A thread for nothing

[Lisnaholic]

I wonder if you Americans realise how blessed you are with your place names. In Holland everything is just called something like Gorinchem (pronounced Gorkum with the harsh throaty g) and all English towns are called Upper Snodsbury or such nonsense

^ I hope you'll excuse me if I disagree, Marie !
Here are a couple of guys who shine a light on the joys of British place names:-

In Norway, place names are mostly old-timey words for just topographic features. A large part of my old town is called Sanden (the sand) because it was so sandy. Back in the 1800s, a locally famous historical character started an initiative to plant pine to hold the sand down, so that forest is called Furulunden (pine grove). The other side of the river is called Malmø - iron ore island - I assume due to the color of some ancient sand.

Our street is called Wide Marsh (or bog? Swamp?) Hill.

Norwegians haven't been particularly creative 🙂

^ It is unimaginative, I suppose, but the naming of places after obvious physical features doesn't bother me at all. In Britain, for example:-
1. there has often been a linguistic change that makes the name more cryptic
2. the original outstanding feature may no longer be evident, so learning the origin of the name gives a moment of historical insight, "Oh, so that's what the place was originally famous for."

Case study:

Spoiler

This sprawling city is called Guildford:-



It is built on both sides of a river, but not obvious unless you walk a mile out of town is that there's a low cliff of unusual colour on one side of the river:



No longer used, no longer visible, but this cliff is significant: it's where the Pilgrim's Way, made famous by Chaucer, crossed the river, and that's how Guildford got its name: it was the point of the Golden Ford.

[close]

 

[Janszoon]

Ok, here are the 10 best US place names according to me. It's pretty Pennsylvania heavy because I've lived here for a long time and Pennsylvania has a lot of weird place names.

• Zzyzx (California)—Sounds like an insect planet from an old comic.
• Ojai (California)—I like the way this combination of letters looks, and the fact that it's pronounced like "oh, hi" makes it seem friendly.
• King of Prussia (Pennsylvania)—It may just be a town of intersecting highways, corporate HQs, and malls, but I appreciate the grandiose name. 
• Intercourse (Pennsylvania)—What's not to like?
• Braintree (Massachusetts)—I grew up near this town and the name always made me laugh as a child. Is it a tree with brains for fruit? Is it a tree growing out of a brain? Who knows?
• Chattanooga (Tennessee)—An attractive looking word that's fun to pronounce. 
• Hell (Michigan)—I feel like this name choice was a way to ensure that people would visit with low expectations and end up pleasantly surprised.
• Okeechobee (Florida)—Another one that's just fun to say.
• Forty Fort (Pennsylvania)—It sounds like it was named by a four year old.
• Pillow (Pennsylvania)—I've never been, but it sounds relaxing.

[Lexi Darling]

I love names like Intercourse and Hell too, haha. Boring, Oregon is another good one. And from my own home state, Embarrass, Wisconsin.

There's also a town not far from where i went to college called Gotham, and (back then at least) they did indeed have a bar called The Batcave. 

[Janszoon]

I love names like Intercourse and Hell too, haha. Boring, Oregon is another good one. And from my own home state, Embarrass, Wisconsin.

There's also a town not far from where i went to college called Gotham, and (back then at least) they did indeed have a bar called The Batcave. 

lol. PA also has Normalville and Panic as well.

[grindy]

Today I learned that the English surname Murgatroid exists. Sounds like some villain from a cheesy 60s sci-fi film. I love it.

[Janszoon]

Today I learned that the English surname Murgatroid exists. Sounds like some villain from a cheesy 60s sci-fi film. I love it.

It still blows my mind that Farquhar is a Scottish surname instead of being from somewhere in the Middle East.

[grindy]

It still blows my mind that Farquhar is a Scottish surname instead of being from somewhere in the Middle East.

I've actually had that exact same experience.

[jimmy jazz]

I like a bit of punk music.

I joined the Reddit punk subreddit to discover and learn more.

There is actually very little music discussed. It's largely about politics, image and that sort of thing.

People asking can you be right wing and be punk. My word who fucking cares?

Do you like the music or not? My views and music taste are separate. It seems letting your opinions choose your music taste is quite a punk thing to do.

I understand Elph more since being in the subreddit.

No offence if you're lurking x

[Lexi Darling]

I like a bit of punk music.

I joined the Reddit punk subreddit to discover and learn more.

There is actually very little music discussed. It's largely about politics, image and that sort of thing.

People asking can you be right wing and be punk. My word who fucking cares?

Do you like the music or not? My views and music taste are separate. It seems letting your opinions choose your music taste is quite a punk thing to do.

I understand Elph more since being in the subreddit.

No offence if you're lurking x

I feel you.

Punk, at least a lot of it, has always been intertwined with speaking out on social and political issues, so I'm not surprised, but I do relate. A lot of spaces for my hobbies devolve into political talk these days, I think the internet as a whole has just gotten more politicized and less concerned with politeness and having the restraint to table some topics so more practical hobby discussion can be done rather than turning everything into an ideological debate.

[Shhon]

[Janszoon]

Half hour meetings that end up running for an additional hour are annoying.

[grindy]

Half hour meetings that end up running for an additional hour are annoying.

Yeah, that's why you have to schedule fake outlook meetings following those meetings, so you have an excuse to leave on time.

[SGR]

Yeah, that's why you have to schedule fake outlook meetings following those meetings, so you have an excuse to leave on time.

This is genius. How have I never thought of this before?

[Guybrush]

People asking can you be right wing and be punk. My word who fucking cares?

Isn't this a weird question? There's been so much right wing punk. There's a reason Dead Kennedys made Nazi Punks Fuck Off.

[jimmy jazz]

Isn't this a weird question? There's been so much right wing punk. There's a reason Dead Kennedys made Nazi Punks Fuck Off.

Well on the reddit sub it seems a constant topic of discussion. There's loads of that skinhead stuff. It's OK. I enjoy a bit of it. I prefer the more well known stuff. I only care about how it sounds tbh.

My favourites are still NMTB and London Calling. I like the Ramones a lot too. They seem better and more aggressive live though.