8 little-known nicknames for famous landmarks

Big landmarks get all the fame. But the nicknames people give them are where things get weird & rather interesting, whether they’re the ones from engineers or locals. Here are eight little-known nicknames for famous landmarks. Which one of these odd names would you like to start using?

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The Coathanger

Some Sydney locals call the Sydney Harbour Bridge “the Coathanger,” and, once you see it, you can’t unsee it. The way that the bridge’s steel arch goes over the water looks like a giant clothes hanger. People gave the Bridge this name right after it opened in 1932 & the name has stuck around ever since.

The Wobbly Bridge

In 2000, London’s Millennium Bridge opened, and excited crowds rushed across, only for it to sway. A lot. People instantly called it the “Wobbly Bridge,” with the nickname spreading faster than the engineers could install dampers. Thankfully, they worked out the cause of the wobbling & managed to stop it.

The Giant’s Dance

Stonehenge wasn’t always known as Stonehenge. In fact, medieval writers referred to it as the “Giant’s Dance,” which somehow makes it seem even more mysterious. Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote about it in Historia Regum Britanniae, claiming giants lugged the stones over from Africa. But we know now that this isn’t true.

The Empty State Building

When the Empire State Building opened in 1931, it wasn’t exactly bustling & it actually sat half-empty for years. It eventually earned the nickname “Empty State Building.” Newspapers used it constantly, although the name eventually fell out of fashion. Honestly, it’s weird to think that the Building wasn’t always the famous landmark that we know it for.

The Temple of Freedom

People used to really like using dramatic language when they talked about buildings, and that included the U.S. Capitol. It was once known as the “Temple of Freedom.” You can still see that phrase in old congressional speeches & printed pamphlets, along with early architectural commentaries. It was especially common before the Civil War.

The Shrine of Democracy

Even Mount Rushmore had a nickname, and it began during the 1930s dedication events. Officials were eager to give the monument a sense of national weight, so they gave it the nickname the “Shrine of Democracy.” The name was everywhere for a while during the Great Depression.

The Iron Lady

Before there was Margaret Thatcher, there was the real “Iron Lady,” which was the Eiffel Tower. French journalists called the tower “La Dame de Fer” as a way to describe the tower’s serious look. In fact, you’ll see the nickname in old literary journals from that time. It was almost like everyone already knew what it meant.

The Akhet Khufu

When the Great Pyramid of Giza was being built, people called it “Akhet Khufu,” which essentially translates to “Horizon of Khufu.” The name is all over Old Kingdom records connected to the pyramid complex & in discussions of the Wadi al-Jarf papyri. Modern researchers still use the term when they’re talking geology around Giza’s plateau.

The following sources were consulted in the preparation of this article: