Cincinnati nicknames

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Cincinnati skyline at night, from the Kentucky shore.
Cincinnati skyline at night, from the Kentucky shore.

Cincinnati has a number of nicknames, including the "The Queen City,"[1] "The Queen of the West,"[2] "The Blue Chip City,"[3][4][5] "The City of Seven Hills,"[6] and "Porkopolis" (due to time when Cincinnati was the world's major pork processing center).[7] These are more typically associated with professional, academic, and public relations references to the city and are not commonly used by locals in casual conversation.

Newer nicknames such as "The 'Nati" are emerging and are used in different cultural contexts such as the hip-hop scene and more casual settings. For example, a local litter-prevention campaign uses the slogan "Don’t Trash the 'Nati."[8]

Some, particularly those of older generations, still use a regional pronunciation of the city's name where the final vowel ("I") is short as opposed to long.[citation needed] Phonetically, this variation would be spelled [sin-suh-nat-uh] instead of the generally accepted [sin-sin-nat-ee]. This has seen less usage in recent years.

The nickname, "The City of Seven Hills," is not now a literal description of the city, as there are many more than seven hills in modern Cincinnati. When the city was younger and smaller, the June 1853 edition of the West American Review, "Article III--Cincinnati: Its Relations to the West and South" described and named seven specific hills. The hills form a crescent around the city: Mount Adams, Walnut Hills, Mount Auburn, Vine Street Hill, College Hill, Fairmont (now rendered Fairmount), and Mount Harrison (now known as Price Hill).

A common abbreviation for Cincinnati is "Cincy," used in casual conversation and informal usage, and once was common in postal addresses. "Cinti" also is used, with somewhat less frequency, but can be seen on some road signs.

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[edit] References

  1. ^ Close to home: Across the region, dozens of sites have historic ties to the Underground Railroad, Cincinnati Enquirer, Sunday, August 15, 2004, "The poet Longfellow, recognizing the town's rising stature, immortalized Cincinnati as the "Queen City of the West." [1]accessed 2008-05-03
  2. ^ Frequently Asked Questions about Cincinnati, Ohio.
  3. ^ Cincinnati: many discounters say it's a 'blue chip' investment.
  4. ^ Cookie firm swallows parent: The local Blue Chip Cookies franchisee is buying the company's San Francisco franchiser., (Cincinnati) Business Journal, Friday, July 17, 1998. "In 1984, the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce began its 'Blue Chip City' campaign, a marketing strategy it continued through last year." [2]accessed 2008-05-03
  5. ^ Great cities test: How does Cincinnati stack up to its regional rivals?, Cincinnati Enquirer, Sunday, March 11, 2001 "Cincinnati's dated “Blue Chip City” nickname is being replaced with “Let the spirit move you.” To where?" [3] accessed 2008-05-03
  6. ^ Ups and downs: The hills are alive, but don't try counting.
  7. ^ Gateway Sculpture.
  8. ^ Don’t Trash the ‘Nati., Keep Cincinnati Beautiful website, accessed May 3, 2008