Place Names That Sound Funny to Others.

[mrs_deb]

Sometimes in the summer I attend concerts at a venue on Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Massachusetts.

Is that the one which means, in the original language, "You fish on that side, I'll fish on this side, and nobody will fish in the middle"?  Or maybe someone was being fanciful there !

That's it!  They do say, tho, that that isn't REALLY the translation.  I don't speak the language of the Nipmuc, though, so can't tell you what it really is.

[Julian]

There are some great place names here in Tasmania. 

Bust Me Gall Hill and Break Me Neck Hill are indeed quite steep - the first going up, the second coming down.  The names come from the early pioneer era when bullock-drawn drays or horse-drawn coaches (or walking) were the normal form of transport. 

Doo Town is wonderful, it is full of weekend 'shacks' with Doo names.  Doo Wa Diddy, Doo Little, Doo Watchawant, that sort of thing.

Mainland Australia also has some fabulous place names.  One of my favourites is on the Gold Coast hinterland, Wonglepong.  No idea what it means or where it came from, but it just sounds awesome.

I've got a book at home with funny Tassie place names, must have a look at it and refresh my memory. 

[cabbageweevil]

Sometimes in the summer I attend concerts at a venue on Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg in Massachusetts.

Is that the one which means, in the original language, "You fish on that side, I'll fish on this side, and nobody will fish in the middle"?  Or maybe someone was being fanciful there !

That's it!  They do say, tho, that that isn't REALLY the translation.  I don't speak the language of the Nipmuc, though, so can't tell you what it really is.

And I rather doubt that there's an English / Nipmuc Internet translation facility...

Further curious British place-names: the county of Dorset in southern England, has some splendid examples of same. (The inhabitants of neighbouring areas hold the opinion that the people of Dorset are a little bit bonkers -- no offence meant to eHell participants who may come from the county !) As I've mentioned in the "Putter or potter?" thread, Dorset has a whole string of villages with names on the "Piddle / Puddle" theme. And not very far off, in the same county, there are several marvellously sonorously-named villages: Toller Porcorum, Toller Fratrum, Toller Whelme, and Ryme Intrinseca.

[scotcat60]

Wormwood Scrubs.

A famous (infamous) prison in the UK

[CakeEater]

I used to live in Biloela, Australia. Funny hearing people trying to pronounce it. The locals say 'Bill-o-wheel-a', but you would never be able to guess that from the spelling.

[Thipu1]

I used to live in Biloela, Australia. Funny hearing people trying to pronounce it. The locals say 'Bill-o-wheel-a', but you would never be able to guess that from the spelling.

Reminds me of Skanateles, NY.  It's pronounced 'Skinny-AT-las'.  Just like a thin book of maps. 

[cabbageweevil]

I used to live in Biloela, Australia. Funny hearing people trying to pronounce it. The locals say 'Bill-o-wheel-a', but you would never be able to guess that from the spelling.

I can't prove this; but anyway, though I've never before come upon the pronunciation set out, I've noticed the town on the map (a relative of mine used to live in Queensland, though not in that part of the state).  I guessed then, at how the name might be spoken, and somehow hit on exactly the pronunciation that you give.

Do I win a stuffed koala?

[Julian]

I used to live in Biloela, Australia. Funny hearing people trying to pronounce it. The locals say 'Bill-o-wheel-a', but you would never be able to guess that from the spelling.

A good friend of mine grew up in 'Bilo'.  It's a great little town, or so I've thought on passing through.

[CakeEater]

I used to live in Biloela, Australia. Funny hearing people trying to pronounce it. The locals say 'Bill-o-wheel-a', but you would never be able to guess that from the spelling.

I can't prove this; but anyway, though I've never before come upon the pronunciation set out, I've noticed the town on the map (a relative of mine used to live in Queensland, though not in that part of the state).  I guessed then, at how the name might be spoken, and somehow hit on exactly the pronunciation that you give.

Do I win a stuffed koala?

Since the word means 'white cockatoo' in the local indigenous language, you can win a stuffed cockatoo, instead!

A good friend of mine grew up in 'Bilo'.  It's a great little town, or so I've thought on passing through.

That's funny, because I've always thought this town of about 3000 people is somehow the centre of the universe. Everyone I've ever discussed the town with knows someone who grew up there, or lived there, or whose dentist was a local. Funny that on a US forum, I've found someone who knows someone! 

And yes, it was a great town. I really liked it there.

[emwithme]

That's where my first ever dentist was from - he was working in the late 70s/early 80s in Coventry, England.

It really *is* a small world. 

[CakeEater]

That's where my first ever dentist was from - he was working in the late 70s/early 80s in Coventry, England.

It really *is* a small world.

Fantastic! 

[cabbageweevil]

Will be seeing next month, my cousin who at one time lived in Queensland (mentioned above). Will ask him what's his "someone from Biloela" story !

[WillyNilly]

There is a small town in New Hampshire called "Dummer".  The larger town next to it, Milan, used to sell t-shirts "The people in Milan might not be smart, but the next town over is Dummer" 


I never thought much about my town's name until The Simpson's made fun of it.  They were visiting NYC and Homer had to pee and a bus drove by, its front sign saying it was headed to Flushing Meadows.  He imagined a large field full of toilets. (I actually just live in Flushing, not Flushing Meadows, but same point.)

[Danika]

There's a city in Austria that's name contains the F word as a verb. I've read that street signs are frequently stolen by English tourists because of the name.

[doodlemor]

There is a hamlet near us named Versailles, which is pronounced Ver-SALES.  Another hamlet nearby is named Napoli, pronounced Na-POLE-eye.