Name all 50 states in 10 minutes

March 2, 2007 1:30 PM

Don't click this link yet.Think about all 50 United States, and then, when you're ready, click the link. It goes to an ajaxified quiz page, with a timer set to 10 minutes which starts counting down on page load, and a form entry field where you start typing the names of the states. When you get one right it automatically moves to a spontaneously generating list at to the bottom of the page. If the ten minutes elapse & you fail to name all fifty, the ones that you missed are revealed. Okay, now go.
posted by jonson (235 comments total)

Did it in 1:34 (8:26 remaining.) Eat it, 3rd grade chorus "50 States Song"!
posted by neustile at 1:34 PM on March 2, 2007

About 8:30 left (and I'm a slow typer). Fifty Nifty United States FTW!
posted by Rock Steady at 1:36 PM on March 2, 2007

I think i could name them, I just can't spell them.
posted by bondcliff at 1:37 PM on March 2, 2007

Just like 7th grade social studies(you suck ms siefkies), I know the states, just dont know how to spell them all..
posted by tomas316 at 1:38 PM on March 2, 2007

Makes me regret not taking typing class seriously....
posted by MDA38 at 1:39 PM on March 2, 2007

Is it sad that I almost forgot my home state?
posted by C17H19NO3 at 1:42 PM on March 2, 2007

"You forgot: Alabama, Arizona, Kentucky, New Jersey, Wisconsin."

Dammit.
posted by cortex at 1:42 PM on March 2, 2007

I'd like to apologize to the good people of Michigan - it took me almost eight minutes to remember you exist.
posted by Lucinda at 1:43 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Did this last night from Digg.

I forgot Nebraska and Delaware.
What's memorable about those states anyway?
posted by blastrid at 1:44 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot Rhode Island. I live on Rhode Island street.

I did well for five minutes, then the rest was agony. At the end, there were four I just couldn't remember—Delaware, Mississippi, Utah, and the shameful above.
posted by interrobang at 1:44 PM on March 2, 2007

I blew all 10 minutes trying to figure out why it wouldn't accept "Boston."
posted by cribcage at 1:44 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I was all set to brag that I got all fifty with 5:54 remaining. But in my defense I didn't have a song or mnemonic to fall back on.
posted by Pastabagel at 1:45 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot Nebraska and Delaware.

It would be really interesting if this site would collect the names of the most forgotten states and rank them.
posted by interrobang at 1:45 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

You forgot: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Wyoming,

But I managed to sneak Tennessee in at the last second. I spent about eight minutes sitting there going "huh, there's more?"

Caveat/excuse: I am Canadian.
posted by chrominance at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2007

That would be much cooler if they increased the total by, say, 2. So that it always told you you were missing two more than you were. That would be nuts-driving.
posted by gurple at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2007

I'd like to apologize to the good people of Michigan - it took me almost eight minutes to remember you exist.

That's OK. I apparently feel the same way about Maryland.

Also, I had no idea Massachusetts had two t's.
posted by pardonyou? at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2007

I did it yesterday, and tried again today. Yesterday, I missed 5 states, 3 of which started with the letter "M". Today, I missed 3 states, 3 of which started with the letter "M". Conclusion: You should probably avoid starting your potential new 51st state with an "M", because people will forget it exists.
posted by Bugbread at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot Poland.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 1:47 PM on March 2, 2007 [6 favorites has favorites]

It would be really interesting if this site would collect the names of the most forgotten states and rank them.

Yeah. And maybe collect a "home state" value from each participant, to map recall against proximity, maybe.
posted by cortex at 1:47 PM on March 2, 2007

I had trouble with spelling, but what really hurt is I forgot New Jersey. Where I was born.
posted by elwoodwiles at 1:47 PM on March 2, 2007

Its funny that I have not seen Vermont mentioned as a forgotten state. IRL when I tell people that I live there they think I'm from a foreign country.
posted by C17H19NO3 at 1:48 PM on March 2, 2007

Sorry Vermont. No matter how many teddy bears you sold over Valentine's Day, I couldn't remember you. My penance shall be drowning some flapjacks in Vermont maple syrup this weekend (but not at midnite).
posted by schleppo at 1:49 PM on March 2, 2007

Gotcha covered, C17H19NO3.
posted by schleppo at 1:50 PM on March 2, 2007

Wow.
posted by C17H19NO3 at 1:50 PM on March 2, 2007

Connecticut, it ain't my damn fault I only remembered you eight minutes in. You're just not that interesting.
posted by solistrato at 1:51 PM on March 2, 2007

7:44 left.
posted by The White Hat at 1:51 PM on March 2, 2007

That would be much cooler if they increased the total by, say, 2.

Puerto Rico and Guam maybe?
posted by JaredSeth at 1:51 PM on March 2, 2007

Fifty Nifty wins bar bets.
posted by unknowncommand at 1:51 PM on March 2, 2007

I also forgot Vermont. They need to do some self-promotion.
posted by quadog at 1:52 PM on March 2, 2007

Got 49 states in about two minutes. West Virginia took me about five more.
posted by thewittyname at 1:53 PM on March 2, 2007

You forgot:Arizona, Connecticut, Michigan, Nebraska,
posted by empath at 1:54 PM on March 2, 2007

I have all but 2 states in the first three minutes and it took 5 additional minutes to remember the two midwest states I forgot.
posted by mathowie at 1:54 PM on March 2, 2007

47 in 6 minutes. Forgot New Mexico, Wisconsin, and I forget.
posted by sfts2 at 1:56 PM on March 2, 2007

I'll be deep down in the cold cold earth before I ever recognize Missouri.
posted by chlorus at 1:56 PM on March 2, 2007 [4 favorites has favorites]

45 in two minutes. 48 at three. Connecticut at four. But I just couldn't remember Maryland. I gave up and looked up a list instead of waiting the entire time for the last once, since I knew it wasn't coming.

And how can anyone forget the only state in the US shaped like a hand? (Yeah, there's that upper peninsula thingy too, but only the people who live there care about it. :) )
posted by evilangela at 1:57 PM on March 2, 2007

I can't believe it took me almost a minute and a half to spell "Pennsylvania". My brain must be leaking from advanced age.
posted by maryh at 1:58 PM on March 2, 2007

I spent about five minutes on "Mineapolis. Mineanapolis. Minneapolis. Minneanapolis. Mineannapolis. Minniapolos."

