How 5 of the Most Famous U.S. Cities Got Their Confusing Nicknames

2) The Big Easy

The name sounds storied and old but the truth is that the Big Easy only got its name in the last 40 years. It was in the ’70s that the nickname became popular, though there are two people who were instrumental in creating the modern image and name of New Orleans.

Author James Conaway included the term in his 1970 book, The Big Easy, after overhearing the term on the street from two strangers. The other person of note in this story is New Orleans gossip columnist Betty Guillad, who helped popularized the term in what was another lampoon on the the Big Apple, and the name stuck.

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