Naming the 50 United States

[MsBlack]

Off the top of your head, list as many of the States of the United States of America as you can. You may spend as long on this as you like, but the time you devote to this will likely be restricted by some of the following guidelines for your response:

-Do not use external assistance, including research; music, objects, texts and other sources of ‘inspiration’ should not be used.
-Do this in one place in one sitting.
-Give two scores:
   -The number of States you listed (spelling is not important so long as you had the right idea)
   -The above score, but with the number of incorrect items in your list subtracted
-Explain what informed your response.
-List the places you have lived for any significant amount of time.
-Separate the items in your list into the following three sections, in the same order:
   -Places you know are States
   -Places you think are States
   -Any other guesses
-Once you’ve finished your initial list, list the following, if applicable:
   -States you missed
   -Your incorrect items from the initial list
-Try to maintain the order you thought of each list item in your final listing.
-Time yourself
-You must know the most common abbreviated official name of any States you list. (For example, you would get a point for listing ‘Cali’ so long as you knew that it was more commonly known as ‘California’, but would not need to know that its full official name is ‘State of California’.)
-Please provide any other relevant and useful information you wish to volunteer.

You are now ready to start.

[MsBlack]

Format: x) State [How I thought it was spelled]

Definite:

1) Alabama +1=1
2) Maryland +1=2
3) Mississippi +1=3
4) Missouri +1=4
5) Massachusetts [Massuchussetts] +1=5
6) Florida +1=6
7) Albuquerque +1=7
Texas +1=8
9) Oklahoma +1=9
10) Washington +1=10
11) Atlanta +1=11
12) Ohio +1=12
13) Arizona +1=13
14) Connecticut [Conneticut] +1=14
15) New York +1=15
16) California +1=16
17) Alaska +1=17
18) Tennessee [Tenessee] +1=18
19) Nevada +1=19
20) Minnesota +1=20
21) Kentucky +1=21
22) Pennsylvania +1=22
23) Louisiana +1=23
24) North Dakota +1=24
25) South Dakota +1=25
26) West Virginia +1=26
27) Georgia +1=27
28) Wyoming +1=28
29) Arkansas +1=29
30) Kansas +1=30
31) Indiana +1=31
32) Philadelphia +0=31 (1 wrong.)
33) Colorado +1=32
34) Illinois +1=33
35) North Carolina +1=34
36) Vermont +1=35
37) Wisconsin +1=36
38) Idaho +1=37
39) Iowa +1=38
40) Delaware +1=39

I think these are States:

41) Hawaii +1=40
42) New Mexico +1=41
43) Rhode Island +1=42
44) South Carolina +1=43
45) New Jersey +1=44
46) North Virginia +0= 44 (2 wrong.)
47) Columbia +0=44 (3 wrong.)

Last-ditch:

48) Puerto Rico +0= 44 (4 wrong.)
49) South Virginia +0 = 44 (5 wrong.)

Missed:

1) Oregon
2) Maine
3) New Hampshire
4) Utah
5) Montana

Incorrect:

1) Philadelphia
2) North Virginia
3) Columbia
4) Puerto Rico
5) ‘South Virginia’


Final score: 43 (-6=37 if incorrect guesses subtract points)

The only place in which I have lived for any significant amount of time is London (the one in the United Kingdom). My knowledge of the States draws primarily from news articles regarding them and my general information amassing.


Edit: Bah! Albuquerque's wrong too! Knocking another off...
Edit₂: Bah! The totals are wrong! Anyway, you get the idea...

[Jutty]

I'm entirely too lazy to do this lol.

[V_Translanka]

Your number 8 is messed up, ha!...but seriously...WHY?

[teaflower]

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut!
Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana!
Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan...
Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska... Nevada...
New Hampshire! New Jersey! New Mexico! New York! North Carolina, North Dakota, OHIO!
Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, TEXAS...
Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming!

I loved that 50 states song when I was a kid.