Not really a proud moment for me.
posted by Simon! at 1:58 PM on March 2, 2007

Iraq

[enter]

Iraq

[enter]

And nothing. Isn't that weird?
posted by eyeballkid at 1:58 PM on March 2, 2007 [3 favorites has favorites]

Got 49 in about 1:30, spent the next four minutes trying to figure out what I was forgetting.

Fucking Illinois.
posted by saladin at 2:00 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I managed to forget Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Nevada,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Tennessee.
posted by delmoi at 2:00 PM on March 2, 2007

had about 38 in two minutes.....got down to 1:55 trying to remember Connecticut and Colorado
posted by timsteil at 2:02 PM on March 2, 2007

Forgot Colorado and Nevada. Also, Wisconsin. And Iowa.
posted by chlorus at 2:03 PM on March 2, 2007

I had saladin's problem, only I forgot New Mexico. I had a blank map handy in paint (from something else, I assure you) and filled in all the states I had already gotten. Ended up doing it in 6:59.
posted by Cyclopsis Raptor at 2:03 PM on March 2, 2007

Okay, Mrs. Dorgan. You were right. The song would come in handy one day. DAMN you, Mrs. Dorgan.
posted by katillathehun at 2:03 PM on March 2, 2007

Did it with 5:14 left to spare. Could've done it faster were I a better typist, but a lost a lot of time backspacing.
posted by eustacescrubb at 2:04 PM on March 2, 2007

Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas

Okay, who remembers Delaware. The other two made me realize what East and West Coasters mean when they say "flyover states." I couldn't remember the little song and was thinking geographically. My mind kept bouncing from Atlantic to Pacific, occasionally grabbing a stray rectangular state.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 2:04 PM on March 2, 2007

I was sure I was missing something in the South or on the East Coast. But I forgot Nevada! How'd I forget Nevada!!!
posted by mr_roboto at 2:04 PM on March 2, 2007

You forgot:Kansas, West Virginia

*shrugs* Actually, I'm ok with that.
posted by Gamblor at 2:04 PM on March 2, 2007

You forgot:New Jersey

Yes I did. You gotta problem with that?
posted by mcstayinskool at 2:05 PM on March 2, 2007

If failing this quiz is the only detriment to successfully blocking New Jersey from my mind, I can live with that.
posted by zennie at 2:05 PM on March 2, 2007

I should have mentioned in the post that it's frequently necessary and totally legit to have a second tab open set to google, and to type in shit like Massachussetts just to see the "did you mean Massachusetts? response, which you can then copy/paste and keep going.

Also, I should have mentioned that this is not open to people who know a song that mentions all the states, because those people are cheaters, and cheaters never win.
posted by jonson at 2:05 PM on March 2, 2007

2:45 left. I couldn't spell Massachusetts so that killed about 90 seconds for me. The states that I had to beat my brain to remember were Kentucky, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Hawaii, Utah, and Alaska.
posted by joseph_elmhurst at 2:10 PM on March 2, 2007

No memory tricks, other than a political map in my head.
posted by joseph_elmhurst at 2:10 PM on March 2, 2007

Got them in four minutes and forty seconds. Last two minutes was spent trying to think of Utah.

Just for the record, I don't trust those square states in the middle.
posted by marxchivist at 2:11 PM on March 2, 2007

Got kansas with about 20 seconds to spare
posted by Space Coyote at 2:11 PM on March 2, 2007

I got forty-nine in five minutes and spent the last five minutes racking my brain to no avail. Apparently Missouri never made much of an impression on me.
posted by Jess the Mess at 2:12 PM on March 2, 2007

I'm with jonson on this one. I couldn't spell Massachusetts for like 2 minutes. Then I stalled with 48 completed. Time ran out and I had forgotten New Hampshire (you are dead to me, you fucking political craphead) and Wyoming (and I've been there, just thought is was Idaho, because just like Idaho, there ain't nothing there).

I feel dumb now.
posted by daq at 2:12 PM on March 2, 2007

Okay, who remembers Delaware.

I probably wouldn't, if not for Wayne's World.
posted by cribcage at 2:12 PM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

You obviously haven't seen their new public image campaign: "Are you aware...of Delaware?"
posted by hydrophonic at 2:13 PM on March 2, 2007

It took me a full minute to get the last one: Michigan. Why? 'Cause I don't give a damn for the whole state of it.
posted by psmealey at 2:14 PM on March 2, 2007

...and for the bonus prize, locate the US on a world map.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:14 PM on March 2, 2007

Okay, who remembers Delaware.

The ironic thing was that Delaware and wyoming both popped into my head immediately as examples of states people don't mention much.

The states I couldn't remember are all states that I know something about: Idaho (Napolian Dynamite), Kentucky (KFC), Maine (I remembered the shape and location of the state, but couldn't remember the damn name!), Nevada (las vegas),
New Hampshire (First primary, the granite state), New Jersey (Pretty well known due to proximity to NYC), and Tennessee (Al Gore, Nashville). The only state I "legitimately" "forgot" about was Indiana.
posted by delmoi at 2:16 PM on March 2, 2007

It took me eight minutes to remember the state i'm currently in.
posted by danb at 2:17 PM on March 2, 2007

I missed five: Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, and South Carolina.

(And Poland!)

Not too bad for a foreigner.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:17 PM on March 2, 2007

5:24 left. Not bad.
posted by silas216 at 2:17 PM on March 2, 2007

All but two in 2:30, then another 1:11 for the last two. Not too hard if you try to go in some kind of geographical order...
posted by equalpants at 2:17 PM on March 2, 2007

Caveat/excuse: I am Canadian.

Shit, that's pretty good. I'd be hard pressed trying to name any of the territories, enclaves or whatever the hell else it is you guys have up there.
Provinces? Dominions? Shires?
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 2:18 PM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

"You forgot:Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Utah, Wisconsin"

About 7 minutes in, when I was desperately trying to remember the last 10 states, I made the wild guess of South Carolina. I wasn't actually sure it was state, but it figured, hey, if there is a north, there should be a south, right?
posted by nooneyouknow at 2:18 PM on March 2, 2007

Got 49 in about six seconds. Spent seven minutes dredging up Mississippi from my tortured brain. And I regret it, now.
posted by maxwelton at 2:18 PM on March 2, 2007

else
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 2:18 PM on March 2, 2007

I was able to enter the states as fast as I could type, using the following technique: zip through all combinations of two letters in your head—AA AB AC ... NY NZ MA MB ... ZX ZY ZZ. If you know your postal codes, you'll readily recognize them in your mental list. Though 676 combinations may seem like a lot, you might be surprised at how fast you can process them.

