For New York I'm nominating the township of Butternuts.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HiFvPErkRTDsTmyP8
The nearest major city is Oneonta.
Massachusetts has two body part-plant hybrids: Braintree and Peabody.
As for "where are we?": Wales, Peru, and Florida. Florida is on MA 2.
And for a "who's on first" type name: Ware (pronounced where).
There's also Sandwich, but the town name (in England) came before the food.
Santa Claus
Swayzee
Loogootee
Shipshewana
Quote from: 1 on July 21, 2022, 08:00:50 AM
Massachusetts has two body part-plant hybrids: Braintree and Peabody.
As for "where are we?": Wales, Peru, and Florida. Florida is on MA 2.
And for a "who's on first" type name: Ware (pronounced where).
There's also Sandwich, but the town name (in England) came before the food.
Although not a town, there’s also Satan’s Kingdom, MA near the MA/NH/VT tripoint.
Additionally, Maine has a bunch of those “where are we” names, such as Mexico, China, Sweden, Norway, Poland etc.
Quote from: BlueOutback7 on July 21, 2022, 08:40:21 AM
Quote from: 1 on July 21, 2022, 08:00:50 AM
Massachusetts has two body part-plant hybrids: Braintree and Peabody.
As for "where are we?": Wales, Peru, and Florida. Florida is on MA 2.
And for a "who's on first" type name: Ware (pronounced where).
There's also Sandwich, but the town name (in England) came before the food.
Although not a town, there's also Satan's Kingdom, MA near the MA/NH/VT tripoint.
Additionally, Maine has a bunch of those "where are we" names, such as Mexico, China, Sweden, Norway, Poland etc.
China, ME reminds me of the Buffalo China Road in Buffalo, NY. It historically led to the Buffalo China Factory, not the country of China. ;-)
Los Banos and Gorda in California.
In Arizona probably I would say currently it would be Why or Tortilla Flat. Nothing and Total Wreck from the ghost town side always amused me.
Goofy Ridge, Oblong, Normal in Illinois. This article had a bunch more.
https://madison.com/lifestyles/the-24-most-unusual-town-names-in-illinois/collection_1fb374e6-e84b-5c48-b10b-03062269be1c.html#15
I would say Pewee Valley for Kentucky
Not a town but I just thought of Normal Avenue in Buffalo, NY.
Quote from: 1 on July 21, 2022, 08:00:50 AM
Massachusetts has two body part-plant hybrids: Braintree and Peabody.
As for "where are we?": Wales, Peru, and Florida. Florida is on MA 2.
And for a "who's on first" type name: Ware (pronounced where).
There's also Sandwich, but the town name (in England) came before the food.
Massachusetts town names become funnier when you combine them with signage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Lw8ADKeaOM&ab_channel=MikeAgranoff
Some for Ontario:
Punkeydoodles Corners
Moonbeam
Swastika
Emo
Redditt
Penetanguishene
Kakabeka Falls
London (which even has a Thames river)
Quote from: 7/8 on July 21, 2022, 04:46:17 PM
London (which even has a Thames river)
Hopefully I can see a replica of Buckingham Palace there. ;-)
Any Pennsylvania resident: "Hold my beer ..."
Hot Coffee
Possumneck
Michigan has Hell, Paradise, Bad Axe, White Pigeon and others that my fellow Michiganians on this forum might come up with.
I also remember a town in Pennsylvania along I-80 called Snow Shoe.
Quote from: XamotCGC on July 21, 2022, 04:31:36 PM
I would say Pewee Valley for Kentucky
My dad actually knew someone that had moved there several years ago that he went to school with. They had moved to Nashville, Tennessee after that but strange that my dad hasn't heard from them in years but as soon as I saw it I was like I know where Pewee Valley is.
Quote from: kirbykart on July 21, 2022, 05:19:44 PM
Quote from: 7/8 on July 21, 2022, 04:46:17 PM
London (which even has a Thames river)
Hopefully I can see a replica of Buckingham Palace there. ;-)
The creator of the Not Just Bikes (https://www.youtube.com/c/notjustbikes) videos is originally from London, ON which he calls "Fake London."
The funniest name in California is a small mountain, Nellies Nipple (https://www.mindat.org/feature-5376443.html).
