Twin Cities residents aren't a fan of the "Minny" nickname
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Most Axios Twin Cities readers don't care for the use of Minny/Minnie to describe Minneapolis or Minnesota.
Driving the news: A pilot on a recent flight to MSP called us Minny, and we asked our readers what they thought of this moniker.
While a few like it: "LOVE the nickname Minni. I find it warm, welcoming, and endearing," wrote Susan H.
Most hate it: "I've never heard a local call it that," Alec W. said. "I only hear pilots say it and I sometimes see it from out-of-towners in Yelp reviews. I assume when they landed here their pilots said it and made them think that was a thing."
The intrigue: Several echoed Alec — Minnie is used as jargon in the airline industry.
- "It is common phraseology in aviation-pilot speak to refer (to the airport) as 'Minnie.' So that is why is easy for a pilot to use this reference outside of aviation speak," wrote Tom K.
Readers cited two other sources for Minny.
- Brian S. noted that Minny is used frequently by NHL players. New Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury called us Minny when he arrived in late March.
- Reader Dave W. pointed out that Prince called Minneapolis Minny in his 2015 song "Ain't About 2 Stop."
Alfredo R. wrote that sometimes we don't get to choose our own nicknames — people in San Fransisco don't like "Frisco," but people still call it that.
- "Nicknames are given, not self-prescribed!"
That would be OK with Lauren N., who said that the name makes Minneapolis sounds small, but "if diminutive names keep people from the coasts from moving here and driving up real estate prices, that's fine with me."