Date:    Mon, 9 Mar 1998 00:01:17 -0600
<br>From:    Mike Salovesh  t20mxs1[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CORN.CSO.NIU.EDU 
<br>Subject: Re: connecticut folk (revisited)
<br>
<br>Gregory {Greg} Downing wrote:
<br> 
<br>  At 07:48 PM 3/8/98 -0500, Beverly Flanigan  flanigan[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU 
<br> wrote:
<br>   Not to sound too naive, but why Nutmeggers???
<br>   
<br> 
<br>  Because the CT state nickname is "the Nutmeg State." (Cf. Ohio as "the
<br>  Buckeye State.")
<br> 
<br>  Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nyu.edu or downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]is2.nyu.edu
<br>
<br>Historically minded folks may recall the source of that label.
<br>
<br>People from Connecticut (gee, I wonder if there's a single word for
<br>that?) were called "nutmeggers" because some of them were heavily
<br>involved in the spice trade.
<br>
<br>Calling them nutmeggers was an insulting reference to the sly ways of
<br>Connecticut traders.  They had the reputation of spending their time
<br>carving imitation nutmeg out of scrub trees -- then building fortunes by
<br>mixing their worthless carvings into shipments of genuine nutmeg.
<br>
<br>A "nutmegger" was a seller of adulterated merchandise.
<br>
<br>So when you say "Nutmeg State", you'd better smile, pardner.
<br>
<br>--  mike salovesh                                salovesh[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]niu.edu 
<br>    anthropology department
<br>    northern illinois university                     PEACE !!!
<br>