
In a recent episode, Lindsay quoted her state motto to support an example that she shared and to show her viewpoint. Today let's see what other state mottos are and how you can start a conversation about freedom, liberty, and more
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Aubrey Carter
This is an Allers English podcast. Episode 2592. What can state mottos teach you about American culture?
Lindsey McMahon
Welcome to the All Ears English podcast, downloaded more than 200 million times. Are you feeling stuck with your English? We'll show you how to become fearless and fluent by focusing on connection, not perfection, with your American host, Aubrey Carter, the IELTS whiz and Lindsey McMahon, the English adventurer, coming to you from Arizona and Colorado, usa. And to get your transcripts delivered by email every week, go to allearsenglish.com subscribe. In a recent episode of the podcast, I quoted my state motto to support an example I shared and to show my viewpoint. Today, let's see what other state mottos are and how you can start a conversation about freedom, liberty and more in English.
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Aubrey Carter
Hey, Lindsay, how are you?
Lindsey McMahon
Awesome. Aubry, how are you doing?
Aubrey Carter
Excellent. What's your day like today? Busy.
Lindsey McMahon
Oh, my day's pretty busy today. Well, we're recording on the show today, so.
Aubrey Carter
Always busy. If you're recording right, we record for quite a chunk, guys. We'll record several episodes at once. So that's always. Makes for a busy day.
Lindsey McMahon
Makes for a busy day. Absolutely. I mean, what are we talking about today? Today's a very unique cultural episode, which I'm super excited about.
Aubrey Carter
Yeah. So you're going to get a lot of insight into American culture here. On a recent episode, Lindsay quoted her state motto, which we're going to talk more about today. I didn't even know my state motto, Lindsay. I had to look it up. The state where I'm from, you had
Lindsey McMahon
to look it up. I think it's probably more common your scenario than mine, but I remember what we were talking about. We were talking. It was the. The episode about running red lights and I had Said that I had a speedometer detect radar detector when I was in high school in my car. And I think I said something like, yeah, live free or die. And it just felt appropriate to quote my state motto, because in that moment, it felt like, hey, if we want to try to protect ourselves from getting pulled over for speeding, we have that right to. Right. So it just felt very.
Aubrey Carter
Yes. Yours comes up kind of often in conversations. Right. But I am very curious. It's very possible that a lot of Americans do know their state motto. A lot of them. As I was looking up some state mottos, a lot of them are very patriotic. They're very tied to our history. So. But then I looked up Idaho isn't really. It's a Latin phrase, esto perpetua, which means may it endure forever. And Arizona's is. Was a Latin phrase meaning God and riches. So not every state is, like, patriotic, but serious. Them are.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. It's interesting because I think with Live free or die, which is the New Hampshire motto, people. People put it up against the nickname of the state. So you have, like, state mottos and then you have state nicknames. Right. Like, so everyone will say, oh, Florida, the Sunshine State, California, the Golden State, New Hampshire, Live free or die.
Aubrey Carter
Oh, that's funny. It is. Happy Live free or die. Wow.
Lindsey McMahon
Right? So. But we. We're gonna learn a lot today. This is going to be great.
Aubrey Carter
We're going to. Where do we start? Origin of some of these and the phrases for some. But be sure to hit follow, guys, if you aren't. But you're likely miss. Great episode. So wherever you listen to the podcast, search all ears English and hit the follow button. Yes.
Lindsey McMahon
I love it. I love it. So, all right, where do we start?
Aubrey Carter
Yeah, let's start with New Hampshire. So it is live free or die. I looked up the origin. This was first said by General John Stark, who was the state's most distinguished hero of the Revolutionary War.
Lindsey McMahon
Okay.
Aubrey Carter
And what he said was, live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils. Which gives it even more context here, right. When during the Revolution, a lot people were willing to lay down their lives, they're like this. Death is not the worst thing that could happen to. To not be free is worse.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. Yeah. Ken Burns just published a really great. And he's a fantastic documentarian about the American Revolution. And that can be found somewhere online, I'm sure. Now, it aired live in November, but I would highly recommend that just to get that context. But New Hampshire is kind of historically sort of a Libert Libertarian state or a historically a conservative SL libertarian state become more liberal now. And so I don't know, I just think it. It sort of fits historically with what New Hampshire has been in the past.
