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The New York Times ran a delightful article today about dirty-sounding towns and streets in Britain. If our towns in America were as old as theirs, I’d venture to say that we’d have a lot more titillating placenames, too; with time comes the gradual change of vernacular, and 400-odd years ago, the “butt hole” after which Butt Hole Road was named was a place where people gathered water. (Now it’s a place where people get their pictures taken … mooning the camera.)
In the scale of embarrassing place names, Crapstone ranks pretty high. But Britain is full of them. Some are mostly amusing, like Ugley, Essex; East Breast, in western Scotland; North Piddle, in Worcestershire; and Spanker Lane, in Derbyshire. Others evoke images that may conflict with residents’ efforts to appear dignified when, for example, applying for jobs.
These include Crotch Crescent, Oxford; Titty Ho, Northamptonshire; Wetwang, East Yorkshire; Slutshole Lane, Norfolk; and Thong, Kent. And, in a country that delights in lavatory humor, particularly if the word “bottom” is involved, there is Pratts Bottom, in Kent, doubly cursed because “prat” is slang for buffoon.
As for Penistone, a thriving South Yorkshire town, just stop that sophomoric snickering. “It’s pronounced ‘PENNIS-tun,’ ” Fiona Moran, manager of the Old Vicarage Hotel in Penistone, said over the telephone, rather sharply. When forced to spell her address for outsiders, she uses misdirection, separating the tricky section into two blameless parts: “p-e-n” — pause — “i-s-t-o-n-e.”
I can’t remember living anywhere that had a dirty placename — there was a street in my hometown called “Stoner Road,” but that hardly counts — but we’d love to hear about any blush-inducing places you’ve lived!
Comments (87)
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The standard setter state side has to be the almost neighboring towns of Blue Ball and Intercourse, PA.
posted by EMStoveken on 1-23-2009 at 1:36 pm
how about intercourse, pa?
posted by gussiebuns on 1-23-2009 at 1:37 pm
I live in Southern Illinois. There is a very small community nearby named Buggerville. No idea on the background, and don’t really care to learn!
posted by Dave Holmes on 1-23-2009 at 1:41 pm
I had a friend in High School who lived on Hillbilly Haven Dr. in Camden-Wyoming, Delaware.
posted by Witty Nickname on 1-23-2009 at 1:47 pm
How about Big Bone Lick state park in Kentucky.
posted by Chris Brooks on 1-23-2009 at 1:48 pm
I am pretty sure that there is a church in WV called Beaver Lick Baptist.
posted by C on 1-23-2009 at 1:48 pm
In Kentucky there is the Big Bone Lick State Park where the women are free, the children are small, and the men…well, they enjoy themselves also.
posted by Alex on 1-23-2009 at 1:49 pm
There is a town called Climax in Saskatchewan.
posted by Mike on 1-23-2009 at 1:56 pm
How about Cockburn in Austin, Texas.
posted by Angie on 1-23-2009 at 1:56 pm
Good old Cockeysville, MD
posted by Caitlin on 1-23-2009 at 1:56 pm
There is a street here in Hilo, Hawaii called Peepee Falls
posted by Rhea on 1-23-2009 at 2:03 pm
There is also a Climax, MN.
Author, are you from Tucson? Because my parents live right next to Stoner (road or street or something).
Slutshole is my favorite. Bwahaha!
posted by Roxie on 1-23-2009 at 2:05 pm
There’s Coon Box Road in Centreville, MD!
posted by Lulu on 1-23-2009 at 2:08 pm
I kid you not… Licking Hole Road in Ashland, Virginia.
posted by WooHoo on 1-23-2009 at 2:14 pm
There’s Wet Beaver Creek in AZ, though I don’t know how many people live there. Arizona had a lot of weird place names: Tuba City, Bloody Basin, Crown King, etc.
posted by gibson8or on 1-23-2009 at 2:15 pm
Scaggsville, Maryland
Blue Knob State Park in Pennsylvania
Big Beaver, Pennsylvania
posted by Chris K on 1-23-2009 at 2:19 pm
I’ve never lived there, but I doubt any place could ever beat Fucking, Austria.
