text: Everybody knows that New York is called ‘The Big Apple’, that London is known as ‘The Old Smoke’ and that Paris is referred to as ‘The City of Love’ – but do you know why? Some nicknames refer to the ancient heritage of the city, some refer to the industry found in the city, some refer to the cities’ environment – there are a variety of reasons these cities have earned their unique monikers. Flights company Just The Flight have researched city nicknames all over the world, finding out the real stories behind each and every one of them to produce a handy infographic. Taking a wild guess at why Las Vegas is often referred to as ‘Sin City’, for example, might seem incredibly obvious - but the nickname actually came about before the Las Vegas was even built. In fact, it stemmed from a street known as Block 16 that became famous in the early 1900s for selling alcohol and for offering prostitution. Harry Peters, from Just The Flight, told MailOnline Travel: 'Block 16 and the surrounding area was demolished after the Second World War, and Las Vegas as we know it today was built up around it – but the ‘Sin City’ nickname has stuck, and is still rather relevant today.' Singapore, or ‘Lion City’, is another interesting one. ‘Singapura’ literally translates to ‘Lion City’ but the reason for the name came about as the founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, supposedly saw a merlion – a mix between a mermaid and a lion – despite lions not even being native to the city at all. Some nicknames come from terms journalists have used to describe the city and some, such as Dallas being known as ‘Big D’, don’t quite have the same history to them. Las Vegas is known as Sin City now for it's gambling and temptation - but the nickname dates back to a building used by prostitutes . The history of Philadelphia is recognised by its nickname of 'The City Of Brotherly Love'. English Quaker William Penn founded the city in 1682 and wanted it to be a place of harmony and substance. Amsterdam in the Netherlands is known for its great number of canals, and so even if you didn't know, you could understand why it is known as 'The Venice Of The North.' Venice, however isn't known as 'The Amsterdam Of The South'. The northeastern city has the tag 'The Bride Of The Sea,' that relates to a ceremony where the doge (leader) throws a ring into the sea so that Venice is 'married.' And Paris might be known as 'The City Of Love' for its romantic architecture and stunning landmarks, but it is tagged 'The City Of Light' after it became the first in Europe to use electric street lamps.
target: Las Vegas' nickname of Sin City relates to a building prostitutes used .
  London known as The Old Smoke owing to the 1952 Great Smog .
  Singapore literally translates as Lion City after founder said he saw a 'merlion' - a cross between a mermaid and lion .