Colorado.

Spanish for red. First applied to the Colorado River.
—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Florida.

Named by Ponce de Leon on Pascua, Florida, feast of flowers, 1513.
—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Idaho.

Shoshone derivation. State calls it “light on the mountains.”

—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Minnesota.

From Dakota Sioux word meaning “clouded or milky” water of the Minnesoa River.

—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Nevada.

Spanish, meaning snow-clad.

—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Oklahoma.

Choctaw coined word meaning red man, proposed by Rev. Allen Wright, Choctaw-speaking Indian.

—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Oregon.

Indian name (Wauregon) means “beautiful water”, referring to the Columbia River.

—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Rhode Island.

Red Island, first named by Adrian Block because of its red clay.

—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Vermont.

Named after its famous Green Mountains—the French word for green being “vert” and for mountain, “mont.” . . . When the state was formed in 1777, Dr. Thomas Young suggested combining “vert” and “mont” and Vermont was the result.

—Many State Names Have Indian Origin, unknown and undated newspaper clipping, citing as its source the American Automobile Association. Found in an old dictionary.

Black boys in white suits

“They’re out there.

Black boys in white suits up before me to commit sex acts in the hall and get it mopped up before I can catch them.”

—Ken Kesey, the opening lines of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1962.