Having said all that, I still missed Nevada.
posted by king walnut at 2:18 PM on March 2, 2007

How the fuck do you spell deleware?
posted by four panels at 2:22 PM on March 2, 2007

5:49 seconds left 1 state to go... Finally figured out that Wisconsin existed with a spare 38 seconds :)
posted by TNLNYC at 2:23 PM on March 2, 2007

Got up to 48 fairly quickly, then couldn't figure out the last two. Finally it hit me: North and South Carolina. Duh.
posted by jefbla at 2:24 PM on March 2, 2007

49/50. I forgot Tennessee. My bad.

I got about 38 in the first several minutes, then had to visualize the map puzzle I used to play with as a kid to remember the others.
posted by mogget at 2:24 PM on March 2, 2007

Utah. Utah and Utah. Whatever the hell that is...
posted by Skygazer at 2:25 PM on March 2, 2007

I did alright for a Canuck, I got all but Connecticut after about 3 minutes by visualising a map and working from west to east. Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho...New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Conetticut, Conneticut, Connetticut, Conniticulur... FUCK MOTHERFUCKER FUCK! I finally got it right after about 2 minutes of guessing because of a typo. I wish I had known google was allowed.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:25 PM on March 2, 2007

Almost forgot as a caveat/excuse: I'm French :)
posted by TNLNYC at 2:25 PM on March 2, 2007

Got all the blue states in less than two minutes... the rest took me a good long while, with Texas coming in dead last with two minutes to go. Guess size really doesn't matter.
posted by bloomicy at 2:25 PM on March 2, 2007

As a Canadian, I am fairly proud of my 48.

It would have been 49 if I could remember how to spell ‘Massachusetts.’

PS. Which one did I forget entirely? One hint: while there are a few sets of North-South states, there is only one ‘West’ state.

PPS. One more hint: start with the ones you have visited. Then, do the coasts. Then, think of the states major cities are in. Then, think about recent news events, prominent primary elections, and whatever else can possibly assist you in the last couple of minutes.
posted by sindark at 2:25 PM on March 2, 2007

All in all, I had 4:41 left.
posted by [expletive deleted] at 2:26 PM on March 2, 2007

I bet I could get all ten Canadian provinces in WAY less than ten minutes! Heck, I'll even throw in the territories.
posted by arcticwoman at 2:26 PM on March 2, 2007

[expletive deleted]: Google was allowed? Damnit! That doesn't sound like playing fair...
posted by TNLNYC at 2:26 PM on March 2, 2007

Once you're done there, check out this comic over at Diesel Sweeties entitled '50 States, Fifty Slogans.'
posted by Effigy2000 at 2:27 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

And how can anyone forget the only state in the US shaped like a hand? (Yeah, there's that upper peninsula thingy too, but only the people who live there care about it. :) )

Actually, West Virginia is shaped like a hand, too. It's just, you know, giving you the finger.
posted by 1-2punch at 2:28 PM on March 2, 2007

I have to confess the Frank Sinatra song "Fifty Nifty United States" gave me the win, too. Did everyone have to sing that song?

Also, nobody trusts those square states in the middle, Marxchivist. NOBODY.
posted by smashingstars at 2:29 PM on March 2, 2007

All but 3 in 4 minutes, then it took me until 49 seconds remaining to remember Idaho, Louisiana, and Illinois, which is odd because I lived in Chicago for 5 years, but I guess I always thought of myself as "living in Chicago" as opposed to "living in Illinois."

Interesting that this "all but a few in a few minutes, a lot for the rest" is pretty much a constant. It's as if our memories are in two completely separate stores.
posted by epugachev at 2:29 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot Idaho and Oklahoma. At least I didn't forget anything important.
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:30 PM on March 2, 2007

Got it with 2:19 remaining. I had 49, and it took about 5 minutes to think of Wisconsin. Then I couldn't figure out how to spell it. Bah.
posted by obvious at 2:31 PM on March 2, 2007

I had a great argument with my unconscious mind, though:

Conscious Mind: "Ok, Fargo, where is Fargo?"
Unconscious Mind: "South Carolina"
Conscious Mind: "What?! It's blisteringly cold and snowy in Fargo. What do you mean, 'South Carolina'?"
Unconscious Mind: "South Carolina"
Conscious Mind: "No, stop! Fargo is up north, not in South Carolina"
Unconscious Mind: "West Virginia"
Conscious Mind: "Would you stop that?! Fargo is a winter wasteland. It's not in West Virginia!"
Unconscious Mind: "South Carolina"
Conscious Mind: "I already told you to stop with South Carolina! Now, c'mon, Fargo. Fargo, Fargo, Fargo..."
Unconscious Mind: "Alabama"
Conscious Mind: "Ok, fine, fuck you, unconscious mind, you're fired."
posted by Bugbread at 2:31 PM on March 2, 2007 [17 favorites has favorites]

48 and stuck. I remembered Utah but forget to type it (damn Ohio distracted me, then I had to do the whole midwest), and remembered Delaware but not its name.
posted by cillit bang at 2:32 PM on March 2, 2007

You forgot:Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin,
posted by ColdChef at 2:33 PM on March 2, 2007

I suck.
posted by ColdChef at 2:34 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I should have mentioned in the post that it's frequently necessary and totally legit to have a second tab open set to google, and to type in shit like Massachussetts just to see the "did you mean Massachusetts? response, which you can then copy/paste and keep going.

That's exactly what I did after spelling it wrong three times. Massachusettes. Massachussettes? Masachusettes!?! I missed Wyoming. I knew it was at the end of the alphabet because the list ended with a comma, but I just couldn't think of it. Which is funny because the only state-themed song I know is Seinfeld's "Oh Yes! Wyoming" (mp3).
posted by scottreynen at 2:34 PM on March 2, 2007

48 states in 2 minutes. Delaware and Massachusetts took me minutes. Stupid little states.
posted by birdherder at 2:36 PM on March 2, 2007

Got 47 in the first two minutes by visualizing a map, but couldn't remember which bits of the map I'd already typed. Got Nevada and Delaware in the last four minutes, then had to sit and wait for it to tell me I'd forgotten Iowa.

Could've done it real fast on a blank map, though.

I'm so embarrassed.
posted by dilettante at 2:39 PM on March 2, 2007

STUPID STUPID DELAWARE.