Visit mapquest for a map of the Fucking area, with helpful ads in case you’re looking for “Fucking Apartments” or “Jobs in Fucking.”
posted by Noah on 1-23-2009 at 2:21 pm
Bumpass VA Pronounces Bum-piss VA, and if that is not enough, local inhabitants often pronounce Norfolk, Va with the following little ditty…
No Drink
No Smoke
No F**K (you figure out the letters)
posted by Wegotsome on 1-23-2009 at 2:26 pm
There is a Weiner, Arkansas. Oh, and also Toadsuck, Arkansas. Those always make me laugh. This isn’t dirty but there is a Fifty-Six, Arkansas as well.
posted by Nicole on 1-23-2009 at 2:30 pm
Located off of Highway 57 going south through Illinois, you will find both Dix and Cooter, IL.
posted by ammorrison on 1-23-2009 at 2:32 pm
There is a town called Dildo in one of th maritime provinces.
There used to be a street in London called Gropecunt Lane but it’s since evolved to something less cunty.
posted by Meghan on 1-23-2009 at 2:36 pm
There’s a state park called Bong Recreational Area in Wisconsin.
posted by danonymous on 1-23-2009 at 2:40 pm
I haven’t lived there, but no list like this is complete without a mention of Fucking, Austria. (It’s pronounced “fook-ing”)
posted by dagwud on 1-23-2009 at 2:43 pm
We have Climax in Kansas too…
posted by Staci on 1-23-2009 at 2:53 pm
thanks for making me smile with the “less cunty” comment meghan!
posted by grant on 1-23-2009 at 2:58 pm
OK, so it’s not a place name, but when I was young, my parents bought a house from a lovely couple named (I think) Scott and Margaret. They owned a gift shop – you know the type, selling ceramic frogs and other miscellaneous crap. Unfortunately, they named it after themselves. Yep, it was called S and M’s novelty shop. I was very young, but my parents say they seemed oblivious to the irony in their nomenclature.
posted by Nathan R on 1-23-2009 at 3:06 pm
I used to live in Licking County Ohio, which naturally meant that everything was also named “Licking”. Licking river, Licking courthouse, Licking women’s services…blah blah blah.
posted by Mandragora on 1-23-2009 at 3:21 pm
I was just in Intercourse, PA and bought a shot glass that said “I Love Intercourse.”
No funny cities near me, the best I have is I lived in The Colony, TX. But, I did go to high school with a Harry Cox, III.
posted by erin on 1-23-2009 at 3:23 pm
This one isn’t dirty either, still rabbits wouldn’t approve.
Rabbit Hash is in Kentucky.
Garnett
posted by Garnett on 1-23-2009 at 3:29 pm
There’s a Beaver County in PA.
posted by Will on 1-23-2009 at 3:30 pm
There’s a road in North Pole, Alaska named “Loose Moose Loop”
posted by Kally on 1-23-2009 at 3:46 pm
There is a street in my town called Gull Dam Road. The dam that it is named after was a place where we went on a field trip for school. We all felt cool because we could say that we were going to Gull Dam, and it sounded like we were swearing.
Also in Minnesota are the towns of Climax and Fertile. A motor vehicle accident years ago produced the unfortunate headline “Fertile woman dies in Climax.”
posted by PegT on 1-23-2009 at 3:50 pm
In Ashland Oregon, we have Nutley Dr… Its a place for teabaggin’.
posted by Kate on 1-23-2009 at 3:55 pm
Best ever – Dildo, Newfoundland. There also used to be a place called Spread Eagle Arm. Newfoundland is a treasure trove of great names – Goobies, Heart’s Delight, Heart’s Content, Joe Batt’s Arm, Nose Arm, Wild Bight, Famish Cove…….
posted by Amdela on 1-23-2009 at 3:59 pm
Used to live near Monkeys eyebrow Kentucky. Some say its named after a mound there that looks like a monkey’s eyebrow. I think some yokels back in the day just thought it sounded funny.
Best road name I’ve been on “Ragged Ass Road” in Yellowknife, NWT
posted by Jack on 1-23-2009 at 3:59 pm
Here in BC we have: Nipple Mountain, Tillicum Road, Screw Creek, Poutang Creek, Cumsack Creek (I kid you not), Pink Mountain, Pys Creek (pronounced Piss), Mons Lake, Dick Creek, Cumming Creek, One Eye Lake, Alberts Hump, Smoke Creek, and a dozen places named Beaver-something.
For those who aren’t interested, may I recommend a visit to Cold Fish Lake?
posted by Kikadee on 1-23-2009 at 4:06 pm
Near Big Bone Lick State Park in Kentucky are the towns Beaverlick and Sugartit. Seriously.
posted by drunko on 1-23-2009 at 4:18 pm
My personal favorite has always been DUMASS, TX.
