Top Users in Madison

  1. madmax (1070)
  2. madtown88 (476)
  3. strudelwagon (467)
  4. terracebum (285)
  5. uwmad09 (214)
  6. madisonian (137)
  7. coast-to-coaster (124)
  8. Badgerinmaine (81)
  9. JohnAM (76)
  10. lakelover (68)
 

Advanced Search



60 square miles surrounded by reality   Add to Favorites   Flag

  1. This is what Wisconsinites from other parts of the state sometimes call Madison. Madison is quite different from the rest of Wisconsin. It has a very young, liberal populace. Even the older generations have a left-leaning political stance. Some Wisconsinites feel that Madisonians are out of touch with reality, hence the nickname.

    I first heard this nickname for Madison when the Madison school board banned the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools in 2001. This move was especially controversial because it took place in the wake of the September 11th attacks.
     
    Posted by: madmax on May 15, 2008 11:28 PM (3) (1) Flag
  2. The City of Madison currently covers 77 square miles. The school district has never "banned" the pledge of allegiance. After September 11th, the state mandated that schools either recite the pledge or play the national anthem. Madison chose the latter. Conservatives weren't satisfied. What one believes the 77 square-miles to be surrounded by is clearly dependant on one's perspective.
     
    Posted by: allegri on Aug 26, 2008 11:42 PM (2) (1) Flag
  3. This is probably one of the most annoying nicknames for Madison because 1) people always tend to quote a different area in square miles for the city of Madison (I sometimes hear as little as 25), 2) not everyone in Madison is an "out-of-touch liberal", and 3) there are just as many Wisconsinites outside of Madison who are out of touch with anything but their own immediate reality. This last reason is not to single out non-Madisonian Wisconinites, though, as people from other parts of the Midwest sometimes use term. It's just that when Wisconsinites use the term it reeks of arrogance, thinking that their reality is somehow more real than someone else's. I personally prefer "People's Republic of Madison", which is a funnier, more clear-cut way of poking fun at Madison's liberal politics.
     
    Posted by: uwmad09 on Sep 17, 2008 05:15 PM (0) (0) Flag
Add Definition Add Your Own Definition!
 

60 square miles surrounded by reality Photos (Add)

Be the first to add a new photo!

Related Information

Website: (Add)
Word Categories: Words/Expressions, Places

Address Information

    Bookmark and Share

    Send to a Friend

    Your Name:  
    Your Email:    
    Friend's Name:  
    Friend's Email:    
    Message:
     

    Past Words of the Day

    The official catchphrase for Bardstown, the "Napa Valley of Bourbon".

    To bathe or shower.

    Nickname given to the city of Boulder, alluding to its left-leaning populace.

    A nickname for St. Louis, originating in the Native American burial mounds that were once common to the city.

    Pejorative nickname given to Madison by political conservatives due to its long history of progressive politics. (Also see "60 square miles surrounded by reality".)

    A reference to Scottsdale's "upper-crusty" atmosphere.

    The boundary between Detroit and Detroit's northern suburbs in Oakland and Macomb Counties. Also known as 8 mile, it has served as cultural dividing line between the predominantly poor African-American city and its wealthier, predominantly white northern suburbs.