Emerald City

English

Etymology

The Seattle Convention and Visitors Bureau held a contest in 1981 to find a new nickname for Seattle. The winning entry, "Emerald City", came from Sarah Sterling-Franklin of Carmel, California, whose submission described the city as "the jewel of the Northwest, the Queen of the Evergreen State, the many-faced city of space, elegance, magic and beauty." "Emerald City" is also a reference to the fictional capital of the Land of Oz in the book series by L. Frank Baum.

Proper noun

the Emerald City

1. (informal) Seattle (a city in Washington, United States)
   • 1987 August 4, “Seattle curbs watering”, in Deseret News:

     The Emerald City, both famous and notorious for its clouds and rain, has been forced to institute a mandatory water conservation program for the first time "in memorable history."