# 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:** 4
**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 6, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/61 "2012-03-06T13:57:43Z")
Oh, and I’ve heard Minneapolis/St. Paul called “The Twin Shitties” before. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/62 "2012-03-06T14:13:32Z")
It strikes me how so very few of these approach anything near clever. (although Krap Room ain’t bad) 🙂 mmm ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/63 "2012-03-06T15:49:11Z")
Some Texas ones I’ve heard: Fort Worth --\> Fort Worthless Waco --\> Wacko (the Branch Davidian/David Koresh reference) Euless–\> Useless Houston–\> Pee-yew-ston (a reference to the petrochem/refineries that give some areas a pretty unpleasant stench) One derogatory nickname that was rechristened into something a little more dignified, was the downtown area in Fort Worth, that was long known as “Hell’s Half Acre” and is now known as “Sundance Square”. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/64 "2012-03-06T17:52:35Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Syracuse, NY is Sorry-excuse > > Rochester, NY is Rottenchester Or for extra flavor, _Dirty_ Rottenchester. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/65 "2012-03-06T18:10:44Z")
Years ago, the small town down the road had a onion-bulb style water tower, earning it the nickname of “doorknob to the shithouse of the world.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Woo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@Dr.Woo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Woo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/66 "2012-03-06T19:55:21Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > 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.** (bolding mine) Foxnard, or Da 'Nard. Here in the Bay Area: Berserkley, Hayweird for Hayward, Milpenis for Milpitas, Funnyvale for Sunnyvale. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/67 "2012-03-06T23:33:43Z")
Rolling Ghettos for the Chicago suburb of Rolling Meadows. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/68 "2012-03-06T23:57:33Z")
Near Chattanooga is a small town that used to be two smaller towns, Soddy and Daisy. Of course, the name Soddy Daisy is bad enough. But when I was growing up, the place had a reputation for having particularly scary rednecks (think _Deliverance_). Thus, we called it Sodomy Daisy. ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/69 "2012-03-07T11:19:38Z")
Birmingham, Alabama’s nickname is “The Magic City” but some refer to it as “The Tragic City”. A friend of mine calls Starkville, Mississippi “Starkghanistan”. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/70 "2012-03-07T11:23:31Z")
Vitoria/Gasteiz is also known as Siberia/Gasteiz, due to its climate; it’s not so much derogatory as a warning to first-time visitors. I’ve seen snow on the ground there in July. Students at the Universidad de La Almunia refer to that little town as LA, pronounced in Spanish, and follow it by a speech on how it is very much not the same as LA pronounced in English; quite the opposite. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/71 "2012-03-07T14:36:33Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Yonkers has no nickname, probably because no one can think of anything more derogatory than Yonkers. Made me laugh out loud. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2012, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/72 "2012-03-10T07:14:25Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Swift Current, Saskatchewan = Speedy Creek Which is saying the same thing three different times. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Bopster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@Bopster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bopster)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/73 "2019-05-29T17:49:44Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > Syracuse, NY is Sorry-excuse > > Rochester, NY is Rottenchester We called Rochester “Crotchfester” and Syracuse “Zero-cuse”. Then there’s the Mistake by the Lake a/k/a “Barfalo” or Buffalo. Poughkeepsie was often called “Puke-Upsy”. ---
**Author:** ![Bopster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@Bopster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bopster)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/74 "2019-05-29T17:51:23Z")
> [@Doctor](#): > > Hollywood, CA = Hollyweird > Lake Placid, NY and Saranac Lake, NY had a bit of a rivalry going - Lake Plastic and Saran Wrap Lake were their monikers for one another. Don’t forget Tupperware Lake (Tupper Lake). ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/75 "2019-05-29T18:21:47Z")
> [@Doctor](#): > > Hollywood, CA = Hollyweird > Lake Placid, NY and Saranac Lake, NY had a bit of a rivalry going - Lake Plastic and Saran Wrap Lake were their monikers for one another. And, a bit to the east, Vermonters refer to the state capital, Montpelier, as Montpeculiar. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/76 "2019-05-29T18:32:57Z")
> [@Darryl\_Lict](#): > > I went to school at Davis and Sacramento was a subject of derision, so I’m unconvinced that many locals called in Sacratomato. I’ve lived in Folsom (a Sacramento suburb) for 14 years and I don’t think I’ve ever heard it called “Sacratomato”. I think I’ve mostly just heard it called “California’s biggest farm town” and “The Midwest of California”. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/77 "2019-05-29T18:33:36Z")
In ID we have poke-n-tell-all, er pocatello. While I don’t know personally, I’ve been told by folks that grew up there that it’s a pretty accurate name ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/78 "2019-05-29T18:36:25Z")
Chicago - “Chiraq” because of the violence. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/79 "2019-05-29T19:10:33Z")
When we last visited Costa Rica the nearest town, Tamarindo, was referred to by the locals as “Tamagringo” because of the high concentration of American ex-pats. It made me smile… ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2019, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699/80 "2019-05-29T19:11:13Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > L.A. = Hell-A > Sacramento = Scrotumento > Seminole, FL = Semen Hole > Sanibell, FL = Tidy Bowl > Butte, MT = Butt > Needles, CA = Needless > Bakersfield = Gateway to Fresno I call Seminole “So Many Old” St. Petersburg = St Peter’s turd Orlando = Whorelando Pinellas Park = Penniless Park (very fitting) Inglewood, CA = Inglewatts [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deprecating-names-of-cities/614699.md?page=5)