What's in a town name?

[poltr1]

This week's "Idiot of the Week" goes to the administration of Grayson High School in Gwinnett County, Georgia, for yanking a student out of class for wearing a shirt that said "Hempstead, NY 516". The administrators thought it was a drug reference. Here's the article on cnn.com. Guess they don't teach New York State geography in Georgia. Or what George Washington used to grow.

Meanwhile, in older, somewhat related news, some of the more radical animal rights activists (i.e. PETA) have been persuading -- and offering money to -- the council of the town of Hamburg, New York to change the name of their town to "Veggieburg". (Online article here.) It appears that they are trying to do the same in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, and in Hamburg, Germany. (Here's PETA's press release.)

So, what other funny town names are out there? There's Bevis, OH, northwest of Cincinnati. (Butthead, OH can't be too far away.) Fishkill, NY. Intercourse, PA (of course I have to mention this one). Blue Ball, OH (a one-intersection hamlet between Middletown and Monroe). Deposit, NY. Truth or Consequences, NM (yep, named after the old TV game show). North East, PA (which is actually in the northwest corner of the state -- go figure). And that's all I can think of. Good night.

Comments

[smoooom.livejournal.com]

How about,

Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, and Flin Flon? Actually Flin Flon isn't that odd, except that it's the only city in the world named after an SF character.

[poltr1]

Didn't know that about Flin Flon.

You've reminded me of the old joke: "You know you're Canadian when you don't laugh at town names like Moose Jaw, Medicine Hat, and Yellowknife."

My version of that was partially quoted in a previous LJ entry: "You know you're from Buffalo when you don't laugh at town (or neighborhood) names like Lackawanna, Black Rock, Forks, and Depew."

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

I am amused when I drive somewhere from Bloomington and pass through Gnaw Bone, Indiana. But in the sceme of things this really isn't all that high on the weird name meter :).

[poltr1]

Wonder how that town got its name.

Between Xenia and Yellow Springs is an unincorporated hamlet called Goes Station. "Goes Where?", I wonder.

And then in Boone County, Kentucky, there's Big Bone Lick State Park. Not exactly a town, but the name makes me bust a gut laughing, even though the area is known for fossilized dinosaur bones.

[joecoustic.livejournal.com]

And then in Boone County, Kentucky, there's Big Bone Lick State Park.

Yeah, I remember that one. I think the Tonight Show even included that one in one of their bits.