# Descriptive place names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 24, 2021, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264 "2021-09-24T11:28:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/101 "2021-10-04T17:57:48Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Mt. Rainier in the state of Washington is known in the Lushootseed language of the local Native tribes as Tahoma Specifically in the Twulshootseed dialect spoken by [the Puyallup,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puyallup_people) according to [the very first Mountaineer Annual](https://www.mountaineers.org/about/history/the-mountaineer-annuals/indexes-annuals-maps/the-mountaineer-1907-1908) (page 8). ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/102 "2021-10-04T19:27:58Z")
The Roman name for Manchester in England was “Mamucium” which derives from the olde English for breast-shaped hill (the hill is gone now but I it assume was there at the time). ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/103 "2021-10-04T21:32:48Z")
Boring, Oregon was named after an early pioneer but, having been through it a few times, I can confidently say that the name is quite an accurate description of today’s town. Oregon also has Whorehouse Meadow, which _was_ an accurate descriptive place name Once Upon a Time but today is a totally nondescript meadow with no signs of human infrastructure in the middle of a wilderness area which itself is in the middle of nowhere. Times sure do change. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/104 "2021-10-05T10:54:37Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > which derives from the olde English for breast-shaped hill See also the [Paps of Jura](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paps_of_Jura). ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/105 "2021-10-05T14:03:14Z")
And, the Grand Tetons: [![](https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/153387119.jpg) ](https://www.denverpost.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/153387119.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/106 "2021-10-06T20:26:12Z")
Cook Inlet in Alaska was, of course, named for Captain Cook. Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet was so-named by William Bligh (yes, _that_ Bligh, who was Cook’s Sailing Master) because it was another dead end for Cook’s search for the Northwest Passage. The Valley of 10,000 Smokes in Alaska was named by Robert Griggs, who led a 1915 exploration of the area after the Katmai/Novarupta eruption of 1912. He observed the devastated landscape (with ash as deep as 700 feet), which was still giving off smoke and steam through thousands of vents. That’s no longer the case, but the name stuck. Copper River, Alaska was named because of the huge copper deposits at the headwaters. Chicken, Alaska was named by gold miners because of the huge number of ptarmigan in the area. Sadly, there was no consensus on how to spell “ptarmigan”, so the name “Chicken” was adopted to avoid later embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/107 "2021-10-06T21:03:41Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Copper River, Alaska was named because of the huge copper deposits at the headwaters. I’ve eaten a ton of salmon from the area. Anytime our grocery store had it, we buy it. ---
**Author:** ![FastDan1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fastdan1/32/427_2.png) [@FastDan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FastDan1)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/108 "2021-10-06T21:23:20Z")
Many places were named after [Captain Cook](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_named_after_Captain_James_Cook#Towns) including a crater on the moon. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2021, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/109 "2021-10-06T21:31:30Z")
Thanks for that post. Had to laugh at the ptarmigan dilemma. So they chickened out. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2021, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/110 "2021-10-08T22:47:27Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Chicken, Alaska was named by gold miners because of the huge number of ptarmigan in the area. Sadly, there was no consensus on how to spell “ptarmigan”, so the name “Chicken” was adopted to avoid later embarrassment. There is a minor mountain that is well known in Scottish hillwalking circles called Meall nan Tarmachan - “Ptarmigan Hill”. Of course spelling didn’t matter when it was named. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/111 "2021-10-09T14:56:51Z")
I half half a case of jars of smoked Copper River sockeye sitting on top of the refrigerator right now. ---
**Author:** ![darazusa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@darazusa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/darazusa)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/112 "2021-12-16T07:16:20Z")
there is a smallish set of hills on main street in east mesa Arizona. it is called “twin knolls”. there are businesses all around “twin knolls tire” “twin knolls automotive”. for the past 50 years or so, I have driven past them an average of 3 times a week. six months ago, my brother pointed out that there are three of them. i never noticed. does this count as descriptive? I’m not sure of anything anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/113 "2021-12-16T07:28:48Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > There’s also Coalinga, CA. Which is literally just a contraction of Coaling Station A. Though again not super descriptive nowadays as there is no longer a Coaling Station there. There was also a Coaling Station B somewhere in the region. Station A took root and became a real city, while Station B dried up and blew away. Coalinga has a history-type museum with a lot of displays relating to the region’s early oil days – lots of antique oilfield equipment and stuff like that. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/114 "2021-12-16T07:42:16Z")
> [@FastDan1](#): > > Many places were named after [Captain Cook](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_named_after_Captain_James_Cook#Towns) including a crater on the moon. When was Captain Cook there? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/115 "2021-12-16T13:59:37Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > When was Captain Cook there? He stopped there briefly right after his final Hawaii stop. (Pow! To the moooooon, James!) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/116 "2021-12-16T14:05:36Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > There’s also Coalinga, CA. Which is literally just a contraction of Coaling Station A. Though again not super descriptive nowadays as there is no longer a Coaling Station there. How interesting! I was just there last month, driving through. ---
**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:** [December 16, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/117 "2021-12-16T16:37:22Z")
> [@darazusa](#): > > there is a smallish set of hills on main street in east mesa Arizona. it is called “twin knolls”. there are businesses all around “twin knolls tire” “twin knolls automotive”. for the past 50 years or so, I have driven past them an average of 3 times a week. I just bought an apartment in a suburb of Tel Aviv called “Givatayim”. The meaning of the name? “Two hills”. It does, in fact, have two hills. The building is on one of them. ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/118 "2021-12-16T16:43:13Z")
There’s a town in Ontario called Angus (not descriptive) but the local joke is that if you remove the “g” from the name then you will have a very accurate description of the town. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2021, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/119 "2021-12-16T21:04:03Z")
I am a proud alumnus of New Mexico State University, or NMSU. When you are mad at the bureaucrats, it’s pronounced “Enema Zoo”. ---
**Author:** ![darazusa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@darazusa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/darazusa)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2022, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264/120 "2022-01-30T10:59:27Z")
mashed potatoes. i am reminded of mashed potatoes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/descriptive-place-names/951264.md?page=7)