# Are there any real places named \[Someone's\] \[Some Intangible Thing\] like Ryan's Hope or Evelyn's Despair? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 28, 2025, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118 "2025-12-28T13:36:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/61 "2025-12-31T18:06:26Z")
There’s always _Norman’s Woe,_ a rock reef off Cape Ann near Gloucester. It was the site of several shipwrecks, including the fictional _Hesperus_ in Longfellow’s poem _the Wreck of the Hesperus_. It’s very close to Hammond Castle, and clearly visible from there. ---
**Author:** ![Johnwcowan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnwcowan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnwcowan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/62 "2025-12-31T19:23:14Z")
“Pleasure” of any type. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/63 "2025-12-31T19:33:03Z")
I give you “Orphan’s Loss Place” - a street in La Plata, MD ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/64 "2025-12-31T20:23:36Z")
Those are all tangible concepts though, no? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/65 "2025-12-31T21:23:43Z")
> **woe** > > 2 of 2 > > ## **[noun](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noun)** > > **pluralwoes** > > **1** > > **:** a condition of deep suffering from misfortune, affliction, or grief > > **2** > > **:** ruinous trouble **: [calamity](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calamity)**, **[affliction](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/affliction)** > > economic _woes_ ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/66 "2025-12-31T21:26:10Z")
? I wasn’t responding to that post. Or are you not responding to mine and it’s Discourse that’s telling me you are. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/67 "2025-12-31T23:17:48Z")
**Dogs Nest** is a whistlestop hamlet in Ontario Canada. Maybe ten houses some of them derelict. > **[Dogs Nest, a historical area hamlet, looks to the future](https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/everybody-howl-for-dogs-nest)** > > Historical hamlet in Norfolk County wants back on the map ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/68 "2026-01-01T01:48:32Z")
I mentioned that yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/69 "2026-01-01T02:20:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Those are all tangible concepts though, no? I guess not, but IMO a purchase, grant, location, or gore are less tangible than a mill, mountain, river. But you are correct that they’re not as abstract as a woe or folly. ---
**Author:** ![TekirKedi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tekirkedi/32/19028_2.png) [@TekirKedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TekirKedi)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/70 "2026-01-01T22:17:07Z")
The first thing I thought of is a bit of obscure Canadiana. The place exists and was the main set for a TV show called The Beachcombers…”Molly’s Reach” is a real restaurant. (But further reading in comments and as I was checking spelling, apparently a “reach” is a section of river? So maybe this does not count as it is a geographical term and a restaurant…) ---
**Author:** ![Mk\_VII](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Mk\_VII](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mk_VII)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/71 "2026-01-06T08:16:52Z")
There are several features called Mount Hopeless in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/72 "2026-01-06T12:35:47Z")
Several years ago I read about a case where geophysics students discovered three new faults. Given the opportunity to name them, they cammed them “My Fault”, “Your fault”, and “\_\_\_\_’s Fault”, where the last was the name of the university president. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/73 "2026-01-06T13:59:49Z")
They should have gone with “Nobody’s Fault”. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/74 "2026-01-06T14:10:34Z")
Nah, they should have named them “Nobody’s Fault,” “Hell It Could Be My Fault,” and “It’s My Own Damn Fault,” then have a Margarita. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/75 "2026-01-06T15:37:55Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > They should have gone with “Nobody’s Fault”. After a hard landing on a flight, the FA comes on with an announcement - “Ladies and gentlemen, that wasn’t the Pilot’s fault, that wasn’t the Co-Pilot’s fault, that was the asphalt.” ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/76 "2026-01-13T16:31:40Z")
But. they refer to the land , very tangible, obviously not a verb.. use the noun meaning of the word.. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/77 "2026-01-13T16:32:56Z")
Its unlikely someone did leap , it refers to a cliff.. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/78 "2026-01-13T16:41:26Z")
Reid’s Mistake at the entry to Lake Macquarie.. near Swansea hey. Its referring to Reid discovering the lake by mistaking the channel as the river he wanted to reach, “After the long beach and bluffs stretch, coal in the cliffs and an island and there’s a river., go in to the safe harbour there” .. Well there was not much of a safe harbour but there was a large lake on the other side of the dangerous channel. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/79 "2026-01-14T13:49:42Z")
Tate’s Hell State Forest > **[Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services](https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Tate-s-Hell-State-Forest)** > > Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services ---
**Author:** ![Jaguars](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaguars/32/5879_2.png) [@Jaguars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaguars)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2026, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118/80 "2026-01-15T00:53:29Z")
Similarly, there’s Taylors Mistake, a bay near Christchurch in NZ. Opinions differ as to whether it was a ships captain or a land buyer who made the original mistake. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-real-places-named-someones-some-intangible-thing-like-ryans-hope-or-evelyns-despair/1026118.md?page=5)