BS: Silliest Name for a City....

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Stringsinger
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 11:02 AM

Turkey, North Carolina

Frank

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: terrier
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 02:58 PM

Cholmondely, in leafy Cheshire,UK is prounced by the locals Chumley.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: MaineDog
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 03:15 PM

I recently saw a boat that claimed to be from East Dogdish Maine (sounds ok to me, but I don't know where it is --) .

In that part of New York, "kill" means "brook", so maybe the fish are ok.
MD

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Geordie-Peorgie
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 07:29 PM

Sorry Rusty Dobro - It's this bleedin' laptop! It cannit spell for tofu!

You're reet - It IS Loose in Kent, not Luce! - Aah've still not gorra gig there though!

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: JennieG
Date: 15 Apr 07 - 09:33 PM

A few more Ozzie double names:

Bong Bong (as in my grandfather's clock)
Mitta Mitta
Grong Grong (sounds like a highly susceptible part of the body to me.....Oh Doctorrrrrr, can ye tell me what's wrong wi' ma grong grong?)

More as my lurgy-befuddled brain comes up with them.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: GUEST,Bruce Michael Baillie
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 01:46 AM

...MIANUS obviously!

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Slag
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 02:50 AM

So far, a great thread! LH, was the a "C" or a "G" in the road name?
In Central California is a farming community named Los Banos, Spanish for "The Toilets". Depending on how long you've been driving, that may or may not be silly.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Splott Man
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 05:34 AM

Entering Marion.

Every year I drive out to Cape Cod for the last part of June.
Leave the city by ten and you're there in the late afternoon.
On the way there's a village called Marion that you pass through.
The first time I approached it, I'll always remember the sign that came into view.
It said, "Entering Marion."
And I thought, "What a fun little sign!"
But the feeling of entering Marion
Had a kick that was hard to define...
A rapturous rush, a physical flush,
Chills up and down the spine.
For the few minutes I was in Marion
All Massachusetts was mine.

(spoken) Well, it got to be kind of an annual thing...the event that would start each vacation off with a bang!

Then one year--who knows why?--I decided to try a new route.
So I got out my map and I traced one I thought was a beaut.
After driving all morning, I came to the top of a hill,
Where a sign stood before me that promised a new kind of thrill.

It said, "Entering Beverly,"
Which was lovely and not overbuilt.
And the pleasure of entering Beverly
Far outweighed any feelings of guilt.
I could say I'm contrite but it wouldn't be right,
For the truth is that later that day,
I found myself entering Sharon.
It was there. So was I. We enjoyed it. Hey, what can I say?

By the next year I'd try any route, just for novelty's sake.
I was cursed with a thirst that no single township could slake.
Oh, at the wheel I looked calm but inside I was running amok,
When a sign in the road dead ahead sent me straight into shock:

"Entering Lawrence."
My God! I was out of control.
And I'd no sooner finished with Lawrence
Than Boom! I was entering Lowell.
Then I backtracked and re-entered Lawrence,
Then Quincy and Norton as well.
Around midnight I pulled into Athol
And flopped in a fleabag motel.

I slept fitfully in my clothing
And awoke in a pool of sweat and self-loathing.
Lying there, feeling lower than carrion,
A name came clear as a clarion.
I jumped in my car
And before very far--

I was entering Marion.
How totally, wonderfully great!
How grand to be entering Marion
After tramping all over the state.
Every sleaze-bucket burb,
Every tryst by the curb
Had really just helped me to find
I'm happiest entering Marion.
I guess I'm the Marion kind.
Oh yes, I'm the Marion kind.

John Forster
c 1988 Limousine Music Co (ASCAP)

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 07:50 AM

There's a town on North Island, New Zealand called Mere Mere, prounounced may ray may ray. They predictably put a sign underneath it at the beginning of December, that just says 'Christmas'.

Odd, because it actually means 'weapon' or 'the planet Venus'...

Then there's Whana Whana - to bend backwards and forwards.

Urupukapuka - grove of rangiora shrubs. Rangiora revels in the latin name of Brachyglottis Purpurea

The oddest New Zealand name I've found today is 'Mititai'. Miti - to lick and Tai - the coast.

And to drag this kicking and screaming into the music section - Harihari - a song to make people pull together in unison.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Flash Company
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 09:53 AM

Terrier way back there mentions Peover, I used to live near there, the locals pronounce it Peever. Had a lot of fun with visiting American servicemen in wartime, particularly as there is (I kid you not) Higher Peover, Lower Peover and Peover Superior.