Quote from: skluth on July 22, 2022, 05:50:08 PM
The funniest name in California is a small mountain, Nellies Nipple (https://www.mindat.org/feature-5376443.html).
But was that an actual town site or just a mining claim? That part of the Sierras never really had much beyond Havilah as far as inhabited places.
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 02:59:58 PM
Michigan has Hell, Paradise, Bad Axe, White Pigeon and others that my fellow Michiganians on this forum might come up with.
The only one of these that I've heard of before is Hell; I always thought Kalamazoo was kind of funny though, and that's not an obscure town by any means.
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 03:02:40 PM
Quote from: XamotCGC on July 21, 2022, 04:31:36 PM
I would say Pewee Valley for Kentucky
My dad actually knew someone that had moved there several years ago that he went to school with. They had moved to Nashville, Tennessee after that but strange that my dad hasn't heard from them in years but as soon as I saw it I was like I know where Pewee Valley is.
I think Kentuckians are a little numb to how simple some of the place names sound.
I mean, just along KY 122 and every holler in Eastern KY has all sorts of places like this:
Hi Hat
Drift
Bypro
"Up Skull" (as in "You go up Skull")
Upper and Lower Burton
Minnie
Etc., etc.
For Utah, my wife is from Sandy. I tell her they called it Sandy because they didn't want to call it Dirty.
Weedsport NY always makes me wonder if they hold smoking championships over there or there was a port dedicated to that specific industry on Erie canal.
Quote from: Rothman on July 22, 2022, 06:58:54 PM
For Utah, my wife is from Sandy. I tell her they called it Sandy because they didn't want to call it Dirty.
I've heard of several towns named Sandy Creek, but none just Sandy.
Oh, Missouri...where do I begin? We have:
Peculiar
Tightwad
Clever
Fair Play
Half Way
Braggadocio
Cooter
Koshkonong
Lupus
Novelty
Defiance
Sleeper
Doolittle
Licking
Curryville
Bland
Loose Creek
Frankenstein
Fairdealing
Humansville
Also, we have Louisiana, Nevada, and Oregon - as well as Paris and Mexico - all within Missouri!
Not sure anything in Kentucky tops Monkey's Eyebrow.
Tennessee has a couple of hyphenated possibilities -- Soddy-Daisy and Gruetli-Laager.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 22, 2022, 08:11:44 PM
Not sure anything in Kentucky tops Monkey's Eyebrow.
Tennessee has a couple of hyphenated possibilities -- Soddy-Daisy and Gruetli-Laager.
I actually heard of Soddy-Daisy recently on the HGTV program "The Ugliest House in America".
Quote from: kirbykart on July 22, 2022, 06:53:16 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 02:59:58 PM
Michigan has Hell, Paradise, Bad Axe, White Pigeon and others that my fellow Michiganians on this forum might come up with.
The only one of these that I've heard of before is Hell; I always thought Kalamazoo was kind of funny though, and that's not an obscure town by any means.
They are all small towns. Paradise is in the U.P. near Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior, Bad Axe is I believe the largest town out of the towns I mentioned, it's in the thumb about 100 miles due north of Detroit and is the seat of Huron County. White Pigeon is a small town near the Indiana border west of Sturgis, it's the junction of US-12 and US-131.
Quote from: Rothman on July 22, 2022, 06:58:09 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 03:02:40 PM
Quote from: XamotCGC on July 21, 2022, 04:31:36 PM
I would say Pewee Valley for Kentucky
My dad actually knew someone that had moved there several years ago that he went to school with. They had moved to Nashville, Tennessee after that but strange that my dad hasn't heard from them in years but as soon as I saw it I was like I know where Pewee Valley is.
I think Kentuckians are a little numb to how simple some of the place names sound.
I mean, just along KY 122 and every holler in Eastern KY has all sorts of places like this:
Hi Hat
Drift
Bypro
"Up Skull" (as in "You go up Skull")
Upper and Lower Burton
Minnie
Etc., etc.
Yeah then in the same region of the state they have a towns called Topmost, Wheelwright, Weeksbury, Kite, Wayland, Soft Shell and several others but I know some of them off the top of my head.
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 08:54:55 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 22, 2022, 06:58:09 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 03:02:40 PM
Quote from: XamotCGC on July 21, 2022, 04:31:36 PM
I would say Pewee Valley for Kentucky
My dad actually knew someone that had moved there several years ago that he went to school with. They had moved to Nashville, Tennessee after that but strange that my dad hasn't heard from them in years but as soon as I saw it I was like I know where Pewee Valley is.
