In the middle of cold, icy winter, what else do we have to do besides brainstorm A-plus puns for Chicago snowplow names?
Well, it seems Chicagoans effectively set aside their Netflix binges for a few moments to bring their top game, submitting more than 7,000 entries in the city's first-ever "You Name a Snowplow" contest, and the finalist names are IN.
Voting began on Jan. 15, and on Friday, the city unveiled the top seven vote-getting finalists in the contest.
Behold the delightfully pun-heavy results:
- Mrs. O’Leary’s Plow
- Da Plow
- Salter Payton
- Sears Plower
- Sleet Home Chicago
- Holy Plow!
- Jean Baptiste Point du Shovel
"We couldn’t be happier with the high level of resident engagement we received for our first snowplow naming contest," said Mayor Lori Lightfoot in a statement. "What’s more, the love of Chicago really shined through with numerous and creative Chicago-related names that were submitted and the thousands of voting responses we received for the 50 finalists."
According to the city, the contest generated over 80,000 votes for snowplow names. They even had to expand the finalist list from six to seven thanks to a near-tie for sixth place.
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The fruit of Chicagoans' efforts will come in the form of winning snowplow names proudly displayed on seven snowplows operating throughout the city.
"Once the signage is installed, residents who first submitted the winning names will be offered a photo opportunity with the named snowplow along with city swag," Lightfoot's office said.
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You can track the named snowplows in real-time, along with the rest of Chicago's fleet, via the city’s plow tracker.
Wondering which names didn't make the cut? There was a wide range to choose from.
Some names in contention were allusions to cult films -- like "Austin Plowers," "Best in Snow," "C3-Psnow" and "Ferris Blizzard's Day Off"-- while others celebrated the more musical side of the arts, with names like "B.B PlowKing," "Plows on Parade," "Chance the Scraper" and "Hey Now, You're a Plow Star."
There also were names that paid homage to the city itself, like "Sleet Home Chicago," "Sears Plower" and "Mrs. O'Leary's Plow," as well as names likely submitted by Cubs' fans, like "Ernie Snowbanks," "Sammy Snowsa" and "Holy Plow!", and at least two names that reference the movie "The Terminator."
