# Strangely named places you've been to **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 18, 2019, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629 "2019-11-18T22:20:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/41 "2019-11-19T19:26:33Z")
I’ve been to [Big Bone Lick State Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bone_Lick_State_Park) outside of Cincinnati, but like everyone else I was just there to take a picture next to the sign. And when I was in Germany, my phone informed me that I was in [Fuhlsbuttel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuhlsb%C3%BCttel), which in my mind is pronounced “Fool’s Butthole” ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/42 "2019-11-19T19:59:55Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > While on TDY @ Barksdale AFB earlier in the year, my coworker and I took a drive up to Caddo Lake. On the west side of the lake was a little town called **Uncertain, TX**. I’ve been to Uncertain! I think > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > [Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanfairpwllgwyngyll) > > " [The] church of [St.] Mary (Llanfair) [of the] pool (pwll)[15] of the white hazels (gwyn gyll) near [lit. “over against”] (go ger) the rapid whirlpool (y chwyrn drobwll) [and] the church of [St.] Tysilio (Llantysilio) of the red cave (-ogo[f] goch)." This might be not countable - the town changed their name in the Victorian era in order to set the record at the time for longest place name, and thus attract tourism. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/43 "2019-11-19T20:12:15Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > Also ‘Gringley on the Hill’ no reason for it to be funny but it is. I’m an avid reader of Regency novels, many of which are set in small rural towns rather than London. I thought the authors were making the names up. Then I got an atlas of England\* and started looking up some of the weirder names (plus looking for other funny names) When I got to [Giggleswick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giggleswick), I gave up. Apparently in England you don’t have to make up names, there’s bound to be one out there to give just the right feel for your story. - Note this happened long before such information could easily be looked up on the Internet. ---
**Author:** ![Stana\_Claus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stana_claus/32/13874_2.png) [@Stana\_Claus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stana_Claus)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/44 "2019-11-19T20:39:47Z")
Toad Suck, Arkansas. It’s not too far off I-40 between Fort Smith and Little Rock. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/45 "2019-11-19T20:46:17Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > My brother and his neighbors named the road they lived on ‘Four Wheel Drive’, which is now the official name of it. It deserved the name. Supposedly there are quite a few plant specimens from Peru in the Missouri Botanical Gardens collection with the locality listed as “Curva Peligrosa” (Dangerous Curve). The collector, not speaking Spanish, assumed the road sign was the name of the of the closest town.😃 (I’m not aware of any actual town named “Curva Peligrosa,” but there should be.) ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/46 "2019-11-19T20:57:04Z")
> [@xizor](#): > > I’ve been to [Big Bone Lick State Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bone_Lick_State_Park) outside of Cincinnati, but like everyone else I was just there to take a picture next to the sign. My friends and I all had to take pictures next to the Boner Ranch sign in northeast Wyoming in our early 20s. Fast forward, and now I do a lot of work on that ranch in my capacity as a surveyor/remote pilot. Life is weird sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/47 "2019-11-19T20:59:04Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Supposedly there are quite a few plant specimens from Peru in the Missouri Botanical Gardens collection with the locality listed as “Curva Peligrosa” (Dangerous Curve). The collector, not speaking Spanish, assumed the road sign was the name of the of the closest town.😃 (I’m not aware of any actual town named “Curva Peligrosa,” but there should be.) Slight hijack - this is reminiscent of the story of [Ireland’s most notorious serial traffic offender](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/dictionary-helps-crack-case-of-notorious-polish-serial-offender-1.702863). > [@](#): > > HE WAS one of Ireland’s most reckless drivers, a serial offender who crossed the country wantonly piling up dozens of speeding fines and parking tickets while somehow managing to elude the law. > > So effective was his modus operandi of giving a different address each time he was caught that by June 2007 there were more than 50 separate entries under his name, Prawo Jazdy, in the Garda Pulse system. And still not a single conviction. > > In the end, the vital clue to his identity lay not with Interpol or the fingerprint database but in the pages of a Polish-English dictionary. Prawo jazdy means driving licence. Hijack over, j ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/48 "2019-11-19T21:02:37Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Wartrace, Tennessee. > > I always read the name as Wart race. Some say it’s supposed to be War trace. I say that’s no fun. My wife went to high school in Wartrace. And they jokingly called it Wart Race. And this is close to Bell Buckle – Also called Belt Buckle. And I have been to Bucksnort, Tennessee. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/49 "2019-11-19T21:20:25Z")