I think Kentuckians are a little numb to how simple some of the place names sound.
I mean, just along KY 122 and every holler in Eastern KY has all sorts of places like this:
Hi Hat
Drift
Bypro
"Up Skull" (as in "You go up Skull")
Upper and Lower Burton
Minnie
Etc., etc.
Yeah then in the same region of the state they have a towns called Topmost, Wheelwright, Weeksbury, Kite, Wayland, Soft Shell and several others but I know some of them off the top of my head.
Yeah, I thought Wheelwright and Weeksbury were more normal sounding.
Quote from: Rothman on July 22, 2022, 09:06:16 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 08:54:55 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 22, 2022, 06:58:09 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 03:02:40 PM
Quote from: XamotCGC on July 21, 2022, 04:31:36 PM
I would say Pewee Valley for Kentucky
My dad actually knew someone that had moved there several years ago that he went to school with. They had moved to Nashville, Tennessee after that but strange that my dad hasn't heard from them in years but as soon as I saw it I was like I know where Pewee Valley is.
I think Kentuckians are a little numb to how simple some of the place names sound.
I mean, just along KY 122 and every holler in Eastern KY has all sorts of places like this:
Hi Hat
Drift
Bypro
"Up Skull" (as in "You go up Skull")
Upper and Lower Burton
Minnie
Etc., etc.
Yeah then in the same region of the state they have a towns called Topmost, Wheelwright, Weeksbury, Kite, Wayland, Soft Shell and several others but I know some of them off the top of my head.
Yeah, I thought Wheelwright and Weeksbury were more normal sounding.
They sound more normal than the other ones.
Cumming (GA)
One of my high school teachers grew up in Big Ugly, West Virginia.
My answer for Québec is gonna be quite literal: Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!.
Embarrass WI
Montana has a handful of funny town names:
Amazon (no, not to be confused with the online store or forest of said name)
Atlantic City (wait, did they just steal this from New Jersey? C'mon, Montana!)
Big Warm (the heck is that?)
Blazing Place (that's a new one on me)
Blue Cloud (aren't all clouds blue?)
Cowboys Heaven (guess this is where you go to do the boot-scoot-n-boogey)
Dryhead (why is it one word? What the heck's going on here?!)
Free Deal (wait, what?! What sort of free deals do y'all have?! Can I haz free stuff plox?)
Kremlin (alright, c'mon, Montana. Why do we have a town named after the Russian seat of power?)
Mike Horse (huh? Who the flyin' blue robin is this? I don't know anyone by that name.)
Surprise Creek Colony (I know nothing about such a colony)
Top O'Deep (Never heard of it)
Truly (wait, you mean the drink of said name or...what rambling troubadour came up with that?)
Two Dot (The smallest town in Montana)
Quote from: hbelkins on July 22, 2022, 08:11:44 PM
Not sure anything in Kentucky tops Monkey's Eyebrow.
Tennessee has a couple of hyphenated possibilities -- Soddy-Daisy and Gruetli-Laager.
I've seen Gruetli-Laager on a map but I thought Soddy Daisy was unhyphenated.
ADD: Upon further review, I see there is indeed a hyphen upon the latter.
Michigan has a city called Zilwaukee. I've mentioned it before. It's a city outside of Saginaw a little more famously known as the home of the Zilwaukee Bridge along I-75. The city was actually named Zilwaukee in an attempt to attract immigrants who thought they were heading for Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The attempt didn't work and today Zilwaukee is just a small town just north of Saginaw.
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Hickman County, Tennessee alone has a lot of funny place names:
Bucksnort
Only
Bon Aqua
Bon Aqua Junction
Littlelot
Aetna
Grinder's Switch
Other notable Tennessee place names:
Hohenwald
Difficult
Defeated
Nameless
Finger (pronounced FIAAAAAN-ger with a heavy Southern accent, according to my dad)
Arp
Hornbeak
Riddleton (which I'm quite fond of)
Quebeck (SIC)
Lascassas
Beersheba Springs
Pall Mall
And most of those aren't even in East Tennessee!
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Duluth.
Quote from: Rothman on July 23, 2022, 02:35:58 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Duluth.
