The Show-Me State

Missouri State Nickname

gatewayArchMissouri.jpg

Gateway Arch on the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri.

Gateway Arch; on the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri.  Photo by David/Flickr (Use Permitted with Attribution).

Unofficial State Nickname of Missouri

Missouri's most well-known nickname is; "The Show-Me State." Although the nickname has not been officially recognized by Missouri's Legislature, it can be seen on Missouri license plates. All State Nicknames

There are several stories concerning the origin of the "Show-Me" slogan. The most widely known story gives credit to Missouri's U.S. Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver for coining the phrase in 1899. During a speech in Philadelphia, he said:

"I come from a state that raises corn and cotton and cockleburs and Democrats, and frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am from Missouri. You have got to show me."

The phrase is now used to describe the character of Missourians; not gullible, conservative, and unwilling to believe without adequate evidence.

Missouri

Images

The state of Missouri, USA; image by TUBS on Wikipedia (use permitted with attribution / share alike).

Missouri USA