This partial list of city nicknames in Vermont compiles the aliases, sobriquets and slogans that cities, towns, and villages in Vermont are known by (or have been known by historically), officially and unofficially, to municipal governments, local people, outsiders or their tourism boards or chambers of commerce. City nicknames can help in establishing a civic identity, helping outsiders recognize a community or attracting people to a community because of its nickname; promote civic pride; and build community unity. [1] Nicknames and slogans that successfully create a new community "ideology or myth" [2] are also believed to have economic value. [1] Their economic value is difficult to measure, [1] but there are anecdotal reports of cities that have achieved substantial economic benefits by "branding" themselves by adopting new slogans. [2]
Some unofficial nicknames are positive, while others are derisive. The unofficial nicknames listed here have been in use for a long time or have gained wide currency.
Off campus, in the heart of a town referred to by some as "Girlington,"
Defensive, a bit resistant to outsiders and staunchly self-reliant, Rutlanders bristle at the pejorative moniker and its attendant connotations. ... For decades, the blue-collar railroad town has battled a reputation as the unofficial capital of drugs and crime in Vermont. To outsiders, it's a gritty place — the part of Vermont where your tires might get slashed. Where you should lock your doors. Where, at best, there's not much to do.