[Lord J Esq]

I never learned a song, so I just painted a picture of the USA in my head and went left to right down the columns, geographically. I did myself in right at the beginning, though. I forgot to list Nevada. Nevada is wedged conveniently between the Washington-Oregon-California column and the Idaho-Utah-Arizona column, and consequently I spent the next five minutes boggling over which of those pesky little states in the Northeast I had forgotten. Usually, it's Maryland. But not this time. This time I was sure that, for once, I hadn't forgotten any of them--thanks to having followed state-level electoral polls all year. So I gave up and looked at a map. Nevada. It leapt out at me as soon as I looked at the west half of the country.

Pah. I know Nevada is a state. I friggin' grew up right next to it. (I've lived in California and Washington.) O, humility! So that's 49 for Josh.

By the way, I've never heard of people getting states wrong. When they can't get to fifty, it's because they're forgetting. Then again, I live in the United States. Maybe in England it's a problem? I can imagine it now...

James: New York City? I'm pretty sure that's not a state.
John: Yes it is! Virginia is the one that's not a state.
James: What?
John: It's a commonwealth.
James: Whatever. It's a "state" for all intents and purposes, and New York City isn't.
John: Then how do you get to fifty, moron?
James: The District of Columbia.
John: ...Oh. I forgot that one.
James: (Hee hee hee!)

So what's this for, anyway? It sounds like a social science project.

[nightmare975]

Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Illinois, Louisiana, Washington, Maryland, Maine, Montana, New York, New Hampshire, (10), Kansas, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Missouri, Utah, Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, Ohio, Wyoming, (23), Colorado, New Jersey, Delaware, Iowa, Connecticut, Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, (33), North Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho, Indiana...

37/50

I hope that's reasonable.

[placidchap]

By the way, I've never heard of people getting states wrong. When they can't get to fifty, it's because they're forgetting. Then again, I live in the United States. Maybe in England it's a problem? I can imagine it now...

James: New York City? I'm pretty sure that's not a state.
John: Yes it is! Virginia is the one that's not a state.
James: What?
John: It's a commonwealth.
James: Whatever. It's a "state" for all intents and purposes, and New York City isn't.
John: Then how do you get to fifty, moron?
James: The District of Columbia.
John: ...Oh. I forgot that one.
James: (Hee hee hee!)

And just to make it fair and balanced, as I heard this little gem with my own ears.

Lame Radio Station: What is the capital of Canada?
Lame American: Ontario.

and a co-worker asking me where "New Finland" is.  and by that it turns out, that would be New Foundland...sounds similiar the way it is said, but still humorous, to me anyway.

On topic, I did it backwards.  I looked at a map and if there was a State where I went "oh yea", I counted it as forgotten...did it this way as it was quicker.

I forgot about Minnesota, Idaho, Wyoming and Nebraska. 

[Thought]

Do we get deducted points for excessive information? If not...

Weeellllllll...

There's Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Indianapolis Indiana, and Columbus is the capital of OHhiO!

There's Montgomery, Alabama south of Helena, Montana, then there's Denver Colorado next to Boise Idaho.

Texas has Austin, then we go north to Massachusetts, Boston and Albany New York.

something something Florida, Washington D.C., Sante Fe, New Mexico and Nashville, Tennessee.
Elvis used to hang-out there a lot, you know.

Trenton's in New Jersey, north of Jefferson, Missouri you got Richmond in Virginia, South Dakota has Pierre.

something something's in Pennsylvania and Augustus's up in Maine, and here is Providence Rhode Island next to Clover Delaware.

Concord, New Hampshire, just a quick jaunt to Mountpelier, which is up in Vermont.

Hartford's in Connecticut so pretty in the fall, and Kansas has Topeka, Minnesota has St. Paul.

Juneau's in Alaska and there's Lincoln in Nebraska and it's Raleigh out in North Carolina, and then,
there's Madison, Wisconsin and Olympia in Washington; Phoenix, Arizona and Lansing, Michigan.

Here's Honolulu, Hawaii's a joy. Jackson, Mississippi and Springfield Illinois.