Aubrey Carter
It's so interesting how different states have these sort of stereotypes. And then a lot of people, they'll have these commonalities almost like its own country. Right. We have the United States, but each state is quite different. Right. And often we'll have these different regional dialects, different cultures. So it's interesting what a melting pot the United States is. And then all of the states might be very different. Yeah.
Lindsey McMahon
And I think we're learning more and more nowadays in a way how that protects, you know, that can protect a country from a wannabe king, for example, if that were ever to happen. That can protect a country. Country's elections.
Aubrey Carter
Yeah. There's checks and balances with states rights and states having a say over the federal government.
Lindsey McMahon
Yes, exactly. Okay, let's see what other states might have to say then.
Aubrey Carter
Okay, so what else Virginia we're going to talk about next? A lot of them are Latin phrases. This one is six semper tyrannis, which means thus always to tyrants. So I looked at the origin. It was recommended as the state motto by George Mason in the Virginia Convention in 1776 as a Revolutionary motto, of course, signifying opposition to tyranny. So at that time in America. Right. This is the height of the American Revolution, so they're very. And then a lot of them just haven't changed. Right. So this is about leaving British rule. But it's interesting, you know, we've sort of always kept this outlook, this mindset.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. It's interesting though, if you watch the American Revolution documentary that I mentioned, I feel like I've always had the impression that everyone was, you know, anti. Everyone was just anti king. But there were a lot of people that were still very pro England. Very late in the game, of course.
Aubrey Carter
Right, Definitely. Right. That's highlighted in the play, in the Broadway play Hamilton. Right. That there were a lot of people that did not want to be fighting against British rule. And. And of course it was dangerous. A lot of, you know, you're willing to put your life on the line if you're going to fight sometimes. And a lot of people wouldn't want to do that.
Lindsey McMahon
I am people where I'm sure benefiting from the connection to England. So. So it's not as simple as. I think maybe the narrative has been laid out for us in school, but super interesting. So this Is interesting. What else, Aubrey?
Aubrey Carter
Okay, let's go with number three is Alabama. So this is interesting because a lot of the states on the East Coast, I would expect to have these more, you know, patriotic mottos, But Alabama's is we dare defend our rights, also in Latin, but that's the translation. And this was interesting, the origin as well. This was proposed as the. The motto by Marie Bankhead Owen while she was developing the Alabama coat of Arms in 1923. So a lot of mottos aren't as old that a state would adopt a motto or maybe change it at some point. But it was inspired by A poem, an 18th century poem by Sir William Jones. And in the poem, one of the stanzas is, men who their duties know, but know their rights, and knowing dare maintain. So I love this. I'm like, I want to go and read that poem. And what a great motto.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. And a lot of these do. A lot of these do touch on independence and freedom. Right. So Delaware says liberty and independence. I like that. It's very standard, simple. Right.
Aubrey Carter
But they were like, this is what we value.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. What does Pennsylvania say?
Aubrey Carter
Pennsylvania's is virtue, liberty and independence.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. Vermont says freedom and unity. And what about Iowa?
Aubrey Carter
Iowa is our liberties we prize and our rights we will maintain. So this is interesting. You know, like I mentioned, a lot of them are not as related to patriotism, freedom, liberty, but quite a few of them are. And this is really an important value for a lot of Americans. Right. It touches on our history, on the Revolutionary War, but it's interesting to think about because some of them will mention, you know, liberty, independence. What, Lindsay, is the difference between liberty and freedom. They seem like they would be synonyms. Right.
Lindsey McMahon
It's a great question, Aubry. I've never thought about this before, but liberty refers to specific legally protected rights and the absence of arbitrary government control within a society. So government can't just come in and take you. Right, Exactly.
Aubrey Carter
This word arbitrary is a good bonus word that means based on random choice or personal whim rather than on a reason or system. Right. So that arbitrary decisions can't be made that aren't clear and go through the proper systems.
