Five Fun Facts about Worcester:
• Worchester’s nickname “Wormtown” is not meant to be a derogatory term. In fact, it isn’t meant to be a nickname at all! It was actually coined by the radio station WCUW’s DJ L.B. Worm as a label for the underground music scene that helped rejuvenate the airwaves more than 20 years ago.
• Worcester is home to the first public park, Elm Park, which was granted to the city of Worcester in 1854.
• The Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research is world reknowned for its hand in the creation of the birth control pill and in vitro fertilization.
• Worcester is the third-largest city in the state and is in the heart of Worcester County, the largest county in Massachusetts.
• The smiley face symbol was designed in Worcester by Harvey Ball in 1963.
Famous People from Worchester:
Robert Benchley, Elizabeth Bishop, Jaki Byard, Bob Cousy, Zara Cully, Esther Forbes, Samuel Fuller, Rich Gedman, Robert Goddard, Norman Greenbaum, John Michael Hayes, Abbie Hoffman, Arthur Kennedy, George Kennedy, Stanley Kunitz, Dennis Leary, John Lurie, Eddie Mekka, Albert Abraham Michelson, Roger Salloom, R.A. Salvatore, Allan Steele, Major Taylor, Alicia Witt
Local Slang:
Bubbler – Water fountain
Jimmies – Tiny candy that goes on ice cream, a.k.a. sprinkles.
Main South – The area of Worcester that is most dangerous.
Packy – Massachusetts calls its liquor stores “package stores.” Packy is an abbreviation of the term.
Three Deckers/Triple Deckers – Three story apartment buildings, usually with one apartment to a floor. They were popular back at the turn of the century when Worcester had money; hence there are a ton of them.
Wormtown/Woosta – Both are nicknames for Worcester.