USA City Nicknames Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Big Apple

Sources agree that the 'Big Apple' name for the city originated in the early 1900s, and was connected to horse racing. John Fitz Gerald, a newsman who covered the racetrack beat, is generally credited with popularizing the term in his columns, after overhearing black stable hands in New Orleans talking about going to 'the Big Apple,' i.e. New York City. The name mostly faded out during the mid-century decades.

Today, the sobriquet is one of the best known and most pervasive of city nicknames. This is due in part to a concerted effort of city officials in the 1970s to use it to revive the city's image, which had been tarnished by high crime rates, financial crises, and a major power blackout in 1977. The campaign included magazine advertisements, billboards, and even kitschy apple lapel pins, and it worked. Locals fond of considering themselves the center of the universe embraced the idea as a badge of honor, and tourists snapped up the free souvenirs by the thousands. By the late 1970s, the name was indelibly established. That ultimate cultural arbiter, Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones, used it in a song about their New York experience. "Go ahead, bite the Big Apple...don't mind the maggots." (from 'Shattered' -1978)

Answer: The City of Brotherly Love

In 1692, Philadelphia was formed as the capital of Pennsylvania. It took on a prominent role as a cultural and commercial hub, and as the political center of the newly forming nation as it asserted its independence from England. William Penn, the founder of the new colony, determined that his signature city would avoid the squalor and overcrowding of urban centers in Europe, such as London.

He deliberately chose the name 'Philadelphia,' which derives from the Greek (philos- love, friendship; delphos- brother) to support his vision.

He also carefully selected the city site to be at the confluence of two rivers, the Schuylkill and the Delaware, to provide a port and access to the interior of the new land. In the early years of the fledgling nation, Philadelphia was known as a place of religious tolerance, a hallmark of the Quakers who first settled there. Today, Philadelphia has something of a reputation for gritty, working class neighborhoods and unruly behavior of its sports fans.

This has led some wags to refer to Philly as "The City of Brotherly Shove."

Answer: The Windy City

Chicago, Illinois, has several nicknames, but 'The Windy City' is number one. Having visited the city in winter time, I can affirm that the gusts blowing off of Lake Michigan add bite to this particular moniker. The strong air currents at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs' iconic baseball stadium, are also frequently mentioned, giving further weather-related credence to the name of 'Windy City.' Whether the wind is blowing in or out often changes the entire game, favoring the pitchers on some days and the hitters on others.

The historical derivation of the name is less clear, but it goes back into the 19th century. A 1885 news item from the Cleveland Plain Dealer about a judge's civil rights decision is headlined "From the Windy City." In 1892, New York City was competing with Chicago for the 1893 World's Fair: Colombian Exposition. Charles Dana, editor of 'The Sun,' derisively referred to the publicity blitz put on by Chicago as "coming from that windy city," presumably taking a shot at the hot air of Chicago's political leaders. After this occurrence, the name seems to have stuck. As the nation's second largest city throughout most of the twentieth century, Chicago has reveled in its status as hub of the Midwest, and celebrated its advantages over the Big Apple. In 1984, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that Los Angeles had surpassed Chicago as the nation's second most populous city.

Answer: The City by the Bay

California's most cosmopolitan and progressive city is a smorgasbord of culture, with great restaurants, interesting architecture, and famously hilly neighborhoods. Its defining geographical feature is the magnificent San Francisco Bay, which is connected to the Pacific Ocean by a mile wide, three mile long channel.

This channel is traversed by the equally famous Golden Gate Bridge, one of the modern engineering miracles of the 20th century. Completed in 1937, the 1,300 meter long span was for many decades the longest suspension bridge in the world, and probably the most photographed.

The bay itself is a sprawling, shallow estuary of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. It drains about 40% of California's water, including most of the runoff from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, into the Pacific.

By the way, if you visit San Francisco, don't call it 'Frisco.' The natives hate it, and it immediately labels you as a clueless tourist.

Answer: The Big Easy

Louisiana's 'Big Easy' is another aptly nicknamed city. Can't you just feel the languorous jazz notes floating down the bayou? Or, picture some folks on a lazy summer day, strolling through the French Quarter, twirling sun parasols, and in no particular hurry to get anywhere. Even the mighty Mississippi River has slowed to a crawl as it spreads out into a massive and ever changing delta adjoining the Gulf of Mexico.

Of course, the city took a devastating hit from Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but somehow, despite woefully inadequate federal support, the natives managed to survive and gradually the city came back. Businesses, restaurants, and schools were rebuilt, transportation and city services returned to somewhere near normal, and the population drain stabilized. The multi-cultural flavor and relaxed way of life so treasured by long time inhabitants has proven remarkably resilient. New Orleans is still the one and only 'Big Easy.'