Lindsey McMahon
Yeah. Whereas freedom is a bit broader. It's more fundamental, and it's representing the power to act, speak, or think without constraints. Then we also use freedom to say, you know, you want to have more freedom in your daily life, so you want to work for yourself, for example. Right. It can extend into beyond government and politics, into just ways you live your life.
Aubrey Carter
Such a good point. Right. We use that term very generally. Yes. About the freedoms we have as a citizen in the country that we live in, but also randomly like your freedom to choose the flexible schedule. Something like that. Right. So freedom doesn't always have that bigger blanket meaning.
Lindsey McMahon
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Aubrey Carter
Exactly. Right. Yes. Americans are, you know, we do value liberty, but a lot of people around the world do as well. This is an interesting conversation starter, so we're going to give you some phrases that you could use to spark a really interesting conversation with the people that you know and are able to chat with. Yeah.
Lindsey McMahon
So you could, I mean, you could ask. Is very existential question. Right. Maybe not a first question at a party, but. Right. Unless you do want to get into more interesting conversations, which I always want to at a party. How important is liberty to you or how, you know, how do you define liberty?
Aubrey Carter
Right.
Lindsey McMahon
Yes. People might have their own definitions based on their own countries, I guess.
Aubrey Carter
Yeah, definitely. I love that. Right. And I agree. It's probably not, though. You're not going to walk up to someone and ask this out of the blue, but if you've kind of gone over the small talk a little bit and caught up with someone about what they're doing in life and their job. This might be a really interesting conversation to be like, especially depending on what's happening politically where you are, this might be on people's minds. They might want to talk about this.
Lindsey McMahon
Well, that's what I was going to say, Aubrey. That's a great point. Most of the time, these conversations, these more existential conversations are going to follow from a conversation about politics. There was a current event, everyone saw it, people have comments. But then many times we want to go deeper with that conversation beyond just the who, what, when, where, why. That's just the information. Let's go into what it means for us as human beings.
Aubrey Carter
Right, exactly. Right. So if it starts with talking about the news, talking about politics, then you could use that conversation to get deeper. And if it hasn't, you could ask, you could say something like, can you share with me an event in your country's history where people fought for liberty? So that would be interesting. If it's not currently in, you know, current events, then this is where you could have someone give someone the chance to share something interesting about their country's history.
Lindsey McMahon
Right. And then coming back to the current. Right. Do you know of any restrictions on current, on freedom that you feel are especially unjust? Because sometimes there are things happening even now that you thought that we were past. Right. I think this has come up lately here. Things that we thought we had conquered a long time ago that are coming up again.
Aubrey Carter
Right? Yeah. And people are going to want to talk about it. Right. Especially if it's surprising. If they're. They're feeling like they're seeing injustice, then yeah, they're going to want to talk about it. And it's always interesting with, to phrase it a little bit like a. Would you rather almost like, for example, you could say, is liberty or security more important to you or which do you think is more important? That's just an interesting I love this or that questions. Yes.
Lindsey McMahon
Because they're, they do force you to make a quick choice and justify it it. Right. But you can always see both sides. Yeah.
Aubrey Carter
Yes. And this is really interesting. If someone asks you a, would you rather or this or that? Don't say both because obviously we always all want to say both. Right. That's the reason it is the reason it makes an interesting conversation is if you have to choose which is more
Lindsey McMahon
important and your answer to this. There's not a right answer. Our answer to this is going to depend on our country's history. Therefore, what, you know, what stories we've inherited from our Parents, maybe. There's pain across generations. Right. That's a real thing. The country's history, the world history, your personal history. There's a lot here that could lead to more stories and more connection.
Aubrey Carter
Absolutely. Yeah. So we're going to do a role play here where Lindsay and I are friends, and I'm going to, you know, ask one of these. Use one of these conversation starters to get a little deeper with my friend. Ready?
Lindsey McMahon
Okay. All right, let's go deep.
Aubrey Carter
All right, I'll start us out. Can I ask you about something I've been thinking about lately?
Lindsey McMahon
Sure. What's up?
Aubrey Carter
Do you think there are times when liberty should be limited for the greater good?
Lindsey McMahon
That is a tough one. I guess in emergencies, like during the pandemic, some restrictions did make sense. People's safety comes first.
