# Your State's Weirdest Official Thingy **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 27, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376 "2017-04-27T16:14:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/61 "2017-10-16T17:27:30Z")
> [@MentalGuy](#): > > . . . Kentucky . . . Agricultural Insect: Honeybee . . . Is there any other agricultural insect? I mean, silkworms are the basis of an industry, but they’re not agricultural. I can’t think of any other insects that would fit in that category. I used \*\*Senegoid’s \*\*link and discovered that the California fabric is denim. That figures. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/62 "2017-10-16T17:39:25Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Is there any other agricultural insect? Arkansas state insect is the honeybee. Don’t state legislatures have better thing to do, like vote themselves raises? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/63 "2017-10-16T17:51:12Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Arkansas state insect is the honeybee. > Don’t **state legislatures** have better thing to do, like vote themselves raises? The State Reptile. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/64 "2017-10-16T17:56:54Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > The State Reptile. Is a legislator. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/65 "2017-10-16T18:44:19Z")
Interesting: As I type this, the Official State Bird (Mountain Bluebird) is hopping around on my front lawn. A very rare sighting for this area! Cool looking bird! ---
**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:** [October 16, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/66 "2017-10-16T18:59:32Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Arizona has an official [neckware](https://www.google.com/search?q=Arizona+official+neckwear&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjP8Nqwz8XTAhUpxFQKHQOMAQgQ_AUIDCgD&biw=1920&bih=916). Our official state mammal is the [ringtail](https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol/arizona/state-mammal/ringtail). They could have chosen the bobcat. They could have chosen the mountain lion. They could have chosen the black bear. But, no! They had to go and choose a coatimundi. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/67 "2017-10-16T19:16:14Z")
New Jersey has a fun one: **State cryptid** [New Jersey Devil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jersey_Devil) We do not have an official state song but the unofficial one is **Born to Run** , which is at least partially about getting out of New Jersey or at least out of Freehold NJ. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/68 "2017-10-16T19:38:13Z")
I’ll mention the woolly mammoth, because before it could become the official SC state fossil, it weirdly had to [get past an official SC state asshole](https://www.google.com/search?q=south+carolina+mammoth+Kevin+Bryant&oq=south+carolina+mammoth+Kevin+Bryant). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/69 "2017-10-16T19:41:43Z")
I am relieved to be able to say that Arkansas does not have a state fossil. Should the need arise, however, I would wish to nominate my third grade teacher, Mrs. Zelsman. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2017, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/70 "2017-10-16T20:00:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Yllaria** : > > Is there any other agricultural insect? I mean, silkworms are the basis of an industry, but they’re not agricultural. I can’t think of any other insects that would fit in that category. Sure, plenty of insects are beneficial for farming in some way. Ladybugs are the first that come to mind, for controlling aphids. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/71 "2017-10-16T20:06:05Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > Being British, I had no place being flippant about anybody else’s grub. They’re probably delicious. > > Are they delicious? Well, according to this song, they are: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBOxw6vbDyo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBOxw6vbDyo) My state of Alabama has an Official State Outdoor musical drama: _The Incident at Looney’s Tavern_ (never seen it). ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/72 "2017-10-16T20:28:56Z")
The official state song of California is not “[California, Here I Come](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IjpAGf0oks)”, which it should be, but the obscure “[I Love You, California](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acUdOGZkaig)”, co-written by Abraham Franklin Frankenstein. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/73 "2017-10-17T00:26:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Sure, plenty of insects are beneficial for farming in some way. Ladybugs are the first that come to mind, for controlling aphids. Thank you! I’ve seen preying mantises and, I think, lacewings for sale, too. And now that I think about it, there are folks promoting eating insects - which would then be agricultural insects. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376/74 "2017-10-17T02:28:07Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Hang On Sloopy has already been mentioned, which is the weirdest I know of for Ohio. > > Utah has a state bird, which isn’t unusual (I think all 50 have one of those). And there’s a very good historical reason for why their choice makes a lot of sense. But it’s still odd for a state’s Official Bird to be named after a different, not-even-bordering, state (the California Gull). Not as obvious, but the New Mexico state bird is the greater roadrunner, whose species name is, um, _Geococcyx californianus_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-states-weirdest-official-thingy/785376.md?page=3)