I had 49 at 6 minutes but blocked on the last one. I started with Washington and worked my way across the map mentally. What do I know about the east coast? It's so far away...
posted by jeffamaphone at 2:39 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot Minnesota and New Jersey, both states in which I've spent some considerable time. Drat!
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:39 PM on March 2, 2007

I think that Kentucky and Oklahoma should be removed from statehood due to complete unmemorability. Fucking Kentucky? Who lives there except the Derby?
posted by mckenney at 2:41 PM on March 2, 2007

Got it with 7:50 to spare. I don't know any song, either. Just a good mental image of a US map, and running through them roughly west-to-east and north-to-south.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 2:44 PM on March 2, 2007

Another 2:00 here, courtesy of the aforementioned Fifty Nifty, which I had to learn in fourth grade choir, and which does indeed win bar bets. "Not only can I name all 50, I can do it alphabetically," she slurred.

(The corollary challenge is finding that sweet spot between drunk and too-drunk, to prevent accidentally singing through the state names. Nothing takes the wind out of the sails of the Ship of Smartass like singing a children's geography song aloud in a bar.)
posted by pineapple at 2:45 PM on March 2, 2007

48 out of 48.

I'll be damned if I recognise Alaska & Hawaii, the freak states.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:48 PM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I remembered West Virginia but not Virginia?! Also, Iowa.

It was a boring game, so I pretendeded that the United States had to cede the territory I missed to the filthy commies.
posted by dgaicun at 2:49 PM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I was all ready to post the three states I forgot, but it seems I've forgotten them again.
posted by JT at 2:50 PM on March 2, 2007

I only got 35, low even for a Canadian - although I think my wife would get approximately 3. I am going to learn that damn song and try again!
posted by arcticwoman at 2:52 PM on March 2, 2007

90%! That's an A!
posted by 23skidoo at 2:52 PM on March 2, 2007

Damn you, Utah!
posted by amarynth at 2:55 PM on March 2, 2007

Done in 4:41
posted by briank at 2:55 PM on March 2, 2007

8:48... Oddly enough i think i'd be able to do Europe in about 1/3 the time, odd because i'm in Michigan.

Wishful thinking, perhaps.
posted by phylum sinter at 2:58 PM on March 2, 2007

Oh boy.. while singing "Fifty Nifty" aloud, I realized how unforgivably tone deaf I am.
posted by somersault at 2:58 PM on March 2, 2007

When I was in high school, taking non-honors history because I didn't want to listen to the guy who taught it just remembering the Revolution from his childhood and whatnot, the first day we had a map quiz. I filled in 49 and then just stared at Iowa for the rest of the time allotted. So I never forget Iowa after that humiliation.

Thankfully, as a young archaeologist I did 'cheap' digs instead of going off to Crete or any of that nonsense, so I did learn the geography around the Dakotas and Missouri. And roadtrips to Florida and Utah helped a lot.

That being said, I would also like to apologize to Wisconsin. You have fine cheeses, I am sure. But I've never travelled there, so you went right out of my brain.
posted by cobaltnine at 2:59 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot Wisconsin and Washington (they were at the end of the song, and I never really learned the ending) and I couldn't spell IL or CT.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:02 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

2 minutes left, and still missing 6 states...ugh

You forgot:Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Utah, Wyoming

not that bad...it's really a spelling test too : >
posted by amberglow at 3:02 PM on March 2, 2007

(I never learned that song in elementary school)
posted by amberglow at 3:03 PM on March 2, 2007

low even for a Canadian

Now I'll try and name the 50 states of Canada! Let's see there's Alberta, um, Sasquatchawan, Toronto, New Foundland, St. Bernard, French-Canadian, Finland, Moose Brunswick. . . hmmm. Give me a few more minutes.
posted by dgaicun at 3:04 PM on March 2, 2007 [6 favorites has favorites]

All but three, but hey, if most promotional offers are restricted to the continental United States then Alaska and Hawaii can suck it.

...also in spite of Skinny Puppy and Drew Carey's best efforts, I completely forgot about Ohio.
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 3:04 PM on March 2, 2007

I just tried this [shockwave]. My painful singing did not help this situation out, to say the least.
posted by somersault at 3:06 PM on March 2, 2007

s Alberta, um, Sasquatchawan, Toronto, New Foundland, St. Bernard, French-Canadian, Finland, Moose Brunswick

Poutine, Maplelandia, Arctica, Native Americana, Snowglobe-ia, ...

; >
posted by amberglow at 3:06 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Listened to "fifty nifty" three times and improved my score by 8. Pretty good, I think. 86%
posted by arcticwoman at 3:08 PM on March 2, 2007

1. can you name the capital of each of the states?
2. can you tell us which states pay more into the federal govt than they get back and which get more back than they pay back.
3. name the fastest growing state
4. name the stae (other than the one you live in) you would most like to live in
5. name the state you most want NOT to live in
6. name the state where my mother-in-law lives
7. which state has the most nude beaches
8. people that live ______, a part of the US, refer to "going to America" when they go to which state?
9 What happened to The State of Innocense
posted by Postroad at 3:10 PM on March 2, 2007

"Each individual state contributes a quality that is great. Each individual state deserves a bow. Let's salute them now!" It's not a memory trick, it's a lifestyle.
posted by unknowncommand at 3:11 PM on March 2, 2007

Your mother-in-law lives in a state of denial.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 3:11 PM on March 2, 2007

dgaicun and amberglow - close. You forgot that Toronto counts twice.
posted by arcticwoman at 3:12 PM on March 2, 2007

I found myself re-fighting The Civil War in my head there for a bit.
posted by Cyrano at 3:12 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I am not from the USA, have lived here for little more than a year, and never memorized the song. I wonder how other foreigners did it. Have you memorized the names of the states? Traveled? Cheated?

First I filled in the states I have visited (most of both coasts, excluding the little ones on the top right), then the ones most used by my fellow countrymen to illegally cross into the USA (Texas, Arizona) and the places where they get the good jobs (Chicago in Illinois, New Orleans in Louisiana), and finally those that popped into my mind from absorbed popular culture (we are not in Kansas anymore, Delaware Punch grape soda, Hawaiian Pucnh red colored soda, sweet home Alabama, Bill CLinton from Arkansas, Salt lake City winter Olympics in Utah, etc...). With 7 minutes left I stopped trying.