Aubrey Carter
Oh, good point. I agree. But where do you draw the line? I feel like some rules can go too far and start feeling like control instead of protection.
Lindsey McMahon
I guess it depends on who decides what's the greater good. There's always a risk of abuse if too much power is given.
Aubrey Carter
Right. I think it's about balance, having freedom, but also being responsible. You shouldn't be able to choose to endanger others.
Lindsey McMahon
Right. And maybe part of liberty is also being willing to accept some limits to protect everything else. Everyone else. Yeah.
Aubrey Carter
So I liked this conversation. I would love to have this conversation with someone at a party.
Lindsey McMahon
No, I think I've had variations of this conversation before because you think about just masks. Right. So masks.
Aubrey Carter
Right. Were.
Lindsey McMahon
It was. They were asked. The government was asking people to use masks during the pandemic. That was considered a socially responsible thing to do. But now masks are being used by security forces in the US in different ways. Right.
Aubrey Carter
Which identity to hide. Identity.
Lindsey McMahon
So it's. These are complex issues, right?
Aubrey Carter
Definitely, definitely. But when you're willing to get into complex issues with another person, and we've talked on the podcast about how to handle controversial topics when someone doesn't agree with you, but, you know, be willing to go there for a more interesting conversation. But one important note here is this is very different culturally. You will want to be sensitive to cultural differences with these conversations. Some cultures definitely value individual freedom more. Others prioritize the community. So this would be about asking, you know, we're not telling someone what is right or wrong. We're just having the conversation.
Lindsey McMahon
Right. Yeah, for sure. And that's kind of what I was getting at when I quoted Live free or die, because generally, I think it's kind of. I don't know, but. Well, we all have our own opinions about our state's mottos, Right. But we can kind of poke fun at things while also citing them and we can just sort of give a window into our thoughts and our opinions on things. Right?
Aubrey Carter
Exactly. Yeah. So interesting. I'm excited for you out there to use these conversation start starters to have a conversation and come back to YouTube and let us know how it went or let us know your opinions about this, what this is like in your culture.
Lindsey McMahon
Oh my gosh. I almost feel like we need to build an entire course, Aubry on how to talk, I guess politics or how to talk freedom, how to talk about these broader existential topics. Patriotism in English. You know, how do you do that?
Aubrey Carter
Right. Like where and when and with whom? Because there's a lot to it. Like I want to have these conversations but I'm not able to very often because I first have to sort of test the waters, see if someone's interested. And then often I'm pivoting to something else.
Lindsey McMahon
And we've done other episodes on that, on how to pivot. Right. So if you guys want more of this, let us know and we'll think about creating a bigger piece of content. Right? Yeah. Guys, go over to 2593 TIPS to keep your accent and be understood with Valerie Friedland. Really interesting. You've had a couple conversations with Valerie lately, Aubrey.
Aubrey Carter
Yes. She has written some amazing books and she's come and shared her wisdom and I loved this about accent. Right. So I hope everyone heard it. Your accent is beautiful, but there are things you can do while keeping your accent to make sure that your speech is clearly understood.
Lindsey McMahon
All right. Really good stuff. Looking forward to that one. And we'll see you back here very soon on the show. All right, awesome.
Aubrey Carter
See you next time.
Lindsey McMahon
Bye bye bye. Thanks for listening. To all ears English. Would you like to know your English level? Take our two minute quiz, go to allearsenglish.com forward/fluency score. And if you believe in connection, not perfection, then hit subscribe now to make sure you don't miss anything. See you next time.
Aubrey Carter
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Hosts: Lindsay McMahon (Boston) & Aubrey Carter (Arizona)
Air Date: April 1, 2026
In this engaging and culturally rich episode, Lindsay and Aubrey explore the fascinating world of U.S. state mottos, delving into what these slogans reveal about American values and history. Using mottos like New Hampshire’s "Live Free or Die," they highlight themes of liberty, freedom, and independence, and discuss how these concepts can be conversation starters. The episode wraps up with language tips for learners and practical advice for connecting on deeper topics in English.
(Timestamped at [16:25]–[17:18])
Aubrey and Lindsay act out a discussion:
Hosts’ Closing Thoughts:
For Further Learning: