Arkansas's 24 state symbols might seem a curious lot of choices, but not compared to other states' collections.
California, for example, has about 35, including a state mineral: gold. Itsy-bitsy Rhode Island musters 18, none more confusing than the state shell: the quahaug or quahog (pronounced quaw-hog), from the American Indian name "poquauhock," clam. Alaska spreads hardly more than a dozen state symbols over 663,000 square miles, citing as the state sport: dog mushing.
Wyoming holds to a state code of ethics: the code of the West. Hawaii specifies a state island lei material: pupu shells. South Carolina has a state spider: the Carolina wolf spider.
And while many other states go along with Arkansas' choice of state beverage -- moo! -- the Natural State's neighbors have different ideas about other things:
• Tennessee state horse: the Tennessee walking horse.
• Oklahoma state country-western song: "Faded Love."
• Missouri state dessert: ice cream cone.
• Mississippi state reptile: American alligator.
• Louisiana state doughnut: the beignet.
• And Texas -- our Texas, all hail the mighty state (as goes the state song) -- has a 10-gallon hat full of symbols, such as the Texas state dish: chili. Snack: tortilla chips and salsa. And pepper: jalapeno.
Yet to be named: the Texas state heartburn remedy.
-- Ron Wolfe
Style on 01/17/2016