What is a Cheesehead and other strange stories about the origins of destination nicknames
In the tourism, meetings, events and hospitality industries, we meet people from all over the country. Due to gentrification in my hometown of Oakland, those who are born and raised here refer to ourselves as “Bay Area natives.” Have you ever wondered about the historical origins of the nicknames for the people you encounter on your travels? Impress your host destination by knowing the story behind the names.
Cheeseheads
Wisconsin
Producing more dairy products than any other state and 26% of the country’s cheese, Wisconsin is known as “America’s Dairyland.” While originally used as a derogatory term to mock the perceived obsession with the people from Wisconsin and their cheese, “cheesehead” is now a title owned with pride by Wisconsin natives. More than that, it has become ingrained in Wisconsin sports culture, as the wedge-shaped “cheesehead” hat is ubiquitously worn by Green Bay Packers football fans.
Read More: Meeting at Second Tier Cities
Hoosiers
Indiana
Similar to the term “cheesehead,” the word “hoosier” was first used as an insult, yet has now been repurposed into a proud moniker. However, the origins of the word are nowhere near as obvious. Some say the pioneer squatters on public land elicited people to ask, “who’s here?” and the term developed into hooshere and then hoosier over time. Another theory traces the word back to the heavy population of immigrants from the Cumberland region of England who settled in the mountains of Indiana. In the Cumbrian dialect, “hoozer” derives from “hoo” meaning “high” and/or “hill.” It was eventually Americanized to be spelled hoosier.
Bay Staters
Massachusetts
This term stems from an amalgam of factors. Most obviously, Massachusetts has an entire coast of bays. The first colonists to arrive in Massachusetts and eventually founded the commonwealth settled in Cape Cod Bay. Furthermore, an American-bound ship sent to the New World in 1629 by the British was sailed by the Massachusetts Bay Company. This contributes also to Massachusetts being known as the heart of America’s New England region.
Desert Rat
Palm Springs, California
While “desert rat” is used by many a proud desert dweller, the name is two-fold for Palm Springs. Nestled in the desert of Southern California, this resort town has been a coveted destination made famous by Frank Sinatra and other Hollywood stars’ frequent visits and vacation homes in the neighborhood. Sinatra’s “Rat Pack” membership along with his love of Palm Springs helped make it a local catchphrase. Visitors can still find many establishments portraying rat-pack memorabilia along with other nostalgic relics from Hollywood’s most iconic era.
Read More: Palm Springs, California: Your Oasis, Your Way
Nutmeggers
Connecticut
While the official nickname for the state of Connecticut is “The Constitution State”, residents have adopted the moniker “nutmegger” to refer to themselves. In colonial times, the state of Connecticut had many nutmeg peddlers and the name stuck. In an ironic twist, nutmeg does not grow in Connecticut. It was peddled from Asian, African and South American spice trading peddlers who used Connecticut’s coastal geographical orientation as a point of industry.
This article appears in the July 2023 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