What's funny about Duluth's name? (Other than the people who satirically pronounce it "Dul-OOT" in a mocking Minnesota accent)
Going strictly by town/city name, Massachusetts doesn't have many "funny" ones IMO since most are old and based in their predecessors in England. Add a Boston/New England accent, and then they can sound funny (Woosta, Meffa, Reveah).....at least to some.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Brainerd?
Quote from: Billy F 1988 on July 22, 2022, 10:09:45 PM
Blue Cloud (aren't all clouds blue?)
Go look at a cloud. Is it
blue? No, real clouds, and not just drawings, are white.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Minnehaha, quite literally. :biggrin:
Quote from: webny99 on July 23, 2022, 10:52:14 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Minnehaha, quite literally. :biggrin:
County in South Dakota.
Quote from: kirbykart on July 23, 2022, 08:05:50 AM
Quote from: Billy F 1988 on July 22, 2022, 10:09:45 PM
Blue Cloud (aren't all clouds blue?)
Go look at a cloud. Is it blue? No, real clouds, and not just drawings, are white.
Eyyyyy now, easy there. Just be lucky today you ain't seeing red clouds! :D Just a silly thought that wasn't meant to be answered.
Quote from: Big John on July 23, 2022, 10:54:56 AM
Quote from: webny99 on July 23, 2022, 10:52:14 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Minnehaha, quite literally. :biggrin:
County in South Dakota.
Also a waterfall and adjacent neighborhood in Minneapolis (not technically a town name, I know...)
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Fertile is a quite funny name for a town
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 22, 2022, 06:14:10 PM
Quote from: skluth on July 22, 2022, 05:50:08 PM
The funniest name in California is a small mountain, Nellies Nipple (https://www.mindat.org/feature-5376443.html).
But was that an actual town site or just a mining claim? That part of the Sierras never really had much beyond Havilah as far as inhabited places.
It's not a town. It's a small mountain (https://california.hometownlocator.com/maps/feature-map,ftc,1,fid,1661095,n,nellies%20nipple.cfm). I first saw it, or more correctly my friend Paul showed it to me in an atlas, when I was in high school in Wisconsin in the 70s. We thought it hysterical and made bad jokes like what happened to the other one but we were teenagers.
Quote from: Billy F 1988 on July 23, 2022, 10:56:16 AM
Quote from: kirbykart on July 23, 2022, 08:05:50 AM
Quote from: Billy F 1988 on July 22, 2022, 10:09:45 PM
Blue Cloud (aren't all clouds blue?)
Go look at a cloud. Is it blue? No, real clouds, and not just drawings, are white.
Eyyyyy now, easy there. Just be lucky today you ain't seeing red clouds! :D Just a silly thought that wasn't meant to be answered.
I wasn't meaning to sound aggressive, sorry if it came through that way.
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 03:04:53 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 23, 2022, 02:35:58 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Duluth.
What's funny about Duluth's name? (Other than the people who satirically pronounce it "Dul-OOT" in a mocking Minnesota accent)
Defensive, are we? Perhaps that's the issue here: Minnesotans are offended by the names of their municipalities being considered funny-sounding...or so used to them that they all sound normal.
Cloquet. :D
Quote from: webny99 on July 23, 2022, 10:59:13 AM
Quote from: Big John on July 23, 2022, 10:54:56 AM
Quote from: webny99 on July 23, 2022, 10:52:14 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Minnehaha, quite literally. :biggrin:
County in South Dakota.
Also a waterfall and adjacent neighborhood in Minneapolis (not technically a town name, I know...)
And a steamer on Lake George
Quote from: kirbykart on July 23, 2022, 11:28:47 AM
Quote from: Billy F 1988 on July 23, 2022, 10:56:16 AM
Quote from: kirbykart on July 23, 2022, 08:05:50 AM
Quote from: Billy F 1988 on July 22, 2022, 10:09:45 PM
Blue Cloud (aren't all clouds blue?)
Go look at a cloud. Is it blue? No, real clouds, and not just drawings, are white.
Eyyyyy now, easy there. Just be lucky today you ain't seeing red clouds! :D Just a silly thought that wasn't meant to be answered.
I wasn't meaning to sound aggressive, sorry if it came through that way.
No worries. I've had that happen before.