I forgot 11, Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Most of those I have no reason to remember, but Nevada? Weird.
posted by Dataphage at 3:14 PM on March 2, 2007

Forgot to mention, I tried with Mexico's 30 states, got 28 in 2 minutes (just wrote the initials on a piece of paper), took me 20 minutes to remember the other 2.
posted by Dataphage at 3:15 PM on March 2, 2007

I remember learning the capitals via a Rockapella song (from Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego). I owned the cassette. Man, I loved that show.
posted by arcticwoman at 3:15 PM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I give credit to the non-USA people. I'm not sure I could name all the provinces in Canada, and there's no way I could name more than a few provinces/territories/etc in any other country.

Anyway, I missed Massachusetts. Never been there.
posted by desjardins at 3:17 PM on March 2, 2007

You forgot that Toronto counts twice.

Only because the Torontonians lose track and have to start over.
posted by juv3nal at 3:18 PM on March 2, 2007

I only got 35, low even for a Canadian

Yukon Territory, Northwest Territory, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland.

And as I check my work before making some snark about:
1. how awesome I am for knowing all the provinces and territories, and
2. how provincial, backwards Canadians must be to focus only on Canada, while we Yanks like me are so worldly,
I realize that its "Newfoundland and Labrador", and that Nunavut is its own territory?! Either my brain has decayed since I was a kid, or those fucking Canadians had to go and change a bunch of shit on me.
posted by Kwantsar at 3:20 PM on March 2, 2007

Yeah, as a non-American who has not traveled down that way I was quite impressed with how much I knew. I think we just pick it up from pop-culture.
Like:
Stephen King books are in Maine.
"Ooooooo-klahoma where the something somethings in the something,"
Sufjan Steven's "Illinoise,"
"M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I, I-P-P-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-M"
That 70s Show - "Hello Wisconsin!"
Gay folks got married in Vermont (and Hawaii)
Mormons are from Utah
Idaho potatoes
Kentucy fried creatures
etc...
posted by arcticwoman at 3:26 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Good job, Kwantsar.
Nunavut has been its own territory since the early to mid 90s, and I still get mixed up on the Newfoundland and Labrador bit.
posted by arcticwoman at 3:28 PM on March 2, 2007

I got it in 1:48, and in alphabetical order. Thanks, elementary school music teacher!
posted by padraigin at 3:29 PM on March 2, 2007

oh yeah? Well I got it in under 1 minute in alphabetical order and I also said the name of the capitol aloud while typing. Oh, and I'm on a Pentium 90 that's dialed into AOL.
posted by drstein at 3:33 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Damn, I missed Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts and Minnesota. The US really has too many M states.
posted by gfrobe at 3:34 PM on March 2, 2007

I had 49 and I never even thought of Utah. I even made a mental map, and couldn't even see where another state would go.
posted by KingoftheWhales at 3:34 PM on March 2, 2007

"Imagine being magically transported to Delaware.
...
Hi.

I'm in Delaware."
posted by drjimmy11 at 3:34 PM on March 2, 2007

Damn you Iowa, Kentucky and Minnesota.
posted by sbrollins at 3:38 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot Louisiana. I could be the next director of FEMA!
posted by booth at 3:41 PM on March 2, 2007 [8 favorites has favorites]

Arizona, Arkansas, and Michigan.

That game reminds me of coding. "This is going to rock! It'll be easy! Yeah! Look how fast I'm going!"

[time passes]

"Fuck this."
posted by jragon at 3:43 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

Am I the only one who forgot Florida?

Like everyone else, I got 46 states or so with 8:30 remaining, and that because I spelled Massachusetts wrongly a time or two, then slowly unearthed Utah, Oklahoma, .... Wyoming... Florida to finish with a pathetic 5:43 remaining.
posted by janell at 3:43 PM on March 2, 2007

Fuckin Wisconsin.
posted by googly at 3:46 PM on March 2, 2007

7:28.

The last minute was spent trying to remember Rhode Island. Crazy, crazy Rhode Island.
posted by sparkletone at 3:46 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot 6, Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, North Dakota and
South Dakota

I wonder how other foreigners did it. Have you memorized the names of the states? Traveled? Cheated?

I started with Hawaii and Alaska, then I filled in the states I've been to (which is only New York and some New England states, although for some reason I forgot Maine), then the ones that people I know have been to, then Delaware because I remembered that I just recently found out it existed. The rest was pop-cultural stuff and random associations (Ben&Jerry's is from Vermont, My Own Private Idaho, Brandon and Brenda were from Minnesota...).
posted by snownoid at 3:54 PM on March 2, 2007

Huh. Apparently we have a state called Arkansas. It is completely missing from my mental map of the US.
posted by litlnemo at 3:55 PM on March 2, 2007

mckenny: Fucking Kentucky? Who lives there except the Derby?

Well, we brought you Abraham Lincoln and Muhammad Ali (among many others). I realize they're not well-known, but we're trying.

Also, the Derby is not a person. It's an event. Thanks for playing.

I had trouble because it made my list alphabetical. I'm very spatially-oriented so I was working my way through an imaginary map. I would have remembered the States more quickly if I could see what was missing around States I had already written in (in clumps by location).
posted by Slothrop at 3:58 PM on March 2, 2007

I did them by clumps. New England, Tri-State, Deep South, Pacific Northwest, Midwest, the Tuckies (KY, TN, and WV), Southwest, the Inset States (HI, AK), &c.

And then I spent like 3 minutes trying to remember Florida, which isn't in a group!

But I got it eventually so it's okay.
posted by aubilenon at 3:58 PM on March 2, 2007

Excuse me, it's "mckenney". My apologies.
posted by Slothrop at 3:58 PM on March 2, 2007

I got 28, which I think is reasonably good for a drunk Englishman.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:59 PM on March 2, 2007

Nebraska. Damn you Nebraska!!!
posted by cell divide at 4:03 PM on March 2, 2007

It wouldn't accept Iraq for some reason.
posted by psmealey at 4:07 PM on March 2, 2007

Ugh, 42 states. Couldn't remember the rest.
posted by every_one_needs_a_hug_sometimes at 4:08 PM on March 2, 2007

Missed Rhode Island legitimately. Fuck them. Missed Connecticut by the skin of that goddamned silent C. Never been to either and never will, good day sir!

