Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.
Many cities have interesting nicknames. Nicknames can help establish the identity of a city. They can also spread pride among its citizens.
New Orleans, Louisiana probably has more nicknames than any other American city. One web site lists more than twenty nicknames. The most famous isThe Big Easy.It describes the gentle, slow and">and easy-going way of life in New Orleans.
So how did the city get this nickname? In the early nineteen hundreds, there was a dance hall in New Orleans called The Big Easy. But the nickname did not become famous until the early nineteen seventies. That was when a Louisiana newspaper writer began calling New Orleans by this name. She compared the easy-going way of life there to the hurried pace of life in New York City.
In nineteen seventy, James Conaway wrote a crime novel called “The Big Easy.” The story was set in New Orleans. In nineteen eighty-seven, that book was made into a film which made the nickname even more popular.
New Orleans has other nicknames. One of them isThe Crescent City. During the nineteenth century, new neighborhoods anded">expanded out from what is now known as the French Quarter. These areas followed the great curve of the Mississippi River, giving New Orleans the shape of a crescent.
Another nickname is theBirthplace of Jazzbecause that kind of music started in New Orleans. It is also calledMardi Gras Cityfor the wild celebrations and">and parades that take place there every year. And, there is a nickname that uses the short way to write New Orleans and">and Louisiana. It you do not want to use the complete name, you can call the cityNOLA.
One of America’s most exciting cities is Las Vegas, Nevada. There you can play games of chance all night long. The city’s night clubs are also open all night for eating, drinking and">and dancing. So it is not surprising that Las Vegas is calledThe Gambling Capital of the WorldandThe Entertainment Capital of the World.
Another nickname for Las Vegas isSin Citybecause you can find many kinds of adult entertainment there. Many people who come to Las Vegas in hopes of winning lots of money do not know when to stop gambling. They may lose a great deal of their hard-earned money. So the city is also called something that sounds like Las Vegas –Lost Wages.
In nineteen sixty-four, Elvis Presley starred in a movie called "Viva Las Vegas." Here he sings the title song from that movie.
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This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Barbara Klein.
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2013-11-25
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25