# Tenth Anniversary of the Fall of the Old Man of the Mountain **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 9, 2013, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217 "2013-04-09T12:03:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/21 "2013-04-10T12:56:26Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > It’s nearly 8 years since one of the [Twelve Apostles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Apostles_(Victoria)) in Australia collapsed. Ouch, I hadn’t heard about that. Glad I saw it back in '97. The Eleven and One Half Apostles just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/22 "2013-04-10T13:45:11Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Ouch, I hadn’t heard about that. Glad I saw it back in '97. The Eleven and One Half Apostles just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. You mean Eight and One Half… Relative to the OP, is anyone else humming “Fall of the Mountain King”? ---
**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:** [April 10, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/23 "2013-04-10T14:41:49Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Are features like this common in the US or was this the inspiration for a storyline in the Simpsons where Homer wrecks a local stone face called Geezer Rock about which Lisa has written a poem? The episode was called Fraudcast News. Rocks That Look Like Something Else are incredibly common. Not far from The Profile is Indian Head Rock. There’s an Indian Head motel and a special viewing platform for it. Also, if you take the Cog Railway up the side of Mount Washington there is (or at least used to be) a point at which the guide pointed out theiir own “mini-Man of the Mountain”. Farther away you’ve got Polar Caves, with its watchdogs and other shapes. The US is littered with Chimney Rocks and Toilet Rocks and Three Sisters and so on. Seeing shapes in rock formations is as common as seeing shapes in clouds\* What made The Old Man of the Mountain unique is the way it sat off by itself, atop the mountain, surrounded by relatively rounded slopes that didn’t look like anything much (except the “Cannon” atop Cannon Mountain a few miles away that gave it its name). It was 'way up atop that mmountaintop, looking south over Franconia Notch all by itself, highlighted against the sky. \*I strongly suspect that all those Rocks That Look Like Things gave rise to those legends of petrified people and animals, like Laelaps and lot’s Wife and Keots the Sea Monster and the Gorgon’s victims. ---
**Author:** ![somepumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@somepumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/somepumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/24 "2013-04-10T14:44:51Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Franconia Notch? I think I dated her back in college! That was cheesy, but i’m still snickering about it. Nicely-played. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/25 "2013-04-10T14:56:00Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Seriously, I don’t even know what those NH people have to live for anymore. I think they should resign from the Union. What a disgrace. Well, we’ve still got the first-in-the-nation primary. BOW BEFORE DIXVILLE NOTCH! (Funny that, even though I never want to live in NH again, things like this bring out the Granite State in me.) ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/26 "2013-04-10T15:07:09Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Well, we’ve still got the first-in-the-nation primary. BOW BEFORE DIXVILLE NOTCH! > > (Funny that, even though I never want to live in NH again, things like this bring out the Granite State in me.) And the best motto- “Live free or die.” It’s so commanding. I always think, “Ok, ok, I’ll try- please don’t kill me!” Plus it’s just funny that the motto is on their license plates, which are manufactured by _prisoners_. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/27 "2013-04-10T15:19:09Z")
Weren’t they going to build a reinforced concrete duplicate on the site? What would be wrong with that? In a country where people scramble to see a burnt tortilla that looks like Jesus, a good quality fake oughtta do fine. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/28 "2013-04-10T15:22:47Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Rocks That Look Like Something Else are incredibly common. Grand Tetons. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/29 "2013-04-10T15:37:20Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > It’s nearly 8 years since one of the [Twelve Apostles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Apostles_(Victoria)) in Australia collapsed. And four years since the Island Archway gave way: [before](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Island_Archway,_Great_Ocean_Rd,_Victoria,_Australia_-_Nov_08.jpg) and [after](http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6022/5887493034_22162b3214_z.jpg). > > I managed to see those two while they were still standing, though. 🙂 Holy cats, really? I hadn’t heard about that. I saw them back in '99. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/30 "2013-04-10T16:43:53Z")
Since it hasn’t been posted yet, Daniel Webster observed: “Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there he makes _men_.” ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/31 "2013-04-10T17:51:43Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Well, we’ve still got the first-in-the-nation primary. BOW BEFORE DIXVILLE NOTCH! Dixville Notch is Franconia’s brother. Watch out for him. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/32 "2013-04-10T18:04:13Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Grand Tetons. That is all. Have you SEEN the Grand Tetons? If they were on a person you could cut yourself on those edges. The Frenchen who named them must’ve been incredibly horny. [http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Grand-Teton-National-Park-Photos.htm](http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Grand-Teton-National-Park-Photos.htm) There are plenty of more inviting places deserving of the name [http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;\_ylt=A0PDoQ1vqWVRRQIAEm2JzbkF;\_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F\_adv\_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DMountains%2BLike%2BBreasts%2Bimages%26fr%3Dyfp-t-900%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=563&h=750&imgurl=badatheist.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2Fmountains-as-breasts-3.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbadatheist.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2F23%2Fa-missing-chapter-of-genesis-found%2F&size=178+KB&name=Missing+Chapter+of+Genesis+–+Found!