(I once broke up a relationship by being able to remember all of the Canadian territories, including Nunavet, but that skill seems to only be with me when I drink. Maybe I'm secretly Canadian!)
posted by klangklangston at 4:11 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot Kansas (but remembered Arkansas), Indiana, Nebraska, and Montana. I've been to Montana.
posted by Uccellina at 4:18 PM on March 2, 2007

There are 41 states in roll truck roll's America. And I've been to all but one of the other 9. I hate myself.
posted by roll truck roll at 4:18 PM on March 2, 2007

You forgot Arkansas, California, New Hampshire,

I fucking LIVE in California.
That's just sad...
posted by OhPuhLeez at 4:19 PM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

I also cannot spell Connecticut. I was going going to start in the NE from Maine down and work my way around. It didn't work out so well. Maine - OK. Vermont -OK Rhode Island - OK. Conneticut -no Conneticuit - no massacheusets - no Screw this I quit.
posted by thecjm at 4:20 PM on March 2, 2007

this is for the guy tallying up the forgotten states to determine the list of Most Forgettables:

I forgot Vermont, Maryland and Illonois.
posted by ElmerFishpaw at 4:20 PM on March 2, 2007

No who's going to link to the quiz where you have an empty US (or better yet Europe) and have to place the states (or tiny countries) like puzzle pieces?
posted by thecjm at 4:21 PM on March 2, 2007

Fucking Midwest. It's the same on "map the states" tests.
posted by gottabefunky at 4:25 PM on March 2, 2007

I'm quite surprised at the lack of Indiana forgetfulness. Everyone forgets my state. I suppose it may have to do with that one sports team we have that won that one thing...
posted by Phantomx at 4:26 PM on March 2, 2007

I got the fifty. I felt like Jack Bauer there at the end.
Gahhh! Rhode Island!
Did I save the world?
posted by nj_subgenius at 4:31 PM on March 2, 2007

fifty nifty saves my ass all the time!!
posted by stackmonster at 4:31 PM on March 2, 2007

I got 49 in under 2 minutes. Somehow I missed Colorado for another minute or so. Strange since my inlaws just moved from there.
posted by saladpants at 4:32 PM on March 2, 2007

Forgot Utah. That was oddly frustrating.
posted by EarBucket at 4:36 PM on March 2, 2007

You forgot: Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Wyoming

How the fuck do you forget Massachusetts?
posted by trip and a half at 4:52 PM on March 2, 2007

I have a system: I always put down Delaware first, because that's the one that Ross Gellar forgot. And then I put down Wyoming, because it's the one I will leave out of my mental map, every single time.

Damn Utah.
posted by donajo at 4:59 PM on March 2, 2007

New Jersey? Fugottaboutit.
posted by wanderingmind at 4:59 PM on March 2, 2007

OK, since I a) have nothing better to do and b) am not ashamed to admit that I have nothing better to do...

The most forgotten state, judging by responses in this thread so far, is ...drum roll please... we have a tie! Wisconsin and Utah, with 9 mentions each. New Jersey is third, with 7 mentions; Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Wyoming have 6 each.

States which no one has forgotten (or at least admitted to forgetting) so far: Florida, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

I counted explicit and implied mentions of not being able to get states in the 10-minute period, whether from actual forgetting or from not being able to spell correctly. I did not count "It took me several minutes to remember X but I finally got it before the time was up."
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 5:03 PM on March 2, 2007

got to 40 states and thought: "Why the hell didn't I just do ^u at the beginning?"
posted by tarheelcoxn at 5:05 PM on March 2, 2007

About 1 1/2 minutes for the first 49, and another minute to remember Kentucky.

Speaking from the memorably-shaped state of Maryland, I go by the visual method--how's that state shaped? Then use the alphabet... "M" is a heavily populated letter.

I used to recite the states at night (insomnia relief). I used to recite African countries as well, but the names kept changing. Tough to fall asleep when you're annoyed.
posted by datawrangler at 5:14 PM on March 2, 2007

I went through them all geographically in my head. Due to some spelling snafus, it took me about 4 minutes to get all the way to Alaska and Hawaii, at which time I realized I was missing three, although I did forget New Jersey for a short bit, but realized that mistake by Tennessee.

Shortly after getting to Alaska and Hawaii I realized I had forgotten Oregon the first time down the west coast.

Of course, having forgotten Connecticut and Rhode Island, and thinking surely I hadn't missed any of New England it took me another 4 and a half minutes to go through them all carefully and realize my mistake, at which time I had 20 seconds left. :(

Oh well, at least I got them all the first time around, but my 7th grade Geography teacher would be rather disappointed. My biggest spelling problem, surprisingly, was Wisconsin. For some reason, it's Wisconson to me. The number of esses in Massachusetts also got me down..I wanted to spell it Massachussetts. Oops.

litlnemo: You're obviously not up on your Wal-Mart hating. ;)
posted by wierdo at 5:15 PM on March 2, 2007

You said name all 50 states. I named them. I just gave them the wrong names.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 5:20 PM on March 2, 2007 [2 favorites has favorites]

Oh, Delaware. If only I had remembered that dumb song.

What did Delaware, boys, what did Delaware?
What did Delaware, boys, what did Delaware?
She wore her brand New Jersey, that's what she did wear.

How did Wisconsin, boys, stole a New brass key (Nebraska, I guess)
Too bad that Arkansas, boys, and so did Tennessee
It made poor Flora-die, boys, it made poor Flora-die you see
She died in Missouri, boys she died in Missouri

What did Mississipp, boys, what did Missa Sip
What did Mississipp, boys, through her pretty lips
She sipped a Minnesota, that's what she did sip

Why did Cali phone ya, why did Cali phone?
Why did Cali phone ya, was she all alone?
She phoned to saw Hawaii, that's why she did phone

Where has Ora-gon, boys, where has Ora-gon
If you want Alaska, Alaska where she's gone
She went to pay her Texas, that's where she has gone
posted by GaelFC at 5:25 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

SINCE WHEN DOES MASSACHUSETS HAVE TWO FUCKING T'S???

*throws an Atlas across the room*
posted by ZachsMind at 7:12 PM on March 2, 2007

My daughter got them in 2:02 with me typing (badly).
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:22 PM on March 2, 2007

"Forgot Utah. That was oddly frustrating."

