# Deprecating names of cities **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 4, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699 "2012-03-04T03:39:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/1 "2012-03-04T03:39:19Z")
Inspired by this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=643720), what are some the uncomplimentary names of cities that people use to diss them? I’m inspired by the comment that Sacratomato was a name for Sacramento during the harvest season. I went to school at Davis and Sacramento was a subject of derision, so I’m unconvinced that many locals called in Sacratomato. It is, however, quite spectacular to see the amount of squashed tomatoes on the roads around Sacramento in the fall. From around here, Ventura is Venturda and Thousand Oaks is Thousand Tokes. And well, Oxnard doesn’t even need a nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/2 "2012-03-04T03:50:16Z")
Taylor, MI is often called Taylortucky. It’s kind of rednecked for Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/3 "2012-03-04T04:07:51Z")
I lived in Edmonton, Alberta for a bit. It’s sometimes known, by folks who don’t live there, as Deadmonton, owing to its perceived lack of nightlife. I found it to be a lively and fun city, though. Scarborough, a formerly-independent entity in Metropolitan Toronto that has been assimilated into the larger city, is sometimes known as Scarberia. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/4 "2012-03-04T04:09:12Z")
People do not call Baltimore “Charm City” unironically. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/5 "2012-03-04T04:10:41Z")
Fontana, CA is often referred to as Fontucky. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/6 "2012-03-04T04:14:35Z")
Perhaps I should rephrase that as “some people don’t call Baltimore “Charm City” unironically”. There may be a few who think it still calls to mind 1970s tourism-driving ad campaigns… ---
**Author:** ![plankter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ba0ec/32.png) [@plankter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plankter)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/7 "2012-03-04T04:15:32Z")
**Asimovian** beat me to Fontucky. 🙂 I used to feel guilty about referring to Garden Grove as “Garbage Grove”, but having worked there for a year now I seldom call it anything else. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/8 "2012-03-04T04:18:59Z")
Syracuse, NY is Sorry-excuse Rochester, NY is Rottenchester ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/9 "2012-03-04T04:21:00Z")
Just remembered “Filthydelphia”! And “Pits-burgh”. ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/10 "2012-03-04T04:30:57Z")
Norfolk, Virginia is often cited in Navy circles as No \*\*\*\*, Vagina. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/11 "2012-03-04T05:15:54Z")
Of course, there is the classic “Los Wages” for Las Vegas. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/12 "2012-03-04T05:17:58Z")
Not a city by any means, but the town just to the north of me, Cedar Lake, is called “Cedar-tucky” It’s a two for one slam! ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/13 "2012-03-04T05:18:42Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Just remembered “Filthydelphia”! > > And “Pits-burgh”. The latter should be “City of Champions”. 😃 “Filthadelphia” is accurate, though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/14 "2012-03-04T05:19:45Z")
Not a city, but when I used to live in Elmira, NY, I heard people calling Pennsylvania Pennsatucky. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/15 "2012-03-04T05:22:09Z")
Taylortucky, Fontucky, Cedartucky, Pennsatucky. I’ve been to Kentucky. It’s really a very nice state. Why does it have such a bad rep? Is it just because “tucky” sounds funny? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/16 "2012-03-04T06:05:17Z")
> [@tonyfop](#): > > Norfolk, Virginia is often cited in Navy circles as No \*\*\*\*, Vagina. Now that’s funny. > [@Colibri](#): > > Of course, there is the classic “Los Wages” for Las Vegas. I do believe that’s Lost Wages, Nevada. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/17 "2012-03-04T06:26:25Z")
Islamabad; _Is Lame and Bad_. ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/18 "2012-03-04T07:14:11Z")
On the California Central Coast, I’ve learned that Atascadero (between the minor tourist destinations of Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo) is known locally as A-trash-cadero ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/19 "2012-03-04T08:35:32Z")
Cleveland, Ohio = The Mistake on the Lake ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/20 "2012-03-04T09:09:06Z")
Gary, Indiana was not-so-affectionately referred to as Scary, Indiana at my high school. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699.md?page=2)