Post AzNAqaUD2SDeCSj8AS by catselbow@fosstodon.org
(DIR) More posts by catselbow@fosstodon.org
(DIR) Post #AzN9JiYltst3jHcieW by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-10-19T16:23:38Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
I have a theory that in the UK they got in the habit of making up silly names for places to troll visitors ... but then to cover up the joke, since maybe they pulled it on an person of little mirth, they ended up having to just say that those names were really what they used. And that's why the place names are like that.
(DIR) Post #AzN9R6sRt4lLAwLtuS by afewbugs@social.coop
2025-10-19T16:24:55Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird *whole of the UK* "Shit! She's on to us!"
(DIR) Post #AzN9g7qAaX7iVTRj72 by Flisty@mstdn.social
2025-10-19T16:27:39Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird and yes of course Zzyzyx is an entirely reasonable name
(DIR) Post #AzN9iEF9kkM0wc8W6i by lionelb@expressional.social
2025-10-19T16:28:02Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Chorlton-cum-Hardy would agree with you.
(DIR) Post #AzN9nOEA3nhFMC8Ez2 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-10-19T16:29:00Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Flisty Isn't that a Rush song?
(DIR) Post #AzN9uhfSBFgzg1Nvuq by rayhindle@mastodon.social
2025-10-19T16:30:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird You mean like Little Snoring?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Snoring
(DIR) Post #AzNA9dT44rzmzki7AO by catselbow@fosstodon.org
2025-10-19T16:30:42Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@afewbugs @futurebird In clear contrast to dignified names from central Virginia, US:BumpassPossum TrotPinch 'Em Slyly...
(DIR) Post #AzNA9eltEMeF2QWf9E by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-10-19T16:32:59Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@catselbow @afewbugs what is wrong with Possum Trot?
(DIR) Post #AzNAAV9QU6N9UTwC3M by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-10-19T16:33:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@catselbow @afewbugs Got nothing on those other two.
(DIR) Post #AzNAYi8FsAIshVvx7Q by petealexharris@mastodon.scot
2025-10-19T16:37:32Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird Every place name in Britain is at least 3 layers deep of invaders misunderstanding the language of the people who were living there before them. Now they are written down in "English", a language with spelling that is possibly a series of practical jokes which got accidentally fossilised by the invention of the printing press.
(DIR) Post #AzNAqaUD2SDeCSj8AS by catselbow@fosstodon.org
2025-10-19T16:40:45Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @afewbugs Nothing! As I said, it's a perfectly dignified name.
(DIR) Post #AzNAsatgTwH83NbE5g by martinhowitt@urbanists.social
2025-10-19T16:41:03Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird I live near a) Zeal Monachorum, b) Inner and Outer Ting-Tong, c) Woolfardisworthy, and d) Black Dog.
(DIR) Post #AzNB4xg3by74BE7fpw by NexaLilly@social.vivaldi.net
2025-10-19T16:43:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Or we've just gotten so used to the names we've forgotten the origin. Like Ramsbottom just makes me think of chocolate because of a chocolate store/cafe that used to be there.Or Penistone of a dodgy bus after many trips past that area.
(DIR) Post #AzNBEuA9X8CeAwwPGi by BritishKoalaTea@social.coop
2025-10-19T16:45:06Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird the village of Nether Wallop in the south of the UK, and the rivers Piddle and Ouse (pronounced "ooze) thank you for noticing them!
(DIR) Post #AzNBkPRNIFPw9v1Eky by tuban_muzuru@ohai.social
2025-10-19T16:50:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Practically every village in Britain (to the exclusion of Wales and Scotland) is of Saxon or Danish origin. Welsh place names were established to give the British fits.
(DIR) Post #AzNCGCEPwJBcSV7Dhg by wtrmt@mastodon.social
2025-10-19T16:56:34Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird the joy of Welsh: This one is great video from a guy that learned the language for fun.https://hachyderm.io/@skinnylatte/115396435681204261
(DIR) Post #AzNEpWBnvcQmOtrc2a by Cdespinosa@mastodon.social
2025-10-19T17:15:53Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@petealexharris @futurebird English is far from fossilized. Well after the printing press, Empire allowed it to beat up other languages in dark alleyways and steal prized vocabulary.
(DIR) Post #AzNEpXKhg18xwn2EYC by Cdespinosa@mastodon.social
2025-10-19T17:21:58Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@petealexharris @futurebird The pundits call them “loan words” but the thugs would call it loot.
(DIR) Post #AzNEpXsjdUMjeKxPay by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-10-19T17:25:22Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Cdespinosa @petealexharris Never got a penny of the interest on any of those loan words. Or really any payment at all.
(DIR) Post #AzNFloFIx8bfCJIRFI by PizzaDemon@mastodon.online
2025-10-19T17:35:53Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird They were riffing on this on the All Fantasy Everything pod and Ian Karmel threw out "Misery-on-Pisswhistle"
(DIR) Post #AzNHIJklRc5Q8Y4nDM by dpnash@c.im
2025-10-19T17:52:59Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @Flisty That's "YYZ". "Zzyzx" is the latest medication for moderate to severe psoriasis. (More seriously, it's this place, which is very prominently signed on I-15 northeast of LA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zzyzx,_California)
(DIR) Post #AzNKZS2cBPV2cvHsWW by Edelruth@mastodon.online
2025-10-19T18:29:21Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@petealexharris @futurebird "... With spelling that is possibly a series of practical jokes ..."🤣🤣🤣🏅🏆
(DIR) Post #AzNKZT58JX6lr1TP5U by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-10-19T18:29:43Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Edelruth @petealexharris IKR?It's perfect.
(DIR) Post #AzNKc2bZD8Wkbes3DU by Edelruth@mastodon.online
2025-10-19T18:30:10Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Foggy Bottom. 🤣🤣🤣
(DIR) Post #AzNNP0clYzV2YruQwy by cstross@wandering.shop
2025-10-19T19:01:22Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Close: a chunk of it is down to multiple invading factions with different cultures and languages. (There's an underlying Roman buzz, but if you go north of the line between Bristol and Hull in England, you find place-names taking a distinctly Viking turn: south of there they're more likely to be French. And don't ask about Wales or Scotland, let alone Ireland.)
(DIR) Post #AzNO8PXnl59UseEiX2 by Cdespinosa@mastodon.social
2025-10-19T19:09:38Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @petealexharris “loaned” at gunpoint
(DIR) Post #AzNXZuLCGRULniWjE8 by dpnash@c.im
2025-10-19T20:55:27Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird I visited London a few years back and stayed in a place where one of the closest surface rail line stops wasTootingAnd the closest Tube stop wasTooting Bec And of course, one of the major Tube lines (the Piccadilly line — already a mildly amusing name) has a northern terminus of … Cockfosters.