Sleetwood Mac, Beyonsleigh, Optimus Brine: MnDOT reveals finalists in snowplow-naming contest
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Earlier this winter, the Minnesota Department of Transportation asked Minnesotans to submit their cleverest names for a snowplow in their fleet.
More than 10,400 name submissions were tallied, and MnDOT has now narrowed them down to the best 60. The agency said their focus was on the names that were most easily identifiable and understandable to broad audiences (i.e. meme-worthy), and the submissions that were particularly unique and creative, as well as Minnesota-specific.
Among the nominations are a number of puns on Minnesota celebrities' names, among them Plowie Anderson, Bobsled Dylan, and Harmon Chillebrew.
Some others took aim at legendary Minnesotan cultural touchstones from the past -- including Mary Tyler More Snow, Camp Scoopy, and Blader Tot Hotdish -- and others from literal legend, such as Bladezilla and Spirit of '91, a reference to the infamous Halloween blizzard of that year.
Still others took their cue from Indigenous Minnesota terms, like Goonodaabaan (the Ojibwe word for "snow vehicle") Ičamna (the Dakota word for "blizzard"), and Waipahiƞte (the Dakota word for "snow plow").
Finally, there are plenty of riffs on pop culture, including Beyonsleigh, Sleetwood Mac, Optimus Brine, Mighty Morphin Plower Ranger, and Better Call Salt.
Click here to vote on your favorites. MnDOT says they intend to rename up to eight of their fleet, one in each district.
