The reason we find it annoying is because The Paris is the capital of France and there’s no need to emphasise that. Other Parises are but namesakes.
Ah, so then it’s an ego thing.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I said “it sounds weird to me”, not “it annoys me”. It doesn’t annoy me in the slightest; the phraseology is merely odd to my ears.
Again, I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can assure you that I have no ego invested in Paris, or indeed in France at all. However, “Paris, France” still sounds odd to me.
It’s an observation, not a criticism.
I’m all with Candyman74. I have absolutely no interest in France or Paris (except it’s a very nice town) and it sounds very strange when someone feels it necessary to point out which country it is in.
I heard an American on his first trip to Europe call home to boast “I’m in Paris, France.” I think it was an Americanism, either dragging the name out (the way one might say “I just shook hands with George Walker Bush” for emphasis) or to emphasize distance or exoticness, that is playfully pretending the “France” needs to be added even though you know it doesn’t.
BTW, in Northern California, “The City” was always San Francisco, even though San Jose now exceeds in population. IIRC, I’ve heard many Los Angelenos even refer to San Francisco as “The City”! Any truth to that?
I used to think .ca internet addresses were in California.
Yes, among those of us who’ve visited there a lot, or lived there in the past, and then only when San Francisco and vicinity is the topic of conversation. For instance, it would make sense in a conversation about the comparative advantages of different places to live around the Bay. But outside of such contexts, no, it isn’t done here.
Yes, there is:
Newark, New Jersey is the famous one, but there’s also a Newark in Delaware, California, Ohio, Texas, and possibly other states. Springfield is probably the most common name. Someone told me that it was in over 20 states. Its one of the reasons the Simpsons (cartoon) is in Springfield.
In the United States, it is the states that regulate their localities. The states decidie upon city government structure, charters, and naming. Most states only allow one city to have a specific name, but New Jersey actually allows several cities to have the same name. Most of the time it’s like Peters Buro vs. Peters Township, but Edison, New Jersey was once called Raritan Township before it changed its name back in 1954 (the other contestant for city name was “Nixon”). Yet, there’s another Raritan Township about 30 miles away, and a Raritan Boro less than 10 miles away.
Nicaragua. What did I win?
That’s because Canada’s not a real country anyway. 
The Thai name for Bangkok, “Krung Thep,” means “City of Angels” and is often likened to Los Angeles, so you could say Thailand.
**Think fast ** doesn’t mean mull it over for 12 days while you try to come up will a smart-arse answer.
Therefore you win nothing.
I can walk to San Jose in 15 minutes, but when I say “The City” I mean San Francisco. Despite being the 10th largest municipality in the country, San Jose is still just an overgrown suburb - while San Francisco is a real City.
In the US, “city, state” is the full name of the town in the sense that “Edward Smith” is my full name. Some cities are like Madonna, Cher, Pele, or Fabio: they can generally be referred to by first name only. I, however, am only just “Edward” to my friends, family, and co-workers.
I thought the Thai name for Bangkok was something ridiculously long…?
Bah. Didn’t notice the date of your post. It was the first time I’d seen this thread!
Yes, listed in Guinness World Records, I believe:
Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanu Kamprasit
which means:
"The city of angels, the great city, the eternal jewel city, the impregnable city of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukam."
They just call it Krung Thep – City of Angels – for short. “Bangkok” comes from bang kok, or “Place of olive trees.” It may have been the name of an old fishing settlement in the area prior to the capital being moved here after the last sacking of the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya by the Burmese. Only foreigners call it Bangkok, but the Thais all know the name.
I was going to say something similar. The “full name” can be used for emphasis too.
“I’m calling you from London, England, dude! I just saw Queen Elizabeth the Second, baby.” Yeah if you had said only “London” and “the queen” it souls have been unambiguous, but sometimes you feel like saying the whole thing.
“I’m dating a fashion model ftom Paris, France!” Just emphasize that it’s the good Paris you’re talking about and not just dome run-of-the-mill Paris.
Since Krung Thep, the shorter indigenous name, means “city of angels”, it may be appropriate to point out that the full name of the other City of Angels is El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río de Porciúncula – an interesting cross-cultural and cross-religion shortening of two place names to terms with identical meanings.
Oh hell no. Y’all have swelled heads as it is, we’re not gonna add to it. Heck, I refer to it as “Frisco” whenever possible just to watch Northerners turn purple.
New York City was originally called “New York…Dude (shake of a head)…New York…” because everyone who mentioned the city felt so sorry for the inhabitants because they lived in such a liberal quagmire. Over time…“dude” was left out…it seemed to Californish.