50 "weird" U.S. place names

[Jonathan Lighter]

> I don't see these names as "weird" but rather merely unusual.

But that's what "weird" has meant in the _vox populi_ for longer than I can
remember. Cf. the current journalistic denaturing of "eerie."

Many will remember "Weird Harold."  Long before that people would say
"That's weird" when all they meant was "Hmmm. That's funny [peculiar]."

>From the vault:

1915 _Scribner's_ (Jan.) 118: "She used to be a newspaper cartoonist."
"That's weird enough, for a beginning. How'd she ever strike that work?"

JL


On Sun, Jan 19, 2014 at 12:06 PM, Cohen, Gerald Leonard <gcohen at mst.edu>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Cohen, Gerald Leonard" <gcohen at MST.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: 50 "weird" U.S. place names
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> And don't forget Toad Suck, Arkansas, plus several towns in Missouri
> "Peculiar," "Tightwad", "Barely Do", "Clever," etc. Btw, I don't see these
> names as "weird" but rather merely unusual.
>
> Also, btw, about 35 years ago the police chief in Clever was arrested for
> something, and the headline for the story in my local newspaper said:
> "Clever Police Chief Arrested."  Maybe I was the only one who noticed this,
> but I couldn't help thinking: "If he was so clever, what was he doing
> getting arrested?"
>
> Gerald Cohen
> Rolla, Missouri
>
> ________________________________________
> Jonathan Lighter wrote, January 19, 2014 10:50 AM:
>
> <snip>
> And where on the list is Hog Eye, Arkansas?
>
> JL
>
>
> On Sun, Jan 19, 2014 at 11:41 AM, Jonathan Lighter
> <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
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> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: 50 "weird" U.S. place names
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > That's my guess, but I don't see the joke either.
> >
> > But remember, these journalists spell "butt" with an E.
> >
> > Maybe they're French.
> >
> > JL
> >
> >
> > On Sun, Jan 19, 2014 at 11:28 AM, Spanbock/Svoboda-Spanbock <
> > spanbocks at verizon.net> wrote:
> >
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> > > Poster:       Spanbock/Svoboda-Spanbock <spanbocks at VERIZON.NET>
> > > Subject:      Re: 50 "weird" U.S. place names
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > I guess because neighborhoods that are called 'Little' are called that
> > > because they derive their character from another place that is a large
> > and
> > > established cultural center? Here in L.A., we have Little Tokyo (but we
> > > also have the less known Little Osaka.) In Miami, they have Little
> > Havana.
> > >
> > > On Jan 18, 2014, at 10:33 PM, Mark Mandel wrote:
> > >
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> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster:       Mark Mandel <thnidu at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > Subject:      Re: 50 "weird" U.S. place names
> > > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > I must be missing something. What's funny about Little Compton? (I
> know
> > > > it'll hit me as soon as I hit SEND.)
> > > >
> > > > Mark
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 5:12 PM, Jonathan Lighter <
> > > wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
> > > >
> > > >>
> > >
> >
> http://screen.yahoo.com/buzzfeed/50-weirdest-city-names-50-221140519.html
> > > >>
> > > >> Observe how some people seem to think "butt" is spelled with a B.
> > > >>
> > > >> JL
> > > >>
> > > >> --
> > > >> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> > > truth."
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