# City nicknames that city residents actually use **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 29, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377 "2012-02-29T19:04:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/1 "2012-02-29T19:04:04Z")
The people of San Francisco never refer to their city as “San Fran” or “Frisco” and, from what I understand, really don’t like it when other people do. No one from Philadelphia uses the nickname “The City of Brotherly Love”, at least if it’s not dripping with sarcasm. On the other hand, they frequently refer to Philly. What are some other nicknames that people actually use for their own cities? (Please note that LOTS of places use “the City” - I’m thinking here of unique nicknames, not just descriptions.) ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/2 "2012-02-29T19:06:32Z")
Los Angeles is called LA far more than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/3 "2012-02-29T19:11:56Z")
Washington, DC = “the District” ---
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/4 "2012-02-29T19:17:25Z")
Philadelphia is “Philly” Pittsburgh is “the Burgh” New Orleans is “N’awlins” or “NOLA” Baltimore is “Charm City”, but my impression is that most residents use it ironically if at all ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/5 "2012-02-29T19:18:59Z")
It’s not completely unheard of to hear Charlotte residents refer to it as the Queen City. Not common, mind you, but not unheard of. When I lived there, I never heard anyone from Winston-Salem refer to it as the Twin Cities despite having seen that nickname listed in more than one source now. As a rule, if they want to shorten the name, folks will tend to just say “Winston.” ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/6 "2012-02-29T19:19:35Z")
Cincinnati: The Queen City The Nati. The Nasty Nati. Porkopolis ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/7 "2012-02-29T19:22:26Z")
San Jose is called Man Jose. 😃 NYC is sometimes, but not often, referred to as The Big Apple. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/8 "2012-02-29T19:23:25Z")
I’ve heard news reporters refer to Columbus as “Capital City.” I’d say C-Bus is a more popular slang term among residents. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/9 "2012-02-29T19:29:33Z")
The San Franciscans I know say “S.F.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/10 "2012-02-29T19:32:00Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > The San Franciscans I know say “S.F.” Yes, that’s pretty common. But San Jose is never SJ. The only other Bay Area city that I’m familiar with that goes by initials is Los Gatos: LG. For example, I’ve never heard Palo Alto called PA, although Palo Alto High is often called Pally. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/11 "2012-02-29T19:32:26Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I’ve heard news reporters refer to Columbus as “Capital City.” I’d say C-Bus is a more popular slang term among residents. I’ve been known to say Cowtown too. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/12 "2012-02-29T19:32:33Z")
Tucson is often referred to as “Too Stoned.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/13 "2012-02-29T19:33:47Z")
Despite some Chicagoans claiming that “Chi-town” is used only by outsiders, my experience as a born-and-bred is that it is, indeed, used by at least some of our denizens and, no, not just transplants or suburbanites. The one I don’t like that I am hearing with increasing frequency is “the Chi.” ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/14 "2012-02-29T19:41:59Z")
I hear San Fran relatively frequently, grates on my ears. Frisco mostly in rap songs but otherwise uncommon. SF semi-common, most commonly “the City.” Still a fine for saying Frisco, per Emperor Norton. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/15 "2012-02-29T19:42:30Z")
Well, I grew up in Troy, NY and we called it “The Troilet” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/16 "2012-02-29T19:54:57Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Washington, DC = “the District” Also, just “DC.” Not a nickname, but residents often abbreviate “Schenectady” as “Sch’dy.” ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/17 "2012-02-29T19:57:58Z")
Minneapolis-St Paul metro area is called The Twin Cities or The Cities by almost everyone. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/18 "2012-02-29T19:58:52Z")
Yeah, but if you say DC, a lot of people think you actually mean one of the suburbs, if you say the District, it’s usually understood that you mean DC proper. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/19 "2012-02-29T20:06:01Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > I’ve heard news reporters refer to Columbus as “Capital City.” I’d say C-Bus is a more popular slang term among residents. Yeah, I came in to say C-bus. You do see “Capital City” or “Cap City” a lot in the names of businesses, but people don’t use it in conversation much. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377/20 "2012-02-29T20:07:49Z")
Atlanta has not to my knowledge ever actually been called Hotlanta except by the media. It has been called “The ATL” but rarely in my neck of the woods. We have a Ft. Stewart in Georgia on the other hand, whose denizens call it “Ft. Stupid.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/city-nicknames-that-city-residents-actually-use/614377.md?page=2)