Dude.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:23 PM on March 2, 2007

It helped to remember -

Maine at the top, of the chart, Has crushed my evil heart.
Montana was a leg
We must eat Michigan's brain
In a big South Carolina wreck, I crashed my bicyle
Iowa is a witch,
West Virginia, Why don't you come outside with
me?
Noone like New Hampshire man,
The ship was shaped like Arkansas, and the hull was formed without a flaw,
Go man go, driving my house to Idaho,
Oregon is bad, stop it if you can.
I forget you, I forget Utah.
La la la la, Pennsylvaniaaaaa.
Nevada, Nevada, The dream of every gal
Nevada, Nevada, It's every boy's pal
posted by tomble at 7:30 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

You forgot:Minnesota

I managed to get around 40 or so of them in the first three minutes, and then some of the rest trickled in as time went by. It's really annoying to get to 49, have time left, and be frantically trying to visualize a US map in your head.
posted by Godbert at 7:37 PM on March 2, 2007

I forgot New Jersey. On a related note, there is a man I've met at the train station here in Korea who can recite the states to me in alphabetical order. Even more impressive was when one of my friends heard him do it in order of statehood.
posted by vagabond at 7:38 PM on March 2, 2007

You forgot:Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana,
Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada,
New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Wyoming,

In my defence: a Brit living in Canada. I was surprised I got so many, in truth.

I always miss those center states because my mental map of the state if constructed from the edges, like a jigsaw.
posted by sweet mister at 7:49 PM on March 2, 2007

got 'em all except wyoming. wyoming just isn't very important in the overall scheme of things.
posted by bruce at 7:50 PM on March 2, 2007

Forgot Arkansas and New Jersey
posted by UseyurBrain at 7:57 PM on March 2, 2007

Maryland, Mississippi, Utah... what are they really good for, anyways?
posted by deCadmus at 8:14 PM on March 2, 2007

I got 48 in a minute and 40 seconds, and it took me another 50 seconds to remember Iowa and Idaho.
posted by oaf at 8:15 PM on March 2, 2007

Damn you Vermont!
posted by cashman at 8:18 PM on March 2, 2007

This Canuck got 45. Missed:

* Arizona (I was trying to think of where that prick McCain comes from, but mixed it up with New Mexico)
* Maryland (thought I had worked through all the DC area states, but -- oops! And guess what my first name is)
* Michigan (I can never face my friends in Detroit again)
* Montana (another case of a similar state -- northwestern-ish prairie/mountain state Wyoming -- filling up my quota)
* Nebraska (never was a Springsteen fan)
posted by maudlin at 8:22 PM on March 2, 2007

I missed:
Arizona, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Wisconsin,
Wyoming

Got 44 in first 4 minutes and then completely stalled. My grandmother is a Canadienne in my defense.
posted by Aghast. at 8:29 PM on March 2, 2007

I'm down with all the responses about spelling. Where's Bill Gates when you need him?
posted by thetenthstory at 9:09 PM on March 2, 2007

1:50 with 8:10 left. Yeah, thanks "50 States Song." They are much easier to remember in alphabetical order. Some are tricky to spell though.
posted by inconsequentialist at 9:11 PM on March 2, 2007

Delaware and Iowa!

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!
posted by Colloquial Collision at 9:12 PM on March 2, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

I got the first 48 pretty quickly. It took a moment of thinking to get Vermont, and then it took me from about 6 minutes down to the last 33 seconds to remember Indiana for some reason. In fact, I had given up at about 1:30 and was just waiting for the countdown to end when Indiana jumped in my head.

I apologize to the Hoosiers.
posted by Ynoxas at 9:59 PM on March 2, 2007

Missed Maryland.
posted by Oriole Adams at 10:44 PM on March 2, 2007

Arizona and Nebraska
posted by mach at 11:47 PM on March 2, 2007

I got most of them right away, in a couple of minutes I had 49.

I went all the way to the end without remembering Tennessee.
posted by blacklite at 12:14 AM on March 3, 2007

At first I was proud that I could name all 50 in less than two minutes. But given that I typed them out so quickly by memory thanks to the Fifty Nifty song makes me feel like a cheater. No one should be too incredibly proud about learning and memorizing the lyrics to a song. I feel now like I was simply typing up lyrics instead of really testing my knowledge. So, for those of you who got all 50 or even a few less, you have my respect.
posted by inconsequentialist at 12:23 AM on March 3, 2007 [1 favorite has favorites]

You forgot: Connecticut. Connecticut?!

I had no idea. (Canuck)
posted by dreamsign at 12:43 AM on March 3, 2007

I been ever-ee-where, man.

Took me a bit (spelling).
posted by Smedleyman at 1:11 AM on March 3, 2007

Nifty Fifty, all the way baby. 8:11 seconds!

A small side-note. I would have probably gotten them done in 8:30 if it hadn't been for the rather annoying part in the middle of the song after the whole Ohio part where it's all convoluted and disjointed. You know... NEW Jersey NEW Mexico NEW York North Carolina North Dakota... Ohiiiiiiooooo!... Oklahomaoregonpennsylvaniarhodeisland...

Come on, that just never rhymed and never worked in the song. So... sorry, Oklahoma.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:12 AM on March 3, 2007

(Oh, and that's 8:11 remaining, not elapsed!)
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 1:13 AM on March 3, 2007

"You forgot:Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana,
New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee"

Dammit. And that was with my gf's help. Though, to be fair I'm Canadian and she's Irish. Never had to learn all the states back in school.
posted by antifuse at 1:33 AM on March 3, 2007

All of them except Maryland within 2 minutes. Maryland ... never in a million years. I hate New England -- such a mess of little states, you can't even put their names rightly on them on a map, but instead have to use unsightly little arrows.
posted by moonbiter at 2:03 AM on March 3, 2007

I forgot Louisiana. It's exciting -- it's the first thing I have in common with the Bush Administration.
posted by veggieboy at 4:04 AM on March 3, 2007

Your forgotten state sucks.

I started in the top left, and worked my way downand then back up all the way across the country.Then filled in the blanks by running through assorted athletic conferences, and bowl game appearances. Apparently Notre Dame isn't a state.

In the end I forgot Wyoming, and New Hampshire. Henceforth to be known as the godless football hating commie states.
posted by billyfleetwood at 4:04 AM on March 3, 2007

Other things I forgot include (but are not necessarily limited to): Seeing if someone had made a similarly hilarious joke earlier.
posted by veggieboy at 4:06 AM on March 3, 2007

As always, the Simpsons can be illuminating:

"Homer: (pointing to the US flag) Please identify this object.

Apu: It appears to be the flag that disappeared from the public library last year.

Homer: Correct. Now, we all know the thirteen strips are for good luck, but why does the American flag have precisely forty-seven stars?

