The study of unusual place names is called Toponymy. Have you ever
lived in a place with a strange name? What happens is that everyone
who lives there becomes oblivious of the name's amusing connotation.
Another common occurrence is that people in the area refer to the place with a strange pronunciation. For example, I stayed for a while in charming village in Cornwall called Mousehole.
Did the people who live nearby pronounce it Mouse Hole? No, they refer to it as 'Mousle', the aitch is silent.
Here are
Will and Guy's favourite examples
of toponymy, we hope that at least one makes you smile:
Little Snoring in Norfolk [which would you prefer to live in?]
Giggleswick in
Yorkshire
Great Cockup in Cumbria
World's
End can be found in Berkshire and again near Birmingham [Lovely pub/restaurant in the place near Denmead, Hampshire]
Blubberhouses in Yorkshire [Visited there once says Will]
Crank in Merseyside [Probably more than one]
Hole in the Wall near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire [Visited a pub named that
in Caernarfon, North Wales, once or twice say Guy and Will]
Idle near Bradford, Yorkshire [Fancy belonging to the Idle Men's
Working Club]
Lilliput near Bournemouth, Dorset [Full of little people?]
Mumps in the Greater Manchester area [Sounds painful]
Piddlehinton in Dorset [There are several names like this based around
The River Piddle - true]
There is also a Wyre Piddle in Worcestershire.
And a Lickey End near Bromsgrove Worcestershire.
Lower Dicker and also, Upper Dicker both in East Sussex
There is the tiny 'Slack Bottom' near Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire
Pity Me in Durham [OK]
Ugley in Essex [There is also an Ugley Women's
Institute, and even an Ugley Landfill site!]**
** Yes there is, they're in the Essex Federation of Women's Institute! I used to live nearby. The village also has a newspaper, Ugley Village Magazine
Indeed, the Ugley Friendship Club meets there.
Thanks to Hannu Ylioja for the extra information on this toponym.
Update, A.N. reports there
is an Ugley Landfill Site. He points out the derivation of the word
/ village is from the Saxon description of Ugga's Meadow.
It took us a while to find 'No Place', people reported it existed then
Stephen Scullion of Gateshead pointed the way to this hamlet near Stanley.
The nearest towns are Consett, Chester-le Street and Durham itself.
The name 'No Place' seems rather modern, that is 20th century. As
usual, there are several theories for the origin of No Place, but our
favourite is that none of the local parishes wished to own this collection
of houses.
Play a Game of Twinning Towns, For Example
Romeo in Michigan, USA with Joliet in
Illinois, USA [Juliet].
Or, worse: Harrisburg PA, USA, with Chernobyl, Ukraine!
Here is a Sister of Toponymy - Aptonym (A name aptly suited to its
owner)
»
Henry Head, an English neurologist.
Igor Judge, Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales.
Chuck Long, former NFL quarterback for the Detroit Lions and the
Los Angeles Rams.
Chris Moneymaker, amateur winner of 2003 World Series of Poker,
which earned him $2.5 million USD.
Beer in Devon [Possible retirement place for Will?]
To round it off: Puke in Albania
Footnote: Please send us any good examples of funny place names (Toponyms) from your part of the world.
For example Stephen sent in: 'Pity Me', Durham, England.
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