# Good words, part II: Proper names

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-words-part-ii-proper-names/345501>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 21, 2006, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-words-part-ii-proper-names/345501 "2006-02-21T18:10:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-words-part-ii-proper-names/345501/21 "2006-02-22T05:36:43Z")

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Bugs Bunny can’t be wrong…

Albuquerque  
I grew up in Micanopy, FL (not my-canopy, but mick-a-no-pee)

I also lived in Otter Creek, which had neither otters nor creeks.

Sri Lanka  
Nova Scotia  
Okefenokee

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**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-words-part-ii-proper-names/345501/22 "2006-02-22T06:34:47Z")

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> [@WhyNot](#):
>
> My great great (I think that’s enough greats) grandmother had a wonderfully fun name to say, but I have no idea how to spell it. I’ll try it more or less phonetically … Kuneygunda Schmaltzer.

You weren’t that far off – it’s[Kunigunde](http://www.behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=kunigunde). The French version, Cunégonde, is familiar to anyone who’s read Voltaire’s novel _Candide_.

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**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-words-part-ii-proper-names/345501/23 "2006-02-22T11:06:32Z")

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From my old home in NB, Canada:

Beaver Harbour  
Deadman’s Harbour :eek:  
Pocologan  
Bocabec  
Digdeguash  
Digby  
Oven Head  
Bonney River  
Manawagonish  
Neguac  
Bouctouche  
Sackville  
Pull and Be Damned Narrows  
Meductic  
Bay du Vin  
Disappointment Lake  
Mistake Cove  
Peekaboo Corner  
Cape Enragé  
Maquapit Lake  
Passamaquoddy Bay  
Plumweseep  
Magaguadavic  
Apohaqui  
Plumper Rock  
Tunaville (it’s technically “Toonerville”, but somehow it evolved. Or devolved, in this case.)  
Then I moved here to Seattle, and I’m surrounded by more fun names:

Puyallup  
Snoqualmie  
Skykomish  
Snohomish  
Forks  
Tumwater

…and more I’m not thinking of, because I’m still getting used to the place. Thankfully, I feel right at home, surrounded by all these interesting, tongue twisting names. 😃

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**Author:** ![Amaranta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Amaranta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amaranta)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-words-part-ii-proper-names/345501/24 "2006-02-22T18:27:11Z")

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Thanks a lot guys. Now I’ll be humming the “Don’t be late… to the Puyallup” song all day!

There’s some fun ones to say around here: Salmon Arm, Baldy Hughes, Hydraulic, Bella Bella, Osoyoos (like o-soy-us or o-soy-yoos), Pouce Coupe (and yes, that’s french for cut thumb). Spuzzum and Squamish always make me laugh. SPUZZUM is very fun to say.

And then there’s Dildo, in Newfoundland. Heh.

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**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/good-words-part-ii-proper-names/345501/25 "2006-02-22T18:34:38Z")

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There are some odd place names in Idaho:

Hazard Lake  
Last Chance  
River of No Return

I think they ought to change the license plate from “Famous Potatoes” to “The State of Terror.”

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