# If you live in Ames, Iowa, you have my condolences **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391 "2015-06-24T20:13:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/21 "2015-06-30T17:31:17Z")
I’m a UK citizen – never been to the Americas. Some forty years ago, I was briefly acquainted with a girl from Ames, Iowa – she was spending a while over here on a student-exchange arrangement: I recall that her father was an academic at, presumably, Iowa State University. To the best of my recollection, this thread marks the first occasion from that day to this, of my coming across a mention of Ames in any context whatever. (I found the video so corny and inept, as actually to be rather endearing.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/22 "2015-06-30T17:54:58Z")
> [@Sangahyando](#): > > To the best of my recollection, this thread marks the first occasion from that day to this, of my coming across a mention of Ames in any context whatever. Obviously, you don’t do many American crossword puzzles. In that universe, Ames is one of the most important cities in the U.S., along with Erie, Pennsylvania; Orono, Maine; and Orem, Utah. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/23 "2015-06-30T19:26:54Z")
Big on the crossword scene, then – a handy few strategic letters, and something out-of-the-way yet not totally unheard-of. In British crosswords, quite a favourite along that general line, is “Sarum” – old Latin name of the city of Salisbury – “Sarum” continued to be used, for reasons of historical / political nonsense, until quite late on, and is still fairly well-known. Another favourite word in British crosswords re the “handy few letters” thing, is ERNE – either a river in the north of Ireland, or a vernacular name for the white-tailed eagle, _Haliaeetus albicilla_. Don’t know whether that one might be a “runner” as regards American crosswords… ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/24 "2015-06-30T20:42:16Z")
I just watched the wole thng trhu. I fink I bwoke summin impertint in mah headbrain. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/25 "2015-07-01T01:30:07Z")
Greatest city video promo title still belongs to Grand Rapids [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPjjZCO67WI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPjjZCO67WI) ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/26 "2015-07-01T14:29:57Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > As someone who brought a metropolitan sensibility to a small town and has spent several years working with civic committees… these things always start out as one good, bright idea and are then beaten to death, slowly, by committee. Until something is left that pleases one or two members who have had no real contribution except to list everything they didn’t like about each iteration, and thus neither pleases nor offends any of them. > > Iowa is probably progressive compared to “Well… we’ve never \*done \*it that way” Nwingland. It’s so disheartening when the yokels, oafs, and bumpkins aren’t suitably deferential to their betters, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/27 "2015-07-01T15:10:30Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > Holy fuck guys, did you see that magic guitar!? > > B+, I’d watch it again. I can’t. I think the husky is animatronic and it just frightens the Hell out of me. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/28 "2015-07-01T16:03:26Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Are they using “potable tap water” as a reason to move there? I think they tout it more than once! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2015, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/29 "2015-07-01T17:58:25Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > As a former Iowan with generally fond memories: > > I’ve never been to Ames, though with Iowa State located there and Des Moines not far away, there should be reasonable cultural/entertainment/sports options and probably OK neighborhoods to live in. If you’re actually trying to recruit faculty who don’t know about the city, the video (mostly the song, which is horribly obnoxious) is an atrocious way to do it. > > The only thing they didn’t mention is how many flights out are available daily (something I’ve seen highlighted in job listings for far less attractive and accessible locales).Big city people? They were probably laughing their asses off in Davenport and Sioux City. I was just in Ames in June. Their downtown, though small, was nice and has a gallery store ([link here](https://www.octagonarts.org/en/octagon_shop/)) with lovely handcrafted items. Reiman Gardens at the state university is lovely and there’s currently a [tree house exhibit](http://www.reimangardens.com/exhibition/intreeguing-treehouses/). The recreation center at the university rivals the 2 I’ve been to at colleges in Boston. I wouldn’t want to live there, but there’s a lot to recommend. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391.md?page=1)