Quote from: skluth on July 22, 2022, 05:50:08 PM
The funniest name in California is a small mountain, Nellies Nipple (https://www.mindat.org/feature-5376443.html).
How cool would it be to have a red blinkylight on top of it that gets brighter the colder it gets?
Beavis & Butthead do a great job of finding funny place names when they're on the bus.
Not sure what states these are in but: Big Piney, Weippe, Meteetsee (?). Personal favorites that I've been to is Baggs, WY, followed closely by Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
In CT, it's probably Mianus, which gained notoriety in 1983 for the I-95 bridge collapse
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on July 23, 2022, 07:03:44 AM
Going strictly by town/city name, Massachusetts doesn't have many "funny" ones IMO since most are old and based in their predecessors in England. Add a Boston/New England accent, and then they can sound funny (Woosta, Meffa, Reveah).....at least to some.
I've always thought Seekonk was kind of funny. But it's so close to Rhode Island that it might as well be there. And with all of their "-tucket" s they certainly have a lot of funny place names.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 21, 2022, 08:59:21 AM
Los Banos and Gorda in California.
In Arizona probably I would say currently it would be Why or Tortilla Flat. Nothing and Total Wreck from the ghost town side always amused me.
There's also Weed, CA that can go up there as California's most funniest town name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weed,_California (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weed,_California)
La Mesa would go up there with Manteca for funniest named cities.
I'm not sure when it was named, but Florida used to drop the F and went with Lorida for some time.
EDIT: 1937 is the answer. This is in Highlands County, where you got both Lake Placid and Placid Lakes. There's also a Venus in this county.
Nearby Osceola County is home to the famous Yeehaw Junction. It used to actually be known as Jackass Junction! Also in Osceola County are Apoxsee and Narcoosee. Meanwhile, Polk County has Frostproof.
In nearby Pasco County, there's Bayonet Point, and in adjacent Sumter County, there's Croom-A-Coochee.
Lake County has Okahumpka, while Marion County literally is On Top of the World! Marion County also has Early Bird, which I believe is the subject of an Eagles song. There's also a Wacahoota in Marion County, which it shares with Alachua County.
Alachua has a place called Paradise, while adjacent Putnam County has Welaka, in addition to Banana.
Quote from: Rothman on July 23, 2022, 11:31:30 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 03:04:53 AM
Quote from: Rothman on July 23, 2022, 02:35:58 AM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on July 23, 2022, 01:54:02 AM
MN, like the bland meatloaf and mashed potatoes state it is, has nothing fun to offer.
Duluth.
What's funny about Duluth's name? (Other than the people who satirically pronounce it "Dul-OOT" in a mocking Minnesota accent)
Defensive, are we? Perhaps that's the issue here: Minnesotans are offended by the names of their municipalities being considered funny-sounding...or so used to them that they all sound normal.
Cloquet. :D
I wasn't offended, maybe it's because I just grew up with these that they're normal to me and I'm desensitized to it.
Toad Suck Arkansas
Water Proof Louisiana
Little Canada Minnesota
Satan's Kingdom Massachusetts
Ding Dong Texas
Jackpot Nevada
Booger Hole West Virginia
Mormon Bar California
Quote from: wriddle082 on July 23, 2022, 02:06:37 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on July 23, 2022, 07:03:44 AM
Going strictly by town/city name, Massachusetts doesn't have many "funny" ones IMO since most are old and based in their predecessors in England. Add a Boston/New England accent, and then they can sound funny (Woosta, Meffa, Reveah).....at least to some.
I've always thought Seekonk was kind of funny. But it's so close to Rhode Island that it might as well be there. And with all of their "-tucket" s they certainly have a lot of funny place names.
And you haven't even mentioned Belchertown!
Quote from: KCRoadFan on July 23, 2022, 03:38:52 PM
Quote from: wriddle082 on July 23, 2022, 02:06:37 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on July 23, 2022, 07:03:44 AM
Going strictly by town/city name, Massachusetts doesn't have many "funny" ones IMO since most are old and based in their predecessors in England. Add a Boston/New England accent, and then they can sound funny (Woosta, Meffa, Reveah).....at least to some.
I've always thought Seekonk was kind of funny. But it's so close to Rhode Island that it might as well be there. And with all of their "-tucket" s they certainly have a lot of funny place names.
And you haven't even mentioned Belchertown!