I think former President Bush spent a lot of time there.
posted by Jeffrey on 1-23-2009 at 4:22 pm
I live near Lost Nation, IA
posted by the creature on 1-23-2009 at 4:24 pm
Two Northeastern Wisconsin favorites…Euren and Dyckesville.
posted by jenn on 1-23-2009 at 4:49 pm
On I-85 near Atlanta GA you will find Beaver Ruin Road, and a lot of bad jokes..
posted by Kev in GA on 1-23-2009 at 4:52 pm
I grew up next to The Butt-Holdsworth Library in Kerrville, TX.
posted by Charlie on 1-23-2009 at 5:06 pm
I saw Intercourse, PA but in very close proximity to Intercourse are the towns of Bird In Hand, PA and Blue Ball, PA. They’re in a predominantly Amish/Mennonite area, so I have a feeling the joke is lost on most of the people that live there.
posted by kbarr on 1-23-2009 at 5:06 pm
Here there is a the village of Dix and the town of Dix, not far from the waterfall named after the woman who killed her self on it.
posted by Vita on 1-23-2009 at 5:09 pm
Kikadee, can you shed some light on who the perverted minds were that named the places and geographical features of BC?
Because they’re my kind of people.
posted by 8rustystaples on 1-23-2009 at 5:12 pm
Iowa has a few good ones:
Tingley
Sac City
Not sure if it officially a town anymore, but I grew up near Aureola, IA
Opposite of naughty, but annoys my wife for some reason:
What Cheer, IA
posted by SDK on 1-23-2009 at 5:17 pm
Cocksackie NY… where the natives are know as cocksackers maybe?
posted by Kevni on 1-23-2009 at 5:21 pm
My friend used to tell me about the city distance marker on the highway near her school. It sported the names of three fairly innocently-named towns, in a most unfortunate order.
Fillmore 82
Virgin 112
Beaver 160
posted by Chelsea on 1-23-2009 at 5:24 pm
If you’re driving on I-75 through Troy, MI (a suburb of Detroit), you may notice that exit 69 lets you off onto Big Beaver Road.
posted by Andrew on 1-23-2009 at 5:50 pm
I’ve only driven through here, but there is an Oral, TN.
posted by Rachel on 1-23-2009 at 6:12 pm
Missouri loves knobs, or at least one would assume with their many small towns with knob-names.
My favorite: Knob Lick.
posted by Erika on 1-23-2009 at 7:42 pm
I have a photo of a highway sign for Pleasant Gap, PA.
posted by Pam on 1-23-2009 at 8:02 pm
I saw Fangboner Road while driving through PA one time.
Sounds painful.
posted by Heaz on 1-23-2009 at 8:02 pm
Broomrape Lane, Lake Havasu City, AZ
posted by Jordan on 1-23-2009 at 8:22 pm
kbarr – you missed one, Maidenhead, PA is in the same area
posted by PartiallyDeflected on 1-23-2009 at 8:26 pm
My mother in law lives in Ugley, home of a womens’ institute that after forty years of lobbying for the change had the road sign reading Ugley Womens’ Institute changed to read Womens’ Institute of Ugley
posted by MN on 1-23-2009 at 8:47 pm
I’ve read about a Didlo in Canada.
posted by Sara on 1-23-2009 at 9:27 pm
There’s a French Lick, Indiana. When we were kids, we used to get a kick out of that name. We had no idea what it meant, but it sounded dirty!
posted by Ryan on 1-23-2009 at 9:34 pm
there’s a virginville in PA
Dyker Heights in Brooklyn, NY
whynot, NC
horneytown, nc
climax, nc
moorehead city, nc
posted by kg on 1-23-2009 at 9:57 pm
I have always been fond of the town name Humptulips in the state of WA…
posted by rexology on 1-23-2009 at 10:05 pm
Adding to the list of “Dix”, there is a Dix, Nebraska. There is also a Hooker County and a Cuming County. Also, there is a Box Butte Country, which my brother and I used to call “Box Butt” and then giggle wildly about, but I don’t think that truly fits the theme here.
posted by kate on 1-23-2009 at 10:25 pm
In addition to the previously mentioned neighboring towns of Fertile and Climax, Minnesota is also home to these fine cities, towns & villages: Beaver, Conception, Cummingsville, Embarrass, Flaming, Fruitville, Funkley, Gaylord, Kiester, Moorhead, Nimrod, Penasse, Savage, and Wangs. Other curious names include: Bucksnort, Coffee Pot Landing, Coon Rapids, Cosmos, Nowthen, Rollingstone, Shanty Town, and Wakemup.