Answer: The Emerald City

The short explanation for Seattle claiming the title of 'Emerald City' is greenery. Lots of trees, especially evergreens, dot the landscape and are grouped in forests in and around the city. Driving into Seattle from either the north or the south, one encounters mile after mile of pine, fir, spruce and cedar trees lining the interstate. In fact the whole state of Washington carries the name 'Evergreen State.'

Seattle came by its official nickname fairly recently, in 1982. The Convention and Visitors Bureau found the previous nickname, 'Gateway to Alaska,' unwieldy and not adequately enticing for tourists to stay in Washington. So, they ran a contest open to the public, weighed the suggestions, and decided on 'Emerald City.' Seattle is known as the birthplace of the Starbucks Coffee franchise, for many tech companies, and for its outstanding recreational options. The city is built on land surrounding the Puget Sound, a massive body of water connected to the Pacific Ocean. Throughout the sound are many interesting islands, some with significant local populations, which can be accessed by an extensive state-run ferry system.

Answer: Sin City

This a nickname with an obvious derivation. To mitigate the devastation of the Depression, the state of Nevada legalized gambling on March 19, 1931. Organized crime and unorganized sin weren't far behind. For many years, until 1980, Las Vegas and a few other Nevada towns were the only places in America where people could lawfully gamble. Today it's legal almost everywhere, and the social and moral costs are still hotly debated. No doubt gambling is a huge tourist draw and potential money maker for communities via taxes. Unfortunately, experience has shown that casino operators are amazingly shrewd and inventive in making sure the lion's share of the profits stay in their own pockets, and promised civic benefits often fail to materialize.

Eventually, Las Vegas addressed its checkered, corruption riddled history and was able, with savvy marketing, to reinvent itself as a "family destination," not just a place for degenerate gamblers. With all its amazing architectural re-creations, it actually is a fun place to visit for a few days, even if you don't bet. You can see the Eiffel Tower, a phenomenal Italian mansion, Caesar's Palace, dancing waters, and every type of entertainment under the sun. Is gambling a sin? We'll leave that to the sociologists to decide. Suffice it to say that the 'Sin City' nickname shows no sign of disappearing, and the city seems very willing to embrace the phrase "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" as its unofficial motto.

Answer: The Motor City

In Detroit, we have a city with an easy to remember nickname which makes perfect sense. Of all American cities, the Motor City is the one most closely aligned with a specific sector of the manufacturing base, namely the automotive industry. Think of Detroit and you think of Fords and Chevys, cars and trucks. Detroit lies at the eastern edge of Michigan, in that part of The States known as 'The Midwest.' The east side of the city is bordered by the Detroit River, which connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie, giving the city a major port and access to the whole Great Lakes shipping network and the St. Lawrence Seaway. In 2015, 4.5 million people, roughly half of Michigan's population, lived in or near the Detroit Metro area.

Henry Ford founded the Ford Motor Company in 1903 and pioneered the assembly line model, enabling mass production of cars and jump starting America's rapid growth as the land of the automobile. Despite the decline of the auto industry in the latter part of the century, loss of many jobs, and a litany of urban problems, Detroit is now attempting revitalization as a cultural and economic center, while still hanging on to its 'Motor City' moniker.

Answer: The Mile High City

Denver, Colorado is the state capital, the largest city in the state, and with an official elevation of exactly 5,280 feet, an inevitable and straight forward nickname as 'The Mile High City.' Because of the thinner air, golf balls and baseballs travel up to 10% farther than normal, making everyone a heavy hitter! Alcohol is also absorbed into the bloodstream faster at elevation, making it easier to get drunk. Possibly related to this is the fact that Denver brews more beer than any other US city, and has at least 250 micro-breweries. Denver's population increased by 2.5% in 2015, making it the fastest growing major city in the US, with good reason.

It's hard to match the beautiful natural vistas of the majestic Rocky Mountains rising just to the west of the metropolis, and the city has a vibrant, moving feel to it.

Answer: Beantown

Old, Puritan, historical, New England Boston has terrible drivers, arrogant sports fans, and venerable institutions galore. Natives love it, outsiders smirk at their funny accents. Harvard University, the oldest and most prestigious college in the country, the Charles River, lobster, chowder and Paul Revere- all these and many more cultural icons define Boston and give it its unique flavor.

One of the most enduring is the bean pot, with its savory contents of beans baked in molasses and flavored with salt pork. Evidence from early Pilgrim settlers indicates that they observed Native Americans baking beans with maple syrup in pots over fire and adopted the process for themselves, substituting molasses, which was a byproduct of making rum, for maple syrup. As with the Big Apple, the national recognition of the name 'Beantown' came as the result of a publicity stunt. To drum up interest in 'Old Home Week,' a 1907 city wide event, officials distributed one million stickers showing hands of friendship clasped over a bean pot with the message "Come Back to Boston." Being a new invention, the stickers were an intriguing curiosity, and the event was a big success. Welcome to Beantown.