Was in the toy store the other day. While my son was playing with the train, I grabbeda United States board with mottos on the back.
Are these real?
Some of em are funny!
Alabama: We dare defend our rights(if we dare…)
Alaska: North to the future (I thought North led to Antarctica)
Arizona: God enriches (I wish!)
Arkansas: The people rule (ya! hippie motto, people Rule dude)
California: I have found it (est?)
Idaho: It is forever (what is?)
Kansas: To the stars through difficulties (to the moon alice!)
Maryland: Manly deeds, womanly words (NOW loves this one)
Massachusetts: By the sword we seek peace (uh…)
Michigan: If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you (nice. and descriptive)
South Carolina: While I breathe, I hope (obviously written by Thurmond)
Wisconsin: Forward (or latterally)
New Mexico: It grows as it goes (What does?)
in my sig (the one that got in threadspotting :D), i posted a website that had a lot of latin, including mottoes (which also included state mottoes in latin). it’s buried about halfway down, in my first post on the thread.
I think that Montana’s state motto is the one that cuts to the chase fastest. It is “Oro y Plata”, which is Spanish for “Gold and Silver”. That’s what’s really important, right?
Minnesota’s actually sounds good in both French (the official version) and English. It is “L’etoile du Nord”, which means “The Star of the North”.
Do any states have official state mottos in English?
What were the ones for Texas and New York? Someone was trying to tell me that it’s “Remember the Alamo” and “I Love NY”, respectively, but something tells me that ain’t right… :rolleyes:
Michigan also has a tourism motto: “Say YES! to Michigan.” When this got to the UP, it immediately was changed to “Say yah to da U.P., eh!” At this point, I think the UP version of it is a WAY bigger hit than the official version. About 50% of the cars in the UP have this on a bumpersticker on their car. I have one on the wall in my office. Say yah!
Well, my favorite is New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die.” Short, simple, English. Definitely not funny, though. I guess sometimes our stereotypes of a place make some mottos sound a bit contrived or out of place, but generally, I like them. One that does make me smile a bit is on the Jefferson County courthouse here in Birmingham. It has two allegorical bas-reliefs above the front entry–one says “Forward” and the one on the other side says “Here We Rest.” Make up your minds, already!
Unless you consider the irony of the poor bastard who has to stamp that on a license plate. Unless state prisoners stamping license plates isn’t an anachronism.
At far as Arizona’s Ditat Deus motto the little miner on the state seal might be a little more enriched if copper was selling for more than 65¢ a pound. Blame the commodities market, not God, for that.
Indiana State Motto – “The Crossroads of America” – Adopted 1937
And while I’m here:
Flower: Peony (adopted 1957)
Bird: Cardinal (adopted 1933)
Tree: Tulip Tree (adopted 1931)
Stone (OK this is going a bit far): Limestone (adopted 1971)
There’s a poem & a song too…
My favorite motto for Indiana:
“Indiana: Keeping Lake Michigan out of Kentucky since 1816”
New Mexico’s state motto is indeed Crescit Eundo (“It Grows As It Goes”). I’m assuming the “It” refers to the state itself, but there are some other, perhaps more amusing, possibilities. And while we’re on the subject of going over the top with “Official” things:
State flower: yucca
State bird: roadrunner
State tree: piñon
State insect: tarantula hawk wasp
State mammal: black bear
State fossil: Coelophysis
State cookie: bizcochito
It’s good to know that our state legislature has enough free time to decide important questions like this. I suppose it’s to be expected, though, in the Land of Enchantment. Damn those wizards.