FC

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 10:17 AM

A TV station in Paduka, Kentucky, (a possible entry in itself) has their transmitter and tower located at a place called Monkey's Eyebrow.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 11:08 AM

That "Entering Marion" song is really quite good.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 12:39 PM

I know someone who lives in Nether Thong, and it isn't JimmyT!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: jonm
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 12:40 PM

Wyre Piddle in Worcestershire.

There was a Cornish opencast clay quarry near St Austell once, and the two remaining cottages carry its name.....

Greensplat.

Would they be Number One Greensplat and Number Two Greensplat, then, or is that just too far?

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Les from Hull
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 04:16 PM

Spittal in the Street, Lincolnshire
Wetwang, E Yorks
Cockermouth, Cumbria

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 05:57 PM

I live near Remlap, Alabama. It's Palmer spelled backwards. What's the point of that? I drove through Tin Cup, Colorado once.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: JennieG
Date: 16 Apr 07 - 08:37 PM

I read somewhere that Chicken, Alaska, was going to be named after the state bird - Ptarmigan - but no one could spell it.

True or not it's a good story.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 04:52 AM

Wetwang (yorkshire)

Land of Nod (yorkshire)

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Dave Roberts
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 05:38 AM

Regarding Cholmondeley/Chumley, LTC Rolt, in his book 'Narrowboat'about his pioneering 'leisure'voyages on the British Canals, reports being taken in by this unexpected pronunciation. A short distance away he came across a village called Cholmondeston and confidently rendered it as 'Chumston' to the bemused locals, only to be told that the correct pronunciation was 'Cholmondesterton'.
Cheshire abounds with unusual place-names, of course. My favourite is the village four miles from Nantwich which still retains its Roman name, the melodious Aston-Juxta-Mondrum. I can't recall ever visiting the place. I hope it's as lovely as its name.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: GUEST,petr
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 03:31 PM

has anyone mentioned Dildo Newfoundland.

then theres Concrete in Washington
(not much there either)

I love the sound of some of the first nations names here in BC
like Keremeos, Similkameen, Kitwangaa

Petr

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Bugsy
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 08:42 PM

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu !

It's In New Zealand!


Cheers


Bugsy

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Bugsy
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 08:42 PM

I kid you, not!

CHeers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: pdq
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 08:58 PM

Does Goober Pedy (Australian opal center) really mean "White people living in holes in the ground"?

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Bugsy
Date: 17 Apr 07 - 09:12 PM

Coober Pedy, an anglicised version of Aboriginal words "kupa piti", commonly assumed to mean "white man in a hole".

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Rowan
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 04:01 AM

Down in Coober Pedy, eating Goober Peas....

Some years ago I drove to the Burdekin Lodge (Queensland) for the Aust Archaelogy Assoc conference and was surpised to see a sign at a creek crossing that said
"Two Creek Creek No, 1"

And, blow me down, a few km further south was another sign at a creek crossing that said
"Two Creek Creek No. 2"

A few years earlier Suzette, Mike visited me in Kakadu (Northern Territory) and I was showing them the sights. These iincluded Jim Jim Falls, which can be spectacular, and are often referred to by locals as "Jim Jim". The Australian penchant for double-barrelled names got us to think about writing a song but we never got much further than

"You can call Wagga Wagga Wagga,
but you can't call Jim Jim Jim.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Alice
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 10:51 AM

Two Dot, Montana

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Alice
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 10:53 AM

A few years ago, the people in little Ismay, Montana, decided they might
get more attention/economic development for their town if they renamed it
Joe, Montana.
I don't think it worked.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 11:08 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wank,_Bavaria

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: RangerSteve
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 12:58 PM

I mentioned this in another thread a long time ago, but I'll do it again here. There's a list of names that I've collected over the years that I like to run through my mind when I'm ticked off because they make me smile. Here's a partial list:
Moonachie, Ho-ho-cus, Weehawken, Coxsackie, Woonsocket, Ong's Hat, Nether Wallop, Moose Factory, Speonk, Squankum, Skaneateles, Tonawanda, Cheektawaga, Pascagoola, Snohomish, Waxahatchie, Titicaca, and for a big finish: Naugatuck, Saugatuck, Shinnecock, Matinicock, Nantahala, Walla Walla, Mahwah, Wawa.

Skaneateles, incidently rhymes roughtly with Minneapolis.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Little Hawk
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 01:03 PM

I lived in the Skaneateles area for 10 years and went to Skaneateles Central and Skaneateles High. The basketball team was called "the Lakers", after Skaneateles Lake. In '69 I finally escaped and moved back to Canada...

