As an old Middletown Nutmegger, I remember my grandmother telling me the nickname came from a practice of the old Yankee itinerant salesmen of spices to rub a wood plug in nutmeg dust when they ran out of stock and pass it off as the real spice. Knowing these were traveling salesmen, I imagine they traveled much faster after pulling this con. :-) Can't vouch for this version, but it's a fun explanation. As Danbury's old P.T. said, "There's one born every minute." Ralph, transplanted to Oakland, CA