# Do other states call themselves by their initials? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217 "2005-08-23T02:11:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/21 "2005-08-23T15:27:53Z")
Not a state (and on preview I see others had mentioned it already), but people who live in and around Washington, D.C., refer to it more often than not as D.C. (and never “Washington”). Indeed, whether people refer to this city as D.C. or Washington is an excellent (and in my experience perfect) test of whether they’ve ever lived here. Not terribly surprising, actually, as the District of Columbia is a real thing, but Washington’s just a name. It used to be a city, but it no longer exists. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/22 "2005-08-23T15:34:43Z")
> [@aerodave](#): > > DC would count, except you limited it to states. If it was limited to “states”, then that would toss the the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania right out the window. 🙂 > [@wiki](#): > > While the term “commonwealth” has the same legal and economic meaning as “state,” the four regions that chose to designate themselves commonwealths probably did so as a reference to the earlier Commonwealth period in England which ended in 1660, when that nation was not ruled by a king. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/23 "2005-08-23T15:54:36Z")
> [@F. U. Shakespeare](#): > > Yes, but “P.A.” was in use even before the postal codes: > > \*They’re really rockin Boston > In Pittsburgh, P. A. \* > > – “Sweet Little Sixteen”, Chuck Berry, 1958 _How far away Philadelphia, PA Princeton, NJ How far are they? From coconut palms and banyan trees Coral sands and Tonganese_ From _My Girl Back Home_ **South Pacific** , 1949 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/24 "2005-08-23T16:12:23Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I’ve mostly heard PA called that, but I’m pretty sure I’ve also heard people in Virginia say VA, although it could’ve just been me saying that. 🙂 > > I’ve heard southern California called “SoCal,” and I’ve seen northern California written as NorCal, but I don’t recall anyone ever saying NorCal. We northern Californians would probably take the time to say, “northern California.” I can assure you us southern denizens refer to Northern Cali as NoCal (note no “R”). I’m not sure if Monterey qualifies, however, or where the “cutoff” would be, but I always think of NoCal as SJ on up. ---
**Author:** ![liberty3701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@liberty3701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liberty3701)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/25 "2005-08-23T16:25:02Z")
I grew up in Jersey, and we would occasionally use NJ, though Jersey’s so much cooler… ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/26 "2005-08-23T17:11:54Z")
> [@Fear the Turtle](#): > > I can assure you us southern denizens refer to Northern Cali as NoCal My dad (from Riverside) jokes that the proper names are “NoCal” and “LoCal”. Of course, he also claims that Jesus “knew where the stepping stones were”, so that should tell you about his sense of humor 🆒 > [@Scott Plaid](#): > > If it was limited to “states”, then that would toss the the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania right out the window. Call me out on this if I’m wrong, but doesn’t California’s constitution identify itself as a Republic? ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/27 "2005-08-23T19:10:46Z")
> [@Fear the Turtle](#): > > I can assure you us southern denizens refer to Northern Cali as NoCal (note no “R”). I’m not sure if Monterey qualifies, however, or where the “cutoff” would be, but I always think of NoCal as SJ on up. Yeah, we’re kinda in a tough spot. Not really north or south. On the news, we’re usually “central coast” but even that seems not quite right sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/28 "2005-08-23T19:57:22Z")
Not so much in spoken use, but New York is very often written as NY. Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether that’s referring to the city or the state, though. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/29 "2005-08-23T23:20:00Z")
the capital of the u.s. is dc. washington is the state on the other side of the country… i am bugged by people who call it washington state. there is dc and there is washington. always called it mass, as in " boston, mass 02134" new jersey was always jersey. i always went with new york city or nyc, i feel calling it new york is a bit disrespectful to those who live in new york but not in the city. ---