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Bugsy
Date: 18 Apr 07 - 09:30 PM

Sorry Don & LTS, I didn't see that you had both already posted
"Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu". I went straight to page 2 by mistake.

According to Wickepedia "...it translates roughly as The brow [or summit] of the hill [or place], where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid [down], climbed [up] and swallowed mountains, [to travel the land], [who is] known as the land eater, played [on] his [nose] flute to his loved one."

CHeers

Bugsy

Oh, we've go MANDOGALUP just down the road from us and I used to live in INNALOO. The standard retort when people used to make jokes about living "INNALOO" was " Better to live 'INNALOO' than 'UPPER SWAN'.

Cheers again

Bugsy

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Tone d'F
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 03:50 AM

Petts Bottom in Kent gets my vote

Followed very closely by Tittyhoe Northamptonshire

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: GUEST,Nicholas Waller
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 06:07 AM

Chew Magna is a Somerset village near me. I once drove through Ae, in Scotland, which is odd but not that silly.

May I recommend "The Meaning of Liff" by Douglas "Hitchhiker" Adams and John Lloyd (producer of Blackadder). It's a small dictionary-style book that takes placenames and gives them suitable definitions. It appears to be online though I don't know how legit that is.

I like
ABILENE (adj.) Descriptive of the pleasing coolness on the reverse side of the pillow.
GOOSNARGH (n.) Something left over from preparing or eating a meal, which you store in the fridge despite the fact that you know full well you will never ever use it.
SCRABSTER (n.) One of those dogs which has it off on your leg during tea.
ULLAPOOL (n.) The spittle which builds up on the floor of the Royal Opera House.
WIMBLEDON (n.) That last drop which, no matter how much you shake it, always goes down your trouser leg.

A Mudcat-relevant example:
MELLON UDRIGLE (n.) The ghastly sound made by traditional folksingers. (It is, like the others, a real place.)

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: GUEST,Gem1
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 03:11 PM

Maud, Oklahoma which is right next to Bowlegs, Oklahoma.

There is an old saying, "You have to go through Bowlegs to get to Maud."

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Rowan
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 06:30 PM

"Innaloo" and "Upper Swan" reminded me of "Pakenham Upper", which still provokes coarse responses.

"Bookem" is a one-horse town noted for its energetic cop with the radar; that's exactly what he does. "Wait a while" and "Come by chance" should also get a guernsey here, although none of the places I've mentioned is, by any stretch of the imagination, a "city".

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Uncle Phil
Date: 19 Apr 07 - 08:09 PM

Dry Prong, Louisiana.

Hadn't thought about Toad Suck, Arkansas in a while. Used to use the Toad Suck Ferry to cross the Arkansas River when I had friends going to school in Conway. They've got a big concrete bridge now -- lots faster but not nearly as fun.
- Phil

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: JennieG
Date: 20 Apr 07 - 01:46 AM

Rowan, I think there may be a song by Jim Haynes -
"You can't call Wagga Wagga Wagga,
You can't call Woy Woy Woy......"etc.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Slag
Date: 20 Apr 07 - 02:52 AM

Then there's Ridgecrest California. What's so silly about that? The fact that it sits in the Mojave Desert on a very flat plateau with no ridge or crest anywhere near it. Its right next to China Lake Naval Air Station and Ordinance Depot. What's funny about that? No lake, or at least not one that has had any water in it since the end of the last Ice Age.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 Apr 07 - 09:33 AM

Not the silliest but probably the williest - UK - in the Penines

Penistone

eat yer heart out Viagra.............

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Apr 07 - 03:52 AM

Youanmi WA - population 2?

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Mr Red
Date: 21 Apr 07 - 12:55 PM

Wyre Piddle - was for many years just called Wyre until the petrol station decided they could sell more by putting up a sign harking back to pre-Victorian prudishness. "Wyre Piddle filling station". Piddle means marsh or shallow water cf puddle. There was an unsuccessful winery in North Piddle not far away - Chateau Piddle was memorable but not saleable. And since the 60's I have been looking for an area called Piddle in the Hole near Bromyard - one of those cartographers ghosts I now realise - proving they have a sense of humour.

Near where I now live there is a village called Nympsfield and I swear onother roadsign has only appeared in the last 10 years there. For a hamlet rejoicing in the name Cockadilly not a mile way. In fact years ago I sent a postcard back to work saying "camping in Nympsfield - 'scuse shaky handwriting".


The early episodes of Cagney & Lacey used an intro sequence that finished with a shot of a bridge that had a sign on it (and was it real?) that said "entering Queens"

Loved the song.......

