In our passion to express our displeasure over Continental's (among others) upgrade policies, a few of us have been bandying terms about carelessly. Everyone please get out your spiral notebook and sharpened #2 pencil, and copy down the following:

United States = All 50 states
Continental United States = 49 states (i.e. not Hawaii)
Contiguous United States = 48 Contiguous States = All states that border at least one other state (i.e. not Alaska & Hawaii)
Empire State = New York
Nutmeg State = Connecticut
Solid State = New Jersey (because the transistor was invented there)