# What are all the state mottos?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-the-state-mottos/187301>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 9, 2003, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-the-state-mottos/187301 "2003-07-09T19:21:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-the-state-mottos/187301/21 "2003-07-10T07:18:09Z")

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North Dakota: “Land of the Frozen Dead.” Hope they put it on their quarter, possibly with a picture of Steve Buscemi’s leg sticking out of a wood chipper!

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**Author:** ![Mayor\_McJesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@Mayor\_McJesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayor_McJesus)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-the-state-mottos/187301/22 "2003-07-10T07:20:49Z")

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[off topic]

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by dutchboy208 \*  
> **"Incidentally… anyone know what a Hoosier is?"**

Someone from Indiana. That’s it, really.

There are a lot of [theories](http://www.indiana.edu/~librcsd/internet/extra/hoosier.html) about the word origin. Some of them are really silly actually. The most believable one, etymologically (?), puts the origin of the word at about the same time and with the same meaning as the insult “cracker.” Hoosier gradually lost its derogatory connotation and was embraced by those of us from Indiana. A current similar example would be the changing use of the word “redneck.” It used to be an insult but then Jeff Foxworthy and Nascar got really popular. Now it’s a term of endearment to many southerners.

[/back to your regularly scheduled forum]

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**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2003, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-all-the-state-mottos/187301/23 "2003-07-10T07:21:33Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Sic Semper Tyrannis… Thus Always to Tyrants

I’m glad the fact that John Wilkes Booth yelled these words as he ran away from murdering Lincoln hasn’t made them think about trying a new motto.

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