# Fifty years later, does America need a stupider motto? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 30, 2006, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065 "2006-12-30T02:32:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/41 "2006-12-30T08:00:07Z")
[QUOTE=jabiru] New South Wales does, though. _Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites_ (Newly Risen, How Bright Thou Shinest) Catchy, isn’t it? [/QUOTE] Is there a prize for the best pronunciation of that? I’d lose immediately. 🙂 Looks like [Auckland nicked your old motto.](http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/auckland/introduction/coatarms/default.asp) Or at least the first bit. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/42 "2006-12-30T08:01:34Z")
As someone in a recent thread on national coats of arms noted, the motto of Norfolk Island is “Inasmuch”. How inspiring! ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/43 "2006-12-30T08:34:10Z")
Apparently the Norfolk Island is supposed to be just that - inspiring, in a Biblical way. Some online sources say it comes from the Book of Matthew. Certainly is an open-ended motto, though. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/44 "2006-12-30T08:50:53Z")
[“That’s America, Bitch!”](http://www.ifilm.com/video/2805814) ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/45 "2006-12-30T08:57:20Z")
[QUOTE=Ice Wolf] Apparently the Norfolk Island is supposed to be just that - inspiring, in a Biblical way. Some online sources say it comes from the Book of Matthew. Certainly is an open-ended motto, though. [/QUOTE] Hmm. Well, “Inasmuch” appears twice in the Book of Matthew, using the King James Version: [Matthew 25:40](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=25&verse=40&version=9&context=verse): “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” [Matthew 25:45](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=25&verse=45&version=9&context=verse): “Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.” As a motto, though, it still seems awfully…elliptical. (Oh, and I’ll fourth “America - Fuck Yeah!”–that song was probably the best part of that whole movie.) ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/46 "2006-12-30T09:05:24Z")
[QUOTE=Evil Captor] “America - Fuck Yeah!” [/QUOTE] BAM! Case closed. I already find myself mentally singing this whenever I hear/see a military jet fly overhead. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/47 "2006-12-30T09:25:34Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] Isn’t “We’re number one!” good enough? Especially since there’s hardly a category left in which we’re actually number one. [/QUOTE] Oh really? Well just ask who won the world conker championship and also the world marbles championship. Go on, ask! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/48 "2006-12-30T11:03:01Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Oh really? Well just ask who won the world conker championship and also the world marbles championship. [/QUOTE] And every year we win the World Series… Isn’t Canada’s motto something like “Always Remember” (but in Latin)? Now there’s a good motto, I take in Canadians never lose thier car keys. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/49 "2006-12-30T11:39:13Z")
[QUOTE=betenoir] Isn’t Canada’s motto something like “Always Remember” (but in Latin)? Now there’s a good motto, I take in Canadians never lose thier car keys. [/QUOTE] Canada’s motto is [_A Mari Usque Ad Mare_](http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&ArticleId=A0000001), “From Sea to Sea” (which [they obviously stole from us](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_the_Beautiful)). The motto of Quebec is [_Je me souviens_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Je_me_souviens), French for “I remember” (or as I always like to say, it’s Canadian French for “Fergit, hell!”) ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/50 "2006-12-30T11:40:04Z")
Canada: “America’s hat.” UK: “We used to run the world. No really. No honestly. Look it up. Right, that’s it: conkers at dawn.” ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/51 "2006-12-30T12:42:37Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Oh really? Well just ask who won the world conker championship and also the world marbles championship. Go on, ask! 😃 [/QUOTE] No. Shan’t. Hah. ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/52 "2006-12-30T13:16:08Z")
How about “All your oil wells belong to us”? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/53 "2006-12-30T13:29:11Z")
I think my favourite state motto is the Isle of Man’s, _Quocunque jeceris stabit:_ “Whithersoever thou throwest it, there shall it stand.” It gives the image of a game of Isle of Man-tossing. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/54 "2006-12-30T13:57:49Z")
We are a stupider America than the America of 1956. Therefore we absolutely do need a stupider motto. I propose: **In Us We Trust** , or **You Can’t Spell Jesus Without U.S.** ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/55 "2006-12-30T14:41:04Z")
_“You fucked up-- You trusted us!”_ ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/56 "2006-12-30T15:27:44Z")
[QUOTE=rayh] How about “All your oil wells belong to us”? [/QUOTE] “US burning your dog!” ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/57 "2006-12-30T15:27:58Z")
[QUOTE=rayh] How about “All your oil wells belong to us”? [/QUOTE] Or maybe “I’m in ur country killing ur doodz” ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/58 "2006-12-30T15:30:41Z")
Almost forgot…_and_ The World Tiddlywinks Championship. So go Merkins, beat that iffn ya can ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/59 "2006-12-30T16:32:46Z")
_Our God is Stronger than Your God_: Everyone of whatever religious persuasion can delude themselves into believing their particular God is the referenced stronger God while all the other jerk-off Gods don’t count for shit. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065/60 "2006-12-30T16:35:48Z")
[QUOTE=Terrifel] Is it once again time to safeguard ourselves with a new, even stupider motto? [/QUOTE] Yes. And since, as noted above, we have a tradition of “testing out” new mottoes on coinage before making them official, I’d like to propose the following [New Motto Coin](http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f262/PonderThis/Drawings/New-Motto-Coin.png). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fifty-years-later-does-america-need-a-stupider-motto/386065.md?page=4)