalized in the song "On, Wisconsin!" ("Grand old bager state!")

Check this site:
http://www.50states.com/bio/nickname1.htm

 

[Tank_Guy#3]

Washington State: The Evergreen State. Why? Because, ah, we have a lot of evergreen trees here, and also because it rains so dang much green stuff is here pretty much year round.

We need some of that rain in our area, the lake levels are drastically down, the crops have damn near failed, and fire were popping up pretty frequently. At least last summer, but things appear to be the same judging by the level of snow we currently have.

 

[Veritass]

Badger State.

I thought it came from the movie: "Badgers!? We don't need no stinking badgers!"

 

[IglooDame]

Washington State: The Evergreen State. Why? Because, ah, we have a lot of evergreen trees here, and also because it rains so dang much green stuff is here pretty much year round.

That probably explains some of the Green Party popularity in that state - some folks probably think it's some secessionist movement or something.

 

[REDY]

My state´s nicname is "Kocourkov" or "Absurdistán". Its because show of ability of our bueraucracy and government.

 

[ArneHD]

Rogaland is named the Oil state, because all the major norwegian oil companies have their headquaters in this area.

 

[puglover]

We have Sunflowers.

...

Yes, we're uncreative, now shut up. At least we're not the Dairy State.

I thought it came from the movie: "Badgers!? We don't need no stinking badgers!"

UHF!

 

[dgfred]

The 'Tar Heel' State:


Story was that during the Civil War (War Between the States) a column supporting North Carolina troops was driven from the field. After the battle,
in which the North Carolinians fought successfully alone, the men were asked
if there was any more tar down in the Old North State.

"Nope, old Jeff's bought it all up."
"Is that so, what is he going to do with it?"

"He's going to put on you-un's heels to make you stick better in the next
fight."

Upon hearing this General Lee stated "God Bless the 'Tar Heel' boys" and from
that the State got the name.

 

[De Lorimier]

La belle province-- it's beautiful, it's French, and it's a province.

And here I was thinking it was about the hot-dogs!


@Igloo: Great story!

 

[Rossiya]

Kent is known as the Garden of England, for some reason.

 

[cthom]

Clackmannanshire= The 'Wee County'. smallest county in the uk and it has the longest name. i'm originally from Fife: the Kingdom of Fife, because the capital of Scotland used to be Dunfermline. i still cringe when i see 'Fifeshire' used.

 

[Swedishguy]

Södermanland - "The land south of Mälaren"

It's quite obvious how it got it's nickname.

 

[Mirc]

I don't think there's any nickname associated with my country.

Edit: My city used to be called the Little Paris or Paris of the East in the 1900s. This is because on that time all the buildings were made French-style, almost all the architects being French or half-French, french poets and clothes were very fashionable, and everyone spoke French (it was the most francophone country in the world, except those which had French as an official language).

 

[Gilder]

Anywhere in my state you're, at most, thirty miles to the ocean.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

Florida is the Sunshine State.


Ironically, we have the most rain and lighting strikes of any state in the union.

 

[Tomoyo]

New York is the Empire State because New York City was such an awesomely powerful city (and still is).

 

[Irish Caesar]

New York is the Empire State because New York City was such an awesomely powerful city (and still is).

Fascinatingly enough, it's the only empire in the history of the world to be more evil than the Soviet Union.

 

[mitsho]

Well if I go with the city, we would be called "Bebbis" which I think I remember is a diminuative local form of the name of John which was quite common once around here. But this refers to the people, not the region.
If I go with Switzerland you certainly can all sum up the hundreds of (negative) stereotypes which origins are quite obvious.

mitsho

EDIT: Oh, I found something else. "The Basler are the only Romands (Swiss French) that speak German." It's origins lie in the last century when over quite a time Basel voted always the same as the Romandie, but different than the rest of the Swiss Germans.

EDIT: One last edit: I just wanted to state that Switzerland itself has been used way too many times as a nickname. There is Saxon Switzerland, Lebanon "was" called Switzerland of the Near East, I am sure there are 20+ more examples all over the world. Why didn't our grandfathers copyright the name? *sigh*

 

[Rossiya]

Washington State: The Evergreen State. Why? Because, ah, we have a lot of evergreen trees here, and also because it rains so dang much green stuff is here pretty much year round.

The rain there is green?