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: RangerSteve
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 07:12 AM

Yes, "Entering Queens" is a real sign. The Borough of Queens, or Queens County, is part of New York City. It's next to Kings County, which is more commonly known as Brooklyn. The names commemorate the British King and Queen who were ruling when the counties were founded back in the days when we were a British colony. Queens is where you can find the town of Flushing.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Fergie
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 02:39 PM

In Co. Donegal in Ireland there is a town called Muff. It is on the coast so it has a diving club. They have called the club "The Divers Club of Muff"
Fergus

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Slag
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 03:58 PM

I sent out a series of post cards addressed to my self to get cancellations from towns that bore my names, Thomas, Franklin, Carter and I did another series on US towns that were named after the planets.
I'll try to find the cards but the ones I remember were Mercury, Jupiter FL, Earth, Mars, Moon. A US Postal Zip guide would give you the info. I have done this as gifts for other folks, provided I could locate a city or cities that included their name(s). It's a fun thing to do - different - and it's fun to look forward to getting some rather unique cancellations. Send a Self Addressed post card to Tombstone AZ with a note asking for their special cancellation and see what you get!

By the way! How about Tombstone for a not-too-silly name?

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Bert
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 05:58 PM

I lived in St. Ippolits once.

My favourites though are 'Turnham Green' (in London) and 'Much Hadham' in Essex.

Runners up are 'Messing' and 'Mucking' both in Essex. The 'ing' ending is Saxon for family or people thus Barking derived it's name from 'Boerca's people'

Then there are names which just sound funny like 'Stanstead Mountfitchet' or 'Stapleford Tawney' or 'Mountnessing Roding'

I guess it's obvious from this post that I lived in Essex for quite a while.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Bugsy
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 07:34 PM

Small world Bert. I used to live in Stevenage and here we are years later, you in USA and me in AUS. I was there from '53-'66. When were you there?


Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Rowan
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 10:34 PM

You can't call Jim Jim Jim (or Woy Woy Woy)...

JennieG, have you got an approx date on Jim Haynes' song?
It was 1986 that Mike, Suzette and I were toying with the idea and Suzette was very active around Oz at the time.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Bugsy
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 10:56 PM

just googled "Don't call Wagga Wagga Wagga call Wagga Wagga Wagga wagga" and got the following;

Don't Call Wagga Wagga Wagga

© Greg Champion/Jim Haynes
(Warner/Chappel Music Australia)

This version first released on the album Stand Back Australia

Now once I met Ted Egan legend bushman that he is
a lotta folks they know their Outback well, and Ted he sure knows his
he knows those towns with funny names, the ones that make you laugh
and when it comes to the double names, he says "ya don't do things by
half", and

Chorus 1
Ya don't call Kurri Kurri Kurri
and ya don't call Gin Gin Gin
ya don't call Mooney Mooney Mooney
and ya don't call Kin Kin Kin
ya never call Pindi Pindi Pindi
and ya don't call Grong Grong Grong
and ya don't call Wagga Wagga Wagga no sir
callin' Wagga Wagga Wagga is wrong

It's Lang Lang and it's Ki Ki Wangi Wangi and Woy Woy
and if ya call Tumbi Umbi Tumbi, well that proves your a silly boy
Cocklebiddy isn't Cockle, Duckinwilla isn't Duck
Burpengary isn't Burpen, Muckadilla isn't Muck
Uranquinty isn't Uran, and Petrie isn't Pee
you'd look pretty silly callin' Liili Pilli Lilli and Wee Waa isn't Wee,
and

Chorus 2
Ya don't call Walla Walla Walla
and ya don't call Curl Curl Curl
ya don't call Mitta Mitta Mitta
and ya don't call Wool Wool Wool
ya never call Pura Pura Pura
and ya don't call Bong Bong Bong
and ya don't call Wagga Wagga Wagga no sir
callin' Wagga Wagga Wagga is wrong

It's Terrigal not Terry, and Stanthorpe isn't Stan
Peterborough isn't Peter, Dandaragan isn't Dan
Kenebri's not Kenny, Jackadgery isn't Jack
never ever call Jimboomba Jim and Macksville isn't Mack
so now you'll all remember Ted Egan's good advice
some words are so fair dinkum that you have to use 'em twice, and

REPEAT CHORUS 1

Hope this is of some use to you


Cheers


Bugsy

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Bert
Date: 22 Apr 07 - 11:36 PM

We were there in '64 and '65. We had lodgings in St. Ipps. while we were waiting for our house.

Subject: RE: BS: Silliest Name for a City....
From: Slag
Date: 23 Apr 07 - 02:25 AM

I love it Bugsy!