# Ariz. is AZ, dammit **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 17, 2013, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168 "2013-06-17T08:27:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/61 "2013-06-20T20:11:50Z")
> [@Death\_of\_Rats](#): > > 6th. Parliment is fourth, I believe. but, only if you include Funkadelic as a suburb. When I saw them in Houston, the Mothership alone was as big as Clear Lake City. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/62 "2013-06-21T22:39:57Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Try living in Washington. Guess which one. I once took a trip to Portland, Ore., and saw a bumper sticker that said: VANCOUVER, NOT BC WASHINGTON, NOT DC ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/63 "2013-06-22T00:25:57Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > No, they just think it’s the same as Iowa. According to the AP, you don’t abbreviate any of these: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. Why Alaska and Hawaii get special treatment for being outside the contiguous 48, I dunno. The others have five or fewer letters. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/64 "2013-06-23T03:43:06Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Australia has postal abbreviations, though a majority are three letters (ACT, NSW, QLD, TAS, VIC). So if you write “WA” in Australia, no one thinks you’re talking about Washington State – you mean Western Australia. Both New Brunswick and Nebraska had an abbreviation of “NB” when 2-letter abbreviations were introduced. The USPS agreed Nebraska’s to “NE” to reduce confusions; both places being on the same continent & all. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/65 "2013-06-23T03:46:50Z")
Arkansas and Arizona often get mixed up mail. AR vs AZ I’ve had to deposit some AZ mail with return to sender on it back in the post office box. A PITA because we have two states that start with “ar”. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/66 "2013-06-23T10:14:31Z")
WHY HASN’T ANYONE MENTIONED THAT HOUSTON IS THE 4TH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY? Why do I always have to be the first one to correct you nitwits! 😉 Also, I take great umbrage with the idea that Arizona is “the most forgotten state.” That honor would go to Delaware, except Delaware itself is famous for being so forgotten. In fact, my home state of Oregon is pretty damn forgotten, and I just met a person two days ago that had no idea where or what Oregon was. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/67 "2013-06-23T23:20:01Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > WHY HASN’T ANYONE MENTIONED THAT HOUSTON IS THE 4TH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY? > > Why do I always have to be the first one to correct you nitwits! 😉 > > Also, I take great umbrage with the idea that Arizona is “the most forgotten state.” That honor would go to Delaware, except Delaware itself is famous for being so forgotten. In fact, my home state of Oregon is pretty damn forgotten, and I just met a person two days ago that had no idea where or what Oregon was. Let me get this straight. You moved from Oregon to Houston??!? :eek:😕 ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/68 "2013-06-23T23:45:46Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Australia has postal abbreviations, though a majority are three letters (ACT, NSW, QLD, TAS, VIC). So if you write “WA” in Australia, no one thinks you’re talking about Washington State – you mean Western Australia. They should replace WA with WOZ. Not only would it then be three letters, but it would be a nice tribute to Steve Wozniak, the best Apple Computer Steve. Not that he has anything to do with Australia that I’m aware of but… HEY that dingo’s stealin a baby, everyone look! _runs out of topic as everyone is distracted_ ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/69 "2013-06-24T01:57:51Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > Tex. Fla. Calif. Others? Too lazy to check… > > Tenn. just came to mind. W. VA. Penn. > > At any rate, the 2 letter designation was for postal codes only, wasn’t it? Isn’t it being kind of, uh, strange, to want to have postal designations subvert traditional references? Esp. now that the PO is going to crap? > > Hey, wait, I know you! You’re the new IG at the PO! You should be ashamed of yourself for trying to drum up business with this stunt! Please, Penna, my birthplace. Penn is the nickname of my alma mater. OP seems awfully cranky. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168/70 "2013-06-24T02:12:30Z")
As a schoolboy, I really did find it difficult to keep straight whether AR was Arkansas or Arizona. Until I realized the latter was the only state with a Z. That helped me to remember Arizona is AZ. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ariz-is-az-dammit/661168.md?page=3)