# Funny/clever place names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2007, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703 "2007-09-19T03:34:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/21 "2007-09-19T14:18:36Z")
I always did a double take when I lived in Sheffield and went past signs pointing to the town of Penistone. That’s “penny-stone”, folks. ---
**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:** [September 19, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/22 "2007-09-19T14:36:06Z")
My first job was in Hicksville, NY. Everyone thought I was joking. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/23 "2007-09-19T15:14:31Z")
There’s a Hicksville here in Ohio, too. The people there are actually quite jaded and cosmopolitan. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/24 "2007-09-19T15:39:53Z")
Cheesequake state park in New Jersey. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/25 "2007-09-19T15:47:05Z")
What, no mention of [Lake Titicaca](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Titicaca)? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/26 "2007-09-19T15:56:53Z")
[QUOTE=papaw] Gun Barrel City, Texas. Shaped that way ( sorta ). [/QUOTE] My first (summer) job, at age 15, was there, at the Polar Bear Ice Cream Shop. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/27 "2007-09-19T16:37:25Z")
On the other end of the creativity scale, I’d like to nominate Texas for having the _least_ imaginative town names of any state. They’re all around here. I can just imagine what the conversation among the original settlers was like: “Well, Silas, this looks like as good a place as any to start our town.” “But, Eustace, what’ll we name it after? There’s nothing here but that puddle!” “Hmm. How about ‘Shallowwater’?” “Perfect!” -OR- “…there’s nothing here but a big empty plot of dirt.” “Hmm. How about ‘Brownfield’?” -OR- “…there’s nothing here at all, just the horizon.” “Hmm. How about ‘Levelland’?” -OR- “…there’s absolutely nothing to look at whatsoever.” “Hmm. How about ‘Plainview’?” I could go on… ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/28 "2007-09-19T16:39:19Z")
Gotta throw **Hell,Michigan** into the mix. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/29 "2007-09-19T16:53:41Z")
There is a little crossroads village here in southern Ohio called Knockemstiff. I have driven past Big Bone Lick State park in Kentucky. And my brother lives in Cockeysville, Maryland. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/30 "2007-09-19T17:01:08Z")
My sister lives near [Slickville, PA](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slickville%2C_Pennsylvania) ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/31 "2007-09-19T17:11:04Z")
And lets not forget Climax, MI. We used to drive past it all the time, and whenever we saw the sign someone would comment that we were “approaching Climax”, usually with appropriate sounds and body movements. ---
**Author:** ![RunSilent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@RunSilent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RunSilent)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/32 "2007-09-19T17:11:45Z")
French Lick, Indiana Climax, Minnesota, not far from Fertile ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/33 "2007-09-19T17:14:04Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] [Hell, Michigan](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Michigan) Cuz it’s redundant! 😃 It’s also a barrel of laughs every January when it freezes over. [/QUOTE] So [this picture](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v340/if6was9/hellfrozeover.jpg) is _real_ then?? ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/34 "2007-09-19T17:24:08Z")
When I drive east from Chillicothe on US 50, I pass Guysville (I wonder if Liz Phair knows about this place) and Coolville. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/35 "2007-09-19T17:29:26Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] And Blue Ball. [/QUOTE] And Virginville. (I think Intercourse, Blue Ball and Virginville all list “selling roadsigns” as major sources of revenue.) Place names in Alabama (most of them near where I grew up): Balm of Gilead, AL Fleahop, AL Slapout, AL (aka Holtville, but it’s always called Slapout- it’s even on the municipal buildings) SmutEye, AL Burnt Indian Creek Fat Squaw Creek (intersects with Burnt Indian- maybe she ate him) There’s a Santa Claus, Georgia with streets named for Santa’s reindeer. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/36 "2007-09-19T17:29:28Z")
Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. Beat that. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/37 "2007-09-19T17:33:38Z")
[Dildo, Newfoundland and Labrador](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/38 "2007-09-19T17:36:11Z")
[QUOTE=severus] [Dildo, Newfoundland and Labrador](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador) [/QUOTE] I guess those people don’t have it as good as residents of Fucking, Austria. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/39 "2007-09-19T17:39:45Z")
Let’s see. In WV we have: Big Ugly Mud French Lick (French tickler’s brother?) Mt Gay Erbacon (pronounced “Er-ba-con” but no one does that. It’s “Er-bacon”) Nitro (WW2 Munitions plant was here) Quick Ripley (believe it or not!) Tornado Uneda ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703/40 "2007-09-19T17:44:45Z")
Toad Suck, Arkansas. > [@](#): > > Toad Suck is in Perry County, in the Little Rock metro area. > > Local traditions say the community was named for early inhabitants - be they gamblers or river boatmen - who “sucked up whiskey like toads.” The word “suck” in place names often refers to a salt lick or a channel of water [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-clever-place-names/419703.md?page=3)