# Six Flags Over Where **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 1, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019 "2008-10-01T16:56:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/1 "2008-10-01T16:56:17Z")
> **[What are the six flags that have flown over Texas?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342307/what-are-the-six-flags-that-have-flown-over-texas)** Far be it from me to question the Master, but this statement puzzles me: “To forestall embarrassing inquiries the park was recently given the unobjectionable (because meaningless) name Six Flags St. Louis.” How is that name meaningless? It’s a brand name followed by a location, just like “Sea World Orlando”, “Universal Studios Hollywood”, and “The Second City Toronto”. Just because Orlando isn’t nearly as big as a World, and Toronto would have to be at best the Third City, doesn’t make those names meaningless. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/2 "2008-10-01T17:09:44Z")
> [@Powers](#): > > How is that name meaningless? It’s meaningless because it’s not making any claim about how many flags have flown **over** St Louis. But “Six Flags Over St Louis” does make a meaningful claim of that sort. ---
**Author:** ![mfwills](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@mfwills](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mfwills)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/3 "2008-10-01T21:14:35Z")
> [@Powers](#): > > [What are the six flags that have flown over Texas? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1162/what-are-the-six-flags-that-have-flown-over-texas) > > Far be it from me to question the Master, but this statement puzzles me: “To forestall embarrassing inquiries the park was recently given the unobjectionable (because meaningless) name Six Flags St. Louis.” > > How is that name meaningless? It’s a brand name followed by a location, just like “Sea World Orlando”, “Universal Studios Hollywood”, and “The Second City Toronto”. Just because Orlando isn’t nearly as big as a World, and Toronto would have to be at best the Third City, doesn’t make those names meaningless. > Powers &8^] I think I have to side with Cecil on this one. The original amusement park in the chain is “Six Flags Over Texas;” that name has never applied to any but that one park, and carries with it the significance of the political entities Cecil mentions. I may be mistaken, but I believe the original intent was to reflect Texas being unique in the number of countries of which it has been part. In its expansion through construction and acquisition, many of the company’s properties are identified as “Six Flags Something-or-other.” In the company logo, the six flags are colorful pennants, not the flags of six political entities. Thus, other than the legacy connection with the original park, “Six Flags,” in and of itself, has no meaning outside of Texas. M ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/4 "2008-10-01T22:52:56Z")
> [@mfwills](#): > > I think I have to side with Cecil on this one. > > The original amusement park in the chain is “Six Flags Over Texas;” that name has never applied to any but that one park, and carries with it the significance of the political entities Cecil mentions. I may be mistaken, but I believe the original intent was to reflect Texas being unique in the number of countries of which it has been part. [ahem…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Flags_Over_Georgia) ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/5 "2008-10-02T11:55:25Z")
> [@mfwills](#): > > Thus, other than the legacy connection with the original park, “Six Flags,” in and of itself, has no meaning outside of Texas. Well, that’s some meaning, isn’t it? I guess I don’t see a brand name as having no inherent meaning. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/6 "2008-10-02T13:59:38Z")
It’s semantics. Cecil was talking about inherent meaning of the words, as opposed to brand name. Just because I name my company “#1 Auto” doesn’t mean I’m the real #1 by any measurable standard. ---
**Author:** ![SeanArenas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeanArenas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanArenas)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/7 "2008-10-02T23:10:11Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > It’s semantics. Cecil was talking about inherent meaning of the words, as opposed to brand name. Just because I name my company “#1 Auto” doesn’t mean I’m the real #1 by any measurable standard. Absolutely. Unless, of course, you try to say that you’re called #1 auto _because_ you’re #1, as opposed to it’s just because you filed a dba. Has Six Flags done this? And what about Six Flags, Magic Mountain? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/8 "2008-10-04T18:29:17Z")
If I were planning a vacation, I’d choose Six Flags over St. Louis every time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/9 "2008-10-08T15:10:14Z")
**SeanArenas** > [@](#): > > Absolutely. Unless, of course, you try to say that you’re called #1 auto _because_ you’re #1, as opposed to it’s just because you filed a dba. Doesn’t matter. I can _say_ whatever I want, doesn’t make it true. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/10 "2008-10-09T14:14:17Z")
It does if you advertise it. That whole Truth in Advertising thing and all. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2008, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/six-flags-over-where/466019/11 "2008-10-09T21:49:22Z")
_Still_ doesn’t make it true. Just makes me a legally culpable liar.