Growing up in Minnesota, we had plenty to giggle about when we pulled out the roadmap.
posted by squeegee666 on 1-23-2009 at 11:00 pm
This one isn’t dirty really, but the town just north of where I live here in Texas is called Cut ‘N Shoot. And yes, with the apostrophe and everything. It’s home to the county’s Harley Rider’s club.
posted by Anastasia on 1-24-2009 at 12:48 am
Not as awesome as the rest of these – Hicksville and Dix Hills on Long Island, NY.
posted by Kristen on 1-24-2009 at 12:48 am
There is a Beaver Lodge alongside Climax Creek in Coxsackie, NY.
posted by Colin on 1-24-2009 at 2:00 am
My wife grew up on Ulehawa Road in Nanakuli, Hawaii. In Hawaiian, Ulehawa means “filthy penis.”
posted by Robert on 1-24-2009 at 3:27 am
Yeah, French Lick, IN is always a classic. I also live near Prairie Licking Township, IL.
posted by Kieran on 1-24-2009 at 3:30 am
On the drive from LA to Las Vegas, you will notice that someone has named all the ditches that you will drive over. My personal favorite: Moby Ditch.
posted by Lissa on 1-24-2009 at 10:10 am
A beautiful scenic road that winds through the countryside just outside of Marietta, OH is Mount Tom Road.
posted by Brad on 1-24-2009 at 12:05 pm
In central Washington there is a Whiskey Dick Mountain (near the town of Kittitas)
posted by Mark on 1-24-2009 at 12:08 pm
there is a redneck road in little ferry, nj
posted by Joe Poz on 1-24-2009 at 1:26 pm
Penile Road in Louisville, KY. You can get to Penile if you drive long enough.
I think they intended Peniel–a Biblical location.
posted by Oprah Orpah on 1-24-2009 at 5:03 pm
French Broad River, Asheville, NC
posted by Anne on 1-24-2009 at 5:08 pm
Penile Road, Louisville, KY.
posted by Anne on 1-24-2009 at 5:09 pm
I’ve lived in Rho Dieland for two and a half years, and the city name “Woonsocket” still makes me smile. It’s funny for the same reason as ‘kumkwat’… it sounds like it should be dirty but isn’t…
posted by CJ on 1-24-2009 at 8:17 pm
After growing up not far from Big Beaver Rd (exit 69) in the detroit suburbs, I moved further west in the state. Now I’m not far from the lovely little town of Climax.
posted by redhead on 1-24-2009 at 9:00 pm
I live really close to Beaver County, PA.
posted by Samantha on 1-25-2009 at 12:33 am
My grandmother grew up on Cow Shit Lane.
posted by Maria on 1-25-2009 at 8:51 am
Boogertown Road in Sevierville, TN.
posted by Lindsey on 1-25-2009 at 12:47 pm
In eastern Kentucky there is a community called Nellie’s Nipple. Named for the shape of a “knob” nearby.
posted by Tony on 1-25-2009 at 1:01 pm
Buttzville NJ has always been a fun one
posted by Sarah on 1-25-2009 at 3:19 pm
The town of Climax MI, is located on I-69!!
We also have a Big Beaver Road that is located on Exit #69 of I-75
posted by Steve on 1-25-2009 at 7:06 pm
I grew up on Minie Ball lane, and my in-laws live near Black Love road.
posted by KerriH on 1-25-2009 at 8:54 pm
Sugartit, Kentucky sounds sweet.
posted by Bob on 1-26-2009 at 1:58 am
Wisconsin has a few, especially in the Northeast. Along with Eurin, there is also the towns of Pound and Beaver, which are close enough to be called the “Pound Beaver Area” of course CP road runs through both.
Dykesville, and don’t forget the Bong Recreation Area, and honest to God state park.
posted by Scotty on 1-26-2009 at 7:24 am
There is a Condom, France. I remember laughing when I saw it on the map but it doesn’t mean anything in French. It’s just a name.
Which reminds me… I’ve heard it said that English tourists sometimes ask the French about whether there are preservatives in their foods. If you’ve ever done this and gotten a glassy stare, don’t be surprised since préservatif in French means condom… and if that French person managed to politely keep it together rather than turning beet red or laughing at you outright… that’s class.
Course it could all be an French urban legend…
posted by Jchevais on 1-26-2009 at 7:31 am
There is also a Smuts, Saskatchewan
posted by Heather on 1-29-2009 at 12:20 pm