I’ve been to a town in Quebec called Asbestos. In spite of its name, it’s quite safe, although the water smells like farts. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/50 "2019-11-19T21:37:47Z")
I’ve been to [Titz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titz), Germany. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/51 "2019-11-19T21:42:56Z")
Heh, when we were playing Ticket to Ride Europa edition, everyone wanted to pronounce Chemnitz as “Chemnutz”. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/52 "2019-11-20T06:17:41Z")
I’ve been through Yelverton, Ontario. It’s my favourite hick place name. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/53 "2019-11-20T06:33:33Z")
Fordyce, Ark. Smackover, Ark. Ogemaw, Ark. Not sure if its a city, but they have a Fire station, Cooterneck, Ark. Somehow there are 2 Evening Shade, Ark. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/54 "2019-11-20T08:23:11Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > St. Louis du Ha! Ha! in Quebec Hear any good jokes there? I’ve been to [Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu](https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-10-longest-place-names-in-the-world.html) which is a hill in New Zealand. Longer name than that Welsh village. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/55 "2019-11-20T09:12:04Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > [Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanfairpwllgwyngyll) > > " [The] church of [St.] Mary (Llanfair) [of the] pool (pwll)[15] of the white hazels (gwyn gyll) near [lit. “over against”] (go ger) the rapid whirlpool (y chwyrn drobwll) [and] the church of [St.] Tysilio (Llantysilio) of the red cave (-ogo[f] goch)." I have this theory that such place names are a defence strategy, the leader of the regional marauding horde wakes up, gathers the warriors and says “Right lads, today we are going to raid Llanfa… Llanfairp… ehmm, sod it, it’s Springfield again” ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/56 "2019-11-20T09:24:50Z")
In the eighties, I drove through the infamous Austrian hamlet Fucking. That was pre-internet, and I did not even bother to take a picture. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/57 "2019-11-20T09:32:09Z")
The twin villages of Cerezo de Arriba and Cerezo de Abajo: Upper Cherry Tree and Lower Cherry Tree. The upper/lower pair already sounds quaint, but when the name is “Cherry Tree”? Damn, it sounds as if they should be somewhere in the Shire! I would like to thank people from agglutinative languages such as German, Welsh and Maori for making long Spanish names look better 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/58 "2019-11-20T10:45:25Z")
David Letterman used to love to cite Bad Axe, Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/59 "2019-11-20T11:41:00Z")
Germfask, MI – named after the initials of 8 original settlers: [Germfask Township, Michigan - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germfask_Township%2C_Michigan) I’m not sure if I’ve ever been there, but I find Cuba City, WI on interesting name Brian ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2019, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629/60 "2019-11-20T12:36:58Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Hear any good jokes there? > > I’ve been to [Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu](https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-10-longest-place-names-in-the-world.html) which is a hill in New Zealand. Longer name than that Welsh village. I’ve been to **Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg** in Massachusetts. It’s not far from one place I used to work. > [@](#): > > The lake’s name comes from Ln. Nipmuc, an Algonquian language, and is often said to mean, “Fishing Place at the Boundaries—Neutral Meeting Grounds”. A more fitting translation is “lake divided by islands”, according to anthropologist Ives Goddard. > **[Lake Chaubunagungamaug](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Chaubunagungamaug)** > > Lake Chaubunagungamaug, also known as Webster Lake, is a lake in the town of Webster, Massachusetts. It is located near the Connecticut border and has a surface area of 1,442 acres. Since 1921, the lake has also been known by a much longer name having 45 letters comprising fourteen syllables: Lake Char­gogg­a­gogg­man­chaugg­a­gogg­chau­bun­a­gung­a­maugg. The lake has become famous beyond Central Massachusetts for having the longest name of any geographic feature in all of the United States. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strangely-named-places-youve-been-to/843629.md?page=4)