South Carolina with Columbia down the Way, and Annapolis in Maryland on Chesapeake Bay.
They have wonderful clam chowder there.

Cheysomethings is in Wyoming and perhaps you make your home in Salt Lake City out in Utah where the buffalo roam.

Atlanta's down in Georgia and there's Bismark, North Dakota, and you can live in Frankfurt in your old Kentucky home.

Salem, in Oregon, from there we join, Little Rock in Arkansas, Iowa's got Des Moin.

Sacramento, California; Oklahoma and its City; Charleston, West Virginia, and Nevada, Carson City.

And that's all the States (and capitals) there are!

With some mistakes, I'm sure.

EDIT: Now to tally... Made some mistakes on the capitals, but got all the states. And for those who aren't familiar, that was (with some mutilation) the "Wakko Sings the States and Their Capitals" song, from Animaniacs. That TV show is also how I memorized (most) of the Presidents of the United States. Still haven't memorized the Nations of the World song.

[teaflower]

Do we get deducted points for excessive information? If not...

Weeellllllll...

There's Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Indianapolis Indiana, and Columbus is the capital of OHhiO!

There's Montgomery, Alabama south of Helena, Montana, then there's Denver Colorado next to Boise Idaho.

Texas has Austin, then we go north to Massachusetts, Boston and Albany New York.

something something Florida, Washington D.C., Sante Fe, New Mexico and Nashville, Tennessee.
Elvis used to hang-out there a lot, you know.

Trenton's in New Jersey, north of Jefferson, Missouri you got Richmond in Virginia, South Dakota has Pierre.

something something's in Pennsylvania and Augustus's up in Maine, and here is Providence Rhode Island next to Clover Delaware.

Concord, New Hampshire, just a quick jaunt to Mountpelier, which is up in Vermont.

Hartford's in Connecticut so pretty in the fall, and Kansas has Topeka, Minnesota has St. Paul.

Juneau's in Alaska and there's Lincoln in Nebraska and it's Raleigh out in North Carolina, and then,
there's Madison, Wisconsin and Olympia in Washington; Phoenix, Arizona and Lansing, Michigan.

Here's Honolulu, Hawaii's a joy. Jackson, Mississippi and Springfield Illinois.

South Carolina with Columbia down the Way, and Annapolis in Maryland on Chesapeake Bay.
They have wonderful clam chowder there.

Cheysomethings is in Wyoming and perhaps you make your home in Salt Lake City out in Utah where the buffalo roam.

Atlanta's down in Georgia and there's Bismark, North Dakota, and you can live in Frankfurt in your old Kentucky home.

Salem, in Oregon, from there we join, Little Rock in Arkansas, Iowa's got Des Moin.

Sacramento, California; Oklahoma and its City; Charleston, West Virginia, and Nevada, Carson City.

And that's all the States (and capitals) there are!

With some mistakes, I'm sure.

EDIT: Now to tally... Made some mistakes on the capitals, but got all the states. And for those who aren't familiar, that was (with some mutilation) the "Wakko Sings the States and Their Capitals" song, from Animaniacs. That TV show is also how I memorized (most) of the Presidents of the United States. Still haven't memorized the Nations of the World song.

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! *hugs*
I love that song. I love the Animaniaces and now, I LOVE YOU!!! [/creepyfangirl]

[MsBlack]

So what's this for, anyway? It sounds like a social science project.

Science? Hardly. Project? Hardly. Social sciences? Possibly loosely. I’ve wondered for quite a while now how many States I could name and how many various types of American and indeed those from various societies would be able to name. That led to me wondering how these people would know the States they would. I did the exercise myself, submitted the exercise and my answer to Yahoo! Answers and—partly in anticipation of the mediocre responses I would get there—I thought that I might as well post it here.

[Vehek]

I loved that 50 states song when I was a kid.

I haven't posted a list yet, but I was also trying to remember it that way.
("Fifty nifty United States from thirteen original colonies...")