Can You Topo This?
Toponymy is the study of place names. It comes from the Greek topos, a place, and onoma, a name. It is a serious field of study; there is even a permanent United Nations commission soberly known as the Group of Experts on Geographical Names (UNGEGN).
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/
Toponymy involves history, etymology, and geography, of course, but I’m bypassing all that and going straight for the funny bone. I confess: it’s the silliness of some place names that attracts me. It’s shallow and sophomoric on my part, but life is serious enough already; a day without a snicker and a snort can be oppressive.
So here are a few strange place names that I’ve encountered. If I’ve missed some of your favorites, let me know.
- AL: Burnt Corn
- AK: Eek
- AZ: Horse Thief
- AR: Toad Suck
- CA: Weed
- CO: Last Chance
- CT: Giant Neck
- DE: Slaughter Beach
- FL: Picnic
- GA: Experiment
- HI: Volcano
- ID: Hellhole
- IL: Oblong
- IN: Santa Claus
- IA: What Cheer
- KS: Speed
- KY: Rabbit Hash
- LA: Waterproof
- ME: Purgatory
- MD: Mousetown
- MA: Sandwich
- MI: Hell
- MN: Sleepy Eye
- MS: Hot Coffee
- MO: Tightwad
- MT: Joe
- NE: Magnet
- NV: Jackpot
- NH: Rye
- NJ: Cheesequake
- NM: Truth or Consequences
- NY: Horseheads
- NC: Lizard Lick
- ND: Beach
- OH: Mudsock
- OK: Greasy
- OR: Talent
- PA: Intercourse
- RI: Tarbox Corner
- SC: Coward
- SD: Tea
- TN: Soddy Daisy
- TX: Cut and Shoot
- UT: Helper
- VT: Satan's Kingdom
- VA: Lick Fork
- WA: Humptulips
- WV: Left Hand
- WI: Disco
- WY: Chugwater
I can't promise that these aren't apocryphal stories, but two of the towns above appeared in unintentionally hilarious headlines. A paper in Waterproof, Louisiana, is said to have carried this headline for a tragic story: Waterproof Men Drown. And in Illinois, not too far from the farming community of Oblong, there is a city named Normal. A society section headline allegedly read, Normal Man Marries Oblong Woman.
Check out Mike's latest book here: http://arbutuspress.com/
Comments