**Author:** ![propeller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@propeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/propeller)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/30 "2005-08-23T23:20:55Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Generally, no. Pennsylvania is fairly unique in that regard. I am from Louisiana but LA is already taken. I live in Massachusetts now. People often call the state “Mass” which is a variant of the idea. shagnasty…do you know Bob, they nickname him the mayor of mudville and hes got that wood carving of a baseball player in his front yard…i met him once ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2005, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/31 "2005-08-23T23:48:59Z")
An example from slightly out of the OP’s range – not because there aren’t states in Mexico (there are), but because it is (like the District of Columbia) a “district” and not a state, is the **Distrito Federal** (Federal District) of Mexico – that is, basically, Mexico City – which anyone who’s anyone will refer to as “ **DF** ”, pronounced “Day Efay”. Occasionally you’ll even here Mexico City residents referred to jocularly as “defeños”. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/32 "2005-08-24T13:49:14Z")
> [@Raguleader](#): > > Call me out on this if I’m wrong, but doesn’t California’s constitution identify itself as a Republic? I searched through [the constitution](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/const.html) , and can find no support for it’s having been called a republic in that document. Period. :smack: However, the fact that “California Republic” is on [the sate flag](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:California_state_flag.png), and it is called the Republic of California in legal documents kinda puts the lie to that. It seems it is called a republic because: > [@wiki](#): > > California is governed as a republic, with three branches of government, the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other elected constitutional officers, the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate, and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. The State also allows direct participation of the electorate by referendum, recall, and ratification. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/33 "2005-08-24T15:00:32Z")
California criminal cases are demoninated “The People of the State of California v. Smith.” (I just looked it up on [Findlaw.com](http://Findlaw.com)’s page on the Michael Jackson case.) Ergo, California calls itself a State. In Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, the states which refer to themselves as commonwealths, criminal cases are styled Commonwealth v. Jones. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/34 "2005-08-24T15:13:46Z")
> [@Scott Plaid](#): > > it is called the Republic of California in legal documents Cite for both my claim, _and_ **Cliffy** ’s claim: > [@some court transcriber or another](#): > > ``` > IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA > > ``` > > THE PEOPLE OF THE CALIFORNIA ) Number S-030016 > REPUBLIC, ex relatione, ) > ) > MITCHELL P. MODELESKI, ) PETITION > Petitioner At Law ) for a Peremptory Writ of Mandamus > ) to compel the performance > v. ) of a duty owed to > ) Petitioner > BARBARA BOXER, ) > Respondent at Law ) > ) > ) > \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_) [http://www.supremelaw.org/cc/boxer/petition.htm](http://www.supremelaw.org/cc/boxer/petition.htm) ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/35 "2005-08-24T16:26:57Z")
In college we referred to that popular spring break destination as F-L-A. The state’s pre-two-letter-postal-code abbreviation was traditionally Fla. Never heard anyone from that state say that, though, and I lived there for a year. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/36 "2005-08-24T16:56:00Z")
Not a state, but a recognized part of a state is Michigans Upper Penesula which is always referred to as the the U.P. by the locals. You can tell the newbes in the crowd because they are always asking where the U.P. is at and then everyone gets to give them the you poor dumb bastard look. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/37 "2005-08-24T17:27:22Z")
Some friends and I sometimes refer to Virginia as “The Vee-Ay.” It’s not a popular thing, though. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/38 "2005-08-24T21:58:13Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > In Pennsylvania, many people including me call the state by its initials ¶ in casual conversation. AKA Penn, as in Penn State. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/39 "2005-08-24T22:02:29Z")
I love to give my adress that way… it’s great fun to explain to people that I live in Las Vegas, Envy. We also will shorten it all to LVNV at times, if we don’t have time to make people feel jealous. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217/40 "2005-08-24T22:49:19Z")
> [@Cunctator](#): > > In the Australian context: > > - I’ve frequently heard people talk about WA (instead of Western Australia); > - the Australian Capital Territory is universally referred to as “the ACT”. Not strictly a state, but far north Queensland is generally “FNQ”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-states-call-themselves-by-their-initials/318217.md?page=3)