Belcher was going to be the name of the main building at what is now Princeton University (for many years, the College of New Jersey), but Belcher himself said "What a name that would be!" , so it wasn't. Instead, we ended up with Old Nassau, aka Nassau Hall, which shares a name with that stretch of NJ Route 27 in front of it. I'm not sure how the building came to be on one side of a former boundary, however.
Quote from: zachary_amaryllis on July 23, 2022, 01:25:53 PM
Beavis & Butthead do a great job of finding funny place names when they're on the bus.
Not sure what states these are in but: Big Piney, Weippe, Meteetsee (?). Personal favorites that I've been to is Baggs, WY, followed closely by Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ
Big Piney is on US 189 in Sublette County, Wyoming and is apparently one of the coldest inhabited places in the lower 48. Though it was hot and dry the day I passed through.
Here's a handful from Virginia:
Short Pump
Onancock
Tuckahoe
Mechanicsville
Innovation
Bull Run
Wolf Trap
Quote from: KCRoadFan on July 23, 2022, 03:38:52 PM
Quote from: wriddle082 on July 23, 2022, 02:06:37 PM
Quote from: Ted$8roadFan on July 23, 2022, 07:03:44 AM
Going strictly by town/city name, Massachusetts doesn't have many "funny" ones IMO since most are old and based in their predecessors in England. Add a Boston/New England accent, and then they can sound funny (Woosta, Meffa, Reveah).....at least to some.
I've always thought Seekonk was kind of funny. But it's so close to Rhode Island that it might as well be there. And with all of their "-tucket" s they certainly have a lot of funny place names.
And you haven't even mentioned Belchertown!
That's one I'm desensitized to, since I grew up in the area. Always have to remind myself of its sillyness.
Then again, Porter Rockwell was from there, which always made some sort of sense.
Blue Ball
Center of the World
Funk
Knockemstiff
Kunkle
Pee Pee Township
....Ohio
We really don't have any of note in Colorado. We do have a funny river name, Poudre, with the first syllable pronounced like "poo" and the second syllable like the first syllable in "dirty".
Toad Suck in Arkansas is a funny one, but out-of-staters hearing football scores get the biggest giggle out of Bald Knob.
Quote from: Road Hog on August 05, 2022, 02:39:10 AM
...but out-of-staters hearing football scores get the biggest giggle out of Bald Knob.
West Virginia has its own town of Bald Knob, in Boone County. But those towns pale in comparison to the real Bald Knob in West Virginia, the third-highest peak in the Allegheny Mountains (and West Virginia) at 4,843 feet above sea level. It is home to Cass Scenic Railroad [State Park], where you get to ride behind an old Shay logging engine to the top of the mountain. But my grandfather found the name "Bald Knob" to be really funny (he was bald, and so am I). At one time, a shorter hill named Bald Knob Lewis County was marked with its elevation on US-19 (the actual elevation is only 1,526 but I don't remember what the road elevation was signed for). He would laugh and say that "you know, Bald Knob is the second highest mountain in West Virginia". (Which turned out not to be true, as the Thorny Flats of Cheat Mountain are a mere six feet higher in elevation).
Quote from: JayhawkCO on August 03, 2022, 04:28:39 PM
We really don't have any of note in Colorado. We do have a funny river name, Poudre, with the first syllable pronounced like "poo" and the second syllable like the first syllable in "dirty".
That river is 10 feet out my back window. Nobody (well, nobody that's from elsewhere, anyway) ever pronounces it right. 'Pooter'. It was a rich joke environment when I was a kid. "Hey, looks like the Poudre's running a little muddy today'. Giggity.
I have a vague idea of the history - something like, some people got stranded and buried a bunch of gunpowder around here, hence the french-sounding term 'cache la poudre'.
For New York it's hard to beat Coxsackie as funniest town name.
NYC has Hell's Kitchen.
Quote from: steviep24 on August 05, 2022, 07:35:09 PM
For New York it's hard to beat Coxsackie as funniest town name.
Nyack was funny until we were told it's "NY-ack", not "nack nack nack"
Quote from: TheHighwayMan394 on August 06, 2022, 02:59:04 AM
Quote from: steviep24 on August 05, 2022, 07:35:09 PM
For New York it's hard to beat Coxsackie as funniest town name.