Apu: Because this particular flag is ridiculously out of date! The library must have purchased it during the brief period in 1912 after New Mexico became a state but before Arizona did!

Homer: Uh, partial credit."
posted by sindark at 5:03 AM on March 3, 2007

As an Australian, I found View->Page Source very useful.
posted by flabdablet at 5:42 AM on March 3, 2007

As an Australian, "You forgot:Arizona, Delaware, Oklahoma, West Virginia".

Which is very, very fucking surprising. I don't know why I know that many US states.
posted by Jimbob at 5:59 AM on March 3, 2007

Maybe I'm secretly Canadian!

Not if you keep spelling it Nunavet, you aren't.
posted by Hildegarde at 6:20 AM on March 3, 2007

ha. i had one missing, and i KNEW it was a southern state. i just kept going over the map, east to west, in my head. FUCK YOU, LOUISIANA. maybe i have a mental block because i'm so sad i never got to see new orleans before the hurricane.
posted by timory at 7:14 AM on March 3, 2007

WHY ISN'T PUERTO RICO A FUCKING STATE YET?

*throws an Atlas across the room*
posted by ZachsMind at 7:58 AM on March 3, 2007

It took me a full minute to get the last one: Michigan. Why? 'Cause I don't give a damn for the whole state of it.

psmealey's from O-hi-ooooooo!

Walked through the mental map and got 49 in less than two minutes. Delaware didn't make it onto the mental map in eight minutes of successive walkthroughs. Sorry, Delaware.
posted by Kwine at 8:02 AM on March 3, 2007

North Kentucky... Errr.. New York.... bob?
posted by tehloki at 8:29 AM on March 3, 2007

According to disaster movies, the entire east coast of the U.S. is made of New York... and the west coast is 100% California, plus the set of the show "Frasier".
posted by tehloki at 8:30 AM on March 3, 2007

You should probably avoid starting your potential new 51st state with an "M", because people will forget it exists.

So I guess I'll have to scrap my idea for Muerto Rico.
posted by etc. at 10:15 AM on March 3, 2007

Damn. I forgot Iowa and Arkansas.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:27 AM on March 3, 2007

C17H19NO3, I've had people seriously ask me if Vermont was the capitol of Boston...
posted by TheCoug at 12:42 PM on March 3, 2007

JUST WHERE THE HELL IS FUCKING KASHMIR ANYWAY?

*throws another atlas across the room*
posted by ZachsMind at 12:59 PM on March 3, 2007

"Not if you keep spelling it Nunavet, you aren't."

I'm surprised I got that close, since my mnemonic is "New province? I'll have none of it!"
posted by klangklangston at 1:14 PM on March 3, 2007

What if someone were to make a similar test webpage about Canadian provinces?

Ontario
Alberta
Nova Scotia...?
uhm... Quebec? Izzat one?
Toronto? No? Uhm....
Did I already say Ontario?
posted by ZachsMind at 1:24 PM on March 3, 2007

Damn New Hampshire!!

But where does DC fit? And is Puerto Rico a state?
posted by scottj at 1:47 PM on March 3, 2007

Got the first 48 with no problem. Then Montana trickled in. Came up with Missouri with 39 seconds to spare.

Fucking Missouri.
posted by ereshkigal45 at 2:06 PM on March 3, 2007

Wyoming and Nebraska are terra incognito on my mental map.
posted by acetonic at 2:08 PM on March 3, 2007

I got 'em all in 7:31, and I was baked.
posted by SaintCynr at 2:26 PM on March 3, 2007

WHY ISN'T PUERTO RICO A FUCKING STATE YET?

becoz puerto rico has no military. this is anathema to the american way of life.
posted by UbuRoivas at 2:37 PM on March 3, 2007

Did what I could in about 6 minutes and went blank on: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Utah.

Fun game.

Other fun USA geography games.

Song on Google Video and Lyrics to Fifty Nifty:

Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies,
Fifty Nifty stars in the flag that billows so beautifully in the breeze.
Each individual state contributes a quality that is great!
Each individual state deserves a bow: Let's salute them now!

Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies,
Shout 'em, Scout 'em, Tell all about 'em,
One by one, 'til we've given a day to every state in the U.S.A

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

North, South, East, West in our own unprejudice objective opinion (Name of home State)
Is the Best of the Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies
Shout 'em, scout 'em, tell all about 'em
One by One, till we've given a day to every state in the U.S.A
posted by nickyskye at 3:50 PM on March 3, 2007

you guys learned that in school? was it a Schoolhouse Rock i missed?
posted by amberglow at 4:53 PM on March 3, 2007

Okay, so while nobody has forgotten Pennsylvania, I will step forward and admit that it took me six minutes to think of it.

Finished with 48 seconds to spare. Didn't think to think of Wakko's America until after I'd gotten the states for all the parts of the song I could remember...
posted by darksasami at 5:27 PM on March 3, 2007

I don't know if anyone's still here, but my friend Jeff converted it into a Canadian version.

Thirteen provinces/territories in two minutes
posted by arcticwoman at 9:39 PM on March 3, 2007

I don't know if anyone's still here, but my friend Jeff converted it into a Canadian version.

Thirteen provinces/territories in two minutes
I got eight out of thirteen. I'm pretty proud of myself.
posted by donajo at 11:05 PM on March 3, 2007

You forgot: Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia

Though I did type Northwest, just not territories.

Cool, let's do Mexico next!

Baja, Chihuahua, Oaxaca, uh ... Chalupa, Venezuela ...
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 7:56 AM on March 4, 2007

You forgot:Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming,

Thats what I get for going off the NFL and using AFC v. NFC games...
posted by subaruwrx at 1:32 PM on March 4, 2007

I got 6:50 left, but I don't know the song- I just happen to know them in alphabetical order.

I can't type very fast either- I'm amazed that people can enter data that fast.

I wasn't looking at the screen (looking at the keyboard while typing with 4 fingers) and had a traffic backup on Lousiana. Got by remembering the license plate- LoUiSiAna
posted by MtDewd at 2:32 PM on March 4, 2007

C17H19NO3, I've had people seriously ask me if Vermont was the capitol of Boston...

Similar: I have been asked if Vermont is near Stowe...Stowe being a resort town in northern Vermont. :P
posted by C17H19NO3 at 8:23 AM on March 5, 2007

0:49 remaining on the Canada one. I surprised myself by spelling "Saskatchewan" correctly on the first try.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:53 AM on March 5, 2007