+|+Bad+Atheist&p=Mountains+Like+Breasts+images&oid=f7732c7e3168e9e9908b0d038444be0c&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-900&tt=Missing%2BChapter%2Bof%2BGenesis%2B%25E2%2580%2593%2BFound%2521%2B%257C%2BBad%2BAtheist&b=0&ni=56&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12eqt6qt4&sigb=13r6lk3da&sigi=121h2t53h&.crumb=NlmV0YvpqfQ&fr=yfp-t-900](http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoQ1vqWVRRQIAEm2JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DMountains%2BLike%2BBreasts%2Bimages%26fr%3Dyfp-t-900%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=563&h=750&imgurl=badatheist.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2Fmountains-as-breasts-3.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbadatheist.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2F23%2Fa-missing-chapter-of-genesis-found%2F&size=178+KB&name=Missing+Chapter+of+Genesis+%E2%80%93+Found%21+%7C+Bad+Atheist&p=Mountains+Like+Breasts+images&oid=f7732c7e3168e9e9908b0d038444be0c&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-900&tt=Missing%2BChapter%2Bof%2BGenesis%2B%25E2%2580%2593%2BFound%2521%2B%257C%2BBad%2BAtheist&b=0&ni=56&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12eqt6qt4&sigb=13r6lk3da&sigi=121h2t53h&.crumb=NlmV0YvpqfQ&fr=yfp-t-900) > **[Breast-shaped hill](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast-shaped_hill)** > > Some breast-shaped hills are named "pap", an archaic word for the breast or nipple of a woman, particularly those with a small hilltop protuberance. Such anthropomorphic geographic features are found in different parts of the world, and in some traditional cultures, they were once revered as the attributes of the Mother Goddess, such as the Paps of Anu, named after Anu, an important female deity of pre-Christian Ireland. > The name Mamucium that gave origin to the name of the city of Manchester is... ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/33 "2013-04-10T18:04:15Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > “Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there he makes _men_.” So is God dead or does New Hampshire now turn out spineless wusses? ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/34 "2013-04-10T19:10:53Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Have you SEEN the Grand Tetons? If they were on a person you could cut yourself on those edges. > The Frenchen who named them must’ve been incredibly horny. > > [http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Grand-Teton-National-Park-Photos.htm](http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Grand-Teton-National-Park-Photos.htm) > > There are plenty of more inviting places deserving of the name > > [http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;\_ylt=A0PDoQ1vqWVRRQIAEm2JzbkF;\_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F\_adv\_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DMountains%2BLike%2BBreasts%2Bimages%26fr%3Dyfp-t-900%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=563&h=750&imgurl=badatheist.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2Fmountains-as-breasts-3.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbadatheist.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2F23%2Fa-missing-chapter-of-genesis-found%2F&size=178+KB&name=Missing+Chapter+of+Genesis+–+Found!+|+Bad+Atheist&p=Mountains+Like+Breasts+images&oid=f7732c7e3168e9e9908b0d038444be0c&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-900&tt=Missing%2BChapter%2Bof%2BGenesis%2B%25E2%2580%2593%2BFound%2521%2B%257C%2BBad%2BAtheist&b=0&ni=56&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12eqt6qt4&sigb=13r6lk3da&sigi=121h2t53h&.crumb=NlmV0YvpqfQ&fr=yfp-t-900](http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view;_ylt=A0PDoQ1vqWVRRQIAEm2JzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTBlMTQ4cGxyBHNlYwNzcgRzbGsDaW1n?back=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.search.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%2Fimages%3F_adv_prop%3Dimage%26va%3DMountains%2BLike%2BBreasts%2Bimages%26fr%3Dyfp-t-900%26tab%3Dorganic%26ri%3D1&w=563&h=750&imgurl=badatheist.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2Fmountains-as-breasts-3.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbadatheist.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2F23%2Fa-missing-chapter-of-genesis-found%2F&size=178+KB&name=Missing+Chapter+of+Genesis+%E2%80%93+Found%21+%7C+Bad+Atheist&p=Mountains+Like+Breasts+images&oid=f7732c7e3168e9e9908b0d038444be0c&fr2=&fr=yfp-t-900&tt=Missing%2BChapter%2Bof%2BGenesis%2B%25E2%2580%2593%2BFound%2521%2B%257C%2BBad%2BAtheist&b=0&ni=56&no=1&ts=&tab=organic&sigr=12eqt6qt4&sigb=13r6lk3da&sigi=121h2t53h&.crumb=NlmV0YvpqfQ&fr=yfp-t-900) > > [Breast-shaped hill - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast-shaped_hill) My father lived on one of the [Uncanoonucs](http://www.gotopinardville.com/uncanoonuc_mountains.htm) in New Hampshire (mentioned in that article). He was a horny bastard, and loved that he was living on a boob. ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/35 "2013-04-10T19:16:50Z")
> [@Ms.Pumpkin](#): > > And the best motto- “Live free or die.” It’s so commanding. I always think, “Ok, ok, I’ll try- please don’t kill me!” Plus it’s just funny that the motto is on their license plates, which are manufactured by _prisoners_. Even worse is that at least one person did jail time for covering up the motto and it took a US Supreme Court decision (Wooley v. Maynard) to overturn the law that made covering up “Live Free Or Die” illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/36 "2013-04-10T19:18:44Z")
“You must live free” “We must live free” “_I_ don’t!” ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/37 "2013-04-10T19:45:47Z")
> [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > Even worse is that at least one person did jail time for covering up the motto and it took a US Supreme Court decision (Wooley v. Maynard) to overturn the law that made covering up “Live Free Or Die” illegal. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/38 "2013-04-10T23:05:26Z")
When I heard about the so-called “Face on Mars”, I immediately thought of Profile Mountain and wondered, just how detailed does something need to be in order for people to be sure that it’s not something naturally created, rather than by an artist? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217/39 "2013-04-10T23:12:35Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > When I heard about the so-called “Face on Mars”, I immediately thought of Profile Mountain and wondered, just how detailed does something need to be in order for people to be sure that it’s not something naturally created, rather than by an artist? Well, as it turns out, the Face on Mars was either an artifact of Mariner’s imaging system, or obliterated by nukes before more details surveys were made. What’s there now (and likely has been there for the last million years) is a heap of rubble that [in no way resembles a face](http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2001/ast24may_1/). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tenth-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-the-old-man-of-the-mountain/655217.md?page=1)