Nyack was funny until we were told it's "NY-ack", not "nack nack nack"
Who can forget this, though? (created by vdeane)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnysroads.com%2Ffiles%2Faaroads%2Fdoge.png&hash=49e5790777b691b5c671f0ff9326b6bbcd3c64fa)
My personal favorite for Iowa is Balltown.
What makes it even better is that it's only 14 miles away from Dickeyville, WI.
In Colorado, it's gotta be No Name (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Name,_Colorado). I think the name was initially established as a placeholder and it stuck. CODOT even signs (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.561477,-107.2890495,3a,75y,243.91h,92.88t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBcEOsJlfK6otwbuxLNPcbw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192) it on I-70. I learned about this place in Spring of 2021 when I saw the signage and thought it was a misprint. Hygiene is also up there.
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 08:54:55 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 22, 2022, 06:58:09 PM
Quote from: Flint1979 on July 22, 2022, 03:02:40 PM
Quote from: XamotCGC on July 21, 2022, 04:31:36 PM
I would say Pewee Valley for Kentucky
My dad actually knew someone that had moved there several years ago that he went to school with. They had moved to Nashville, Tennessee after that but strange that my dad hasn't heard from them in years but as soon as I saw it I was like I know where Pewee Valley is.
I think Kentuckians are a little numb to how simple some of the place names sound.
I mean, just along KY 122 and every holler in Eastern KY has all sorts of places like this:
Hi Hat
Drift
Bypro
"Up Skull" (as in "You go up Skull")
Upper and Lower Burton
Minnie
Etc., etc.
Yeah then in the same region of the state they have a towns called Topmost, Wheelwright, Weeksbury, Kite, Wayland, Soft Shell and several others but I know some of them off the top of my head.
Not far from Soft Shell is Hardshell.
Also in that area: Mousie, Rowdy, Fisty (pronounced "feisty"), Krypton, and Busy.
Two places not too far from each other are Jeff and Gordon.
Metropolis, IL (and there's even a Superman statue in the town square!)
In DC, it's gotta be "Washington." Just off-the-charts hilarious.
Quote from: IMGoph on September 12, 2024, 10:56:35 AMIn DC, it's gotta be "Washington." Just off-the-charts hilarious.
Not technically a town name, but Foggy Bottom is funny.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on July 21, 2022, 08:59:21 AMLos Banos and Gorda in California.
In Arizona probably I would say currently it would be Why or Tortilla Flat. Nothing and Total Wreck from the ghost town side always amused me.
Los Banos ("the baths") doesn't seem that funny. There's a spring there. There's a famous ancient city of Bath, England, named for the mineral springs there.
Quote from: kkt on September 13, 2024, 12:01:10 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on July 21, 2022, 08:59:21 AMLos Banos and Gorda in California.
In Arizona probably I would say currently it would be Why or Tortilla Flat. Nothing and Total Wreck from the ghost town side always amused me.
Los Banos ("the baths") doesn't seem that funny. There's a spring there. There's a famous ancient city of Bath, England, named for the mineral springs there.
Most folks around here see the translation more as "the bathrooms."
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 13, 2024, 12:09:42 AMQuote from: kkt on September 13, 2024, 12:01:10 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on July 21, 2022, 08:59:21 AMLos Banos and Gorda in California.
In Arizona probably I would say currently it would be Why or Tortilla Flat. Nothing and Total Wreck from the ghost town side always amused me.
Los Banos ("the baths") doesn't seem that funny. There's a spring there. There's a famous ancient city of Bath, England, named for the mineral springs there.
Most folks around here see the translation more as "the bathrooms."
The same folks who think JFK made a speech starting "I am a jelly donut!"
Quote from: kkt on September 13, 2024, 12:59:33 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on September 13, 2024, 12:09:42 AMQuote from: kkt on September 13, 2024, 12:01:10 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on July 21, 2022, 08:59:21 AMLos Banos and Gorda in California.
In Arizona probably I would say currently it would be Why or Tortilla Flat. Nothing and Total Wreck from the ghost town side always amused me.
Los Banos ("the baths") doesn't seem that funny. There's a spring there. There's a famous ancient city of Bath, England, named for the mineral springs there.
Most folks around here see the translation more as "the bathrooms."
The same folks who think JFK made a speech starting "I am a jelly donut!"
I believe he ended the speech with it...Had to recite the speech in 10th Grade and I'm going by memory there, which may not be totally reliable.
