This is a list of disparaging nicknames for settlements in the United States, including states, cities, towns, universities and schools. These
pejorative nicknames may be coined for a variety of reasons. Some may be a straightforward desire to
slander or disparage the city, while others may be examples of
self-deprecating humor. While residents of the cities may see such nicknames as offensive, they may also be
reclaimed as positive, even affectionate terms. Still other nicknames may simultaneously serve to attack the city from the outside and as a point of pride for its residents, especially those criticizing local politics.[a]
Etymology of these terms varies. Some are simple
portmanteaus of the city name and
profanity; others may reference a specific aspect of the city, such as an unfortunate incident in its past.
^A play on Birmingham's more positive nickname, "The Magic City"
^"San Fran," referring to the city + "psycho," referring to its love of dextromethamphetamine, the city's various other mental conditions and clinically insane behaviors. By covert prestige, this can be seen as praising the city.
^Fitch, Mike.
"Growing Pains: Thirty Years in the History of Davis"Archived 2012-07-22 at the
Wayback Machine Chapter Ten: The Political Culture of Davis,
Davis, California. "Another of the city's critics was a railroad executive who couldn't hide his annoyance when officials asked his company in the early 1990s to contribute up to $1,000 for a planning project the city was undertaking next to the railroad tracks. "This letter is tantamount to railroad robbery. However, since we are forced to live with the People's Republic of Davis, we will accede to your demands in the interest of the commune welfare," the executive wrote in response, enclosing a check for $500."
^Judge weighs lawyer's lawsuit: Plan to redevelop downtown challenged, by Will Oremus, Redwood City Daily News. Quote page 7, paragraph #3, '... for a city that has been saddled with the moniker "Deadwood City" in the past.'
^Jorgensen, Eddie (9 June 2005).
"No more Suckramento". Sacramento News & Review. Retrieved 3 January 2015. There was a short period during the 1990s when our great city deserved the moniker "Suckramento"—the only town where White Zombie could fill Arco Arena, and you could still find tickets available to Paul McCartney on the day of the show.
^"Annual ArtsCAP Event Features Author Hisani Dubose". Atlantic Highlands Herald. 16 June 2010. Archived from
the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2015. ...Celebrate ArtsCAP's accomplishments in promoting the arts in Asbury Park and ... help plan further blossoming of art and culture in Dark City.
^15 July 1928, New York Times, pg. RE1:Urging Staten Island operators to be cautious about pricing their realty, W. Burke Harmon, President of the Harmon National Real Estate Corporation, yesterday declared that sudden price increases on properties at this time might well result in halting the normal development of what he calls "this forgotten borough that has suddenly stepped into the limelight."
^Breen, Mike (9 October 2013).
"Hate, with a Passion". Cincinnati CityBeat. Retrieved 3 January 2014. But what followed was a sickeningly hypnotic barrage of pure Twitter hatred, born from passion but spiraling out of control. There were the heated defensive posts that painted Pittsburgh — sorry, "Shittsburgh," as it was christened by many Reds fans that night — as a hellhole full of inbred brutes
This is a list of disparaging nicknames for settlements in the United States, including states, cities, towns, universities and schools. These
pejorative nicknames may be coined for a variety of reasons. Some may be a straightforward desire to
slander or disparage the city, while others may be examples of
self-deprecating humor. While residents of the cities may see such nicknames as offensive, they may also be
reclaimed as positive, even affectionate terms. Still other nicknames may simultaneously serve to attack the city from the outside and as a point of pride for its residents, especially those criticizing local politics.[a]
Etymology of these terms varies. Some are simple
portmanteaus of the city name and
profanity; others may reference a specific aspect of the city, such as an unfortunate incident in its past.
^A play on Birmingham's more positive nickname, "The Magic City"
^"San Fran," referring to the city + "psycho," referring to its love of dextromethamphetamine, the city's various other mental conditions and clinically insane behaviors. By covert prestige, this can be seen as praising the city.
^Fitch, Mike.
"Growing Pains: Thirty Years in the History of Davis"Archived 2012-07-22 at the
Wayback Machine Chapter Ten: The Political Culture of Davis,
Davis, California. "Another of the city's critics was a railroad executive who couldn't hide his annoyance when officials asked his company in the early 1990s to contribute up to $1,000 for a planning project the city was undertaking next to the railroad tracks. "This letter is tantamount to railroad robbery. However, since we are forced to live with the People's Republic of Davis, we will accede to your demands in the interest of the commune welfare," the executive wrote in response, enclosing a check for $500."
^Judge weighs lawyer's lawsuit: Plan to redevelop downtown challenged, by Will Oremus, Redwood City Daily News. Quote page 7, paragraph #3, '... for a city that has been saddled with the moniker "Deadwood City" in the past.'
^Jorgensen, Eddie (9 June 2005).
"No more Suckramento". Sacramento News & Review. Retrieved 3 January 2015. There was a short period during the 1990s when our great city deserved the moniker "Suckramento"—the only town where White Zombie could fill Arco Arena, and you could still find tickets available to Paul McCartney on the day of the show.
^"Annual ArtsCAP Event Features Author Hisani Dubose". Atlantic Highlands Herald. 16 June 2010. Archived from
the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2015. ...Celebrate ArtsCAP's accomplishments in promoting the arts in Asbury Park and ... help plan further blossoming of art and culture in Dark City.
^15 July 1928, New York Times, pg. RE1:Urging Staten Island operators to be cautious about pricing their realty, W. Burke Harmon, President of the Harmon National Real Estate Corporation, yesterday declared that sudden price increases on properties at this time might well result in halting the normal development of what he calls "this forgotten borough that has suddenly stepped into the limelight."
^Breen, Mike (9 October 2013).
"Hate, with a Passion". Cincinnati CityBeat. Retrieved 3 January 2014. But what followed was a sickeningly hypnotic barrage of pure Twitter hatred, born from passion but spiraling out of control. There were the heated defensive posts that painted Pittsburgh — sorry, "Shittsburgh," as it was christened by many Reds fans that night — as a hellhole full of inbred brutes