Schoolmasters are all dead.

[ole]

Thanks, Zou:
I was wondering what some of the other state "handles" were -- or even if there were any.

It's easy to conjure up how Ohio became Buckeyes, or Michigan became Wolverines; but, Pukes? Suckers?

Any one have a hint?
Ole

[Wild_Rose]

Originally Posted by ole

Zou;
For those who found enlightenment in the derivation of "sucker," I will risk offense by offering that Missourians were known as "pukes."
Ole

Pukes? That's a strange handle. I've always heard Missourians referred to as "fence riders".

Rose

[Fifth Iowa]

Living less than an hour from Saint Louis, I've finally gotten accustomed to hearing natives of that state pronouncing it "Missourah." However, I really cringe (and usually correct) the people here (out of state military folks, I hate to confess) who pronounce this state as "Illinoise." And, as a Washingtonian, I also hate it when people mispronounce the name of my neighboring state as "Oregone," rather than "Oregun" as the natives do. Reminds me of when we moved to the capital of Idaho when I was a child. People could immediately tell we were "immigrants" because we pronounced it "Boize" while the natives pronounce it "Boice." (It's spelled with an "s," of course.) Well enough about pronunciations. My personal feeling is that we should defer to the locals in the pronunciation of their own homes' names, unless it's an absolute phonetic abomination.

[samgrant]

Originally Posted by gary

From the dustbin of hystery, I offer this tidbit written by a sucker:

"Lieut. Borland sent home to the True Democrat an interesting relic from Fort Henry. It was an 'Arkansas tooth-pick,' being a knife about one foot long, made from an old rasp, and enclosed in a leather sheath, on which was rudely printed the words - 'deth to all ablishners.' I judge from the spelling that the schoolmasters had already been killed off in Arkansas."

The "Boise" thing and a nice pursuit of nicknames not withstanding, I was wondering about this 'toothpick' vs. a 'Bowie Knife' and I found this:

http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/bowie.html

regards, Sam

[hoosier]

Fifth Iowa, when I was in school, I once had an English teacher of French descent who insisted that the proper pronunciation of the name of the capital of Idaho was "Bwah-Zay."

Wonder what the natives would have thought of him if he'd ever come to town?

[Fifth Iowa]

Originally Posted by hoosier

Wonder what the natives would have thought of him if he'd ever come to town?

I suspect he would have found the natives a bit perturbed by his sophisticated enunciation... :)

[blue_zouave]

When I lived in that particular town, it was still one step up from a cow town. Now it's very very full of itself... wouldn't be surprised if they are ALL calling it Bwa-zay now!!

Zou

[gary]

Medina, Ohio. I pronounce with the Italian style as in May-deen-na. The locals pronounce it Ma-Dine-Na.

I think the Illinois folks are called suckers because of a fish that is popular there. Back then, "sucker" did not have a negative connotation attached to it.

[olerebel]

In browsing census records, I have noticed that in 1850 and 1860 most people in a household could read and write. In the 1870 census no one in the family could read or write. I guess the war caused memory lapse. G-G-G'pa's Bible, has births entered until 1863 in a very fine handwriting, with a quill pen and ink (probably made from pokeberries), but the entries made after 1865 were made in pencil, with the writing skill of a first grader.

[blue_zouave]

Originally Posted by gary

I think the Illinois folks are called suckers because of a fish that is popular there. Back then, "sucker" did not have a negative connotation attached to it.

We have sucker fish here too. They're considered trash fish, although in a pinch, with lots of tomato and garlic, you can eat them.

The Hutchinson Family sang the song "Lincoln and Liberty" wherein Abe was referred to as "The pride of the suckers so lucky!"

Zou