Quote from: Rothman on September 13, 2024, 06:56:21 AMQuote from: kkt on September 13, 2024, 12:59:33 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on September 13, 2024, 12:09:42 AMQuote from: kkt on September 13, 2024, 12:01:10 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on July 21, 2022, 08:59:21 AMLos Banos and Gorda in California.
In Arizona probably I would say currently it would be Why or Tortilla Flat. Nothing and Total Wreck from the ghost town side always amused me.
Los Banos ("the baths") doesn't seem that funny. There's a spring there. There's a famous ancient city of Bath, England, named for the mineral springs there.
Most folks around here see the translation more as "the bathrooms."
The same folks who think JFK made a speech starting "I am a jelly donut!"
I believe he ended the speech with it...Had to recite the speech in 10th Grade and I'm going by memory there, which may not be totally reliable.
I think the correct translation for I am a Berliner is Ich bin Berliner, bur he added ein, meaning the article a to say Ich bin ein Berliner, with the legend that Einberliner translated to jelly doughnut.
Quote from: kkt on September 13, 2024, 12:59:33 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on September 13, 2024, 12:09:42 AMQuote from: kkt on September 13, 2024, 12:01:10 AMQuote from: Max Rockatansky on July 21, 2022, 08:59:21 AMLos Banos and Gorda in California.
In Arizona probably I would say currently it would be Why or Tortilla Flat. Nothing and Total Wreck from the ghost town side always amused me.
Los Banos ("the baths") doesn't seem that funny. There's a spring there. There's a famous ancient city of Bath, England, named for the mineral springs there.
Most folks around here see the translation more as "the bathrooms."
The same folks who think JFK made a speech starting "I am a jelly donut!"
Likely the same folks who see "Manteca" and think of "lard" versus "butter."
Nevada only has 19 municipalities and none of them have names that are really that funny.
Although Lovelock's airport code is LOL. Also there is a state prison there. I doubt anyone in that prison actually loves locks.
Wisconsin has a few good ones:
Spread Eagle
Chili
Spooner
Pound
Wanderoos
Imalone
Footville
There are also a lot of cities with Native American names that, while they typically translate to something pretty normal, become funny when out-of-towners try to pronounce them: Oconomowoc, Wauwatosa, etc.
I generally find myself amused by Manly, Iowa.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 14, 2024, 05:34:22 AMNevada only has 19 municipalities and none of them have names that are really that funny.
Although Lovelock's airport code is LOL. Also there is a state prison there. I doubt anyone in that prison actually loves locks.
Pahrump isn't incorporated?
I didn't get a "pahrump" out of that guy!!!
Quote from: hbelkins on September 16, 2024, 03:06:18 PMPahrump isn't incorporated?
Nope. Nevada has a lot of places that, for whatever reason, aren't incorporated that would be in other states.
There is a casino in Pahrump called the Pahrump Nugget. This is much funnier/grosser if you know that Pahrump is pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable.
*Hamlets in NY enter the chat*
Quote from: NWI_Irish96 on July 21, 2022, 08:06:32 AMSanta Claus
Swayzee
Loogootee
Shipshewana
Don't forget Gnaw Bone, French Lick, Floyd's Knobs, and Toad Hop. :)
Backtracking: Soddy-Daisy as a community appears to be properly hyphenated, but the local high school goes hyphenless.
https://sdhs.hcde.org/
Quote from: Road Hog on September 17, 2024, 11:09:07 PMBacktracking: Soddy-Daisy as a community appears to be properly hyphenated, but the local high school goes hyphenless.
https://sdhs.hcde.org/
Makes sense. When Soddy High School merged with Daisy High School in the late 1930s, the towns were still separate. When the towns merged in 1963, the new entity did what almost every other merged city with a merged name does: use the hyphen. If they had their own independent school district, they probably would have paid to add a hyphen to the high school name as well.
Quote from: Dirt Roads on September 18, 2024, 08:31:02 PMWhen Soddy High School merged with Daisy High School in the late 1930s, the towns were still separate.
The instances of this that I know of in Oklahoma still use hyphens even though the towns remain separate: Amber-Pocasset (lots of people just call it "AmPo"), Mountain View-Gotebo, and Velma-Alma (not sure if the town Alma is pronounced this way in isolation, but it would inevitably get elided into "velma elma").