Hey Harish - are you sure you haven't left one out?

Seriously, thanks for resurrecting this thread which I have not seen before.

Ladycaitriona, I have a penpal in Fukuoka, Japan.

Australia has its share of weird place names. Here in Perth, we have two suburbs called Innaloo and Upper Swan. Many people joke that they'd rather live in a loo (= toilet) than up a swan.

In Australia, we also have Tittybong, Burrumbuttock, Rooty Hill, Indented Head, Bumbang, Chinaman's Knob and Wet Beaver Creek. Wouldn't you love to know the stories behind these names?!

Gotta hand it to you Harish - aesthetically displeasing it is, but there are a few goodies in there.

I used to lived down the road from Tangambalanga, and one of the communities that I work with is called Amplatawetjere which is quite difficult to pronounce but if you say (Armbladawitch) hopefully people will know what you are talking about.

A few more gems from Oz, all from Queensland.

There's a town called 1770 where Jimmy Cook stretched his legs for 3 minutes. Rumour has it he looked at his watch and said "God and queen, it's 1770 already, better get moving."
Suburbs of Brisbane called Indooroopilly, Humpybong and Woody Point
Coochiemudlo Island in Moreton Bay
The Spit isn't far from Nobbys Beach which is close to Tally Valley on the Gold Coast
There's nice views of the north coast to be found at Bald Knob. This is the town where sex industry workers go to retire. There's nearby towns called Poona , Uraween and Doughboy
Obi Obi is affectionatley known as 'Two Kenobi'
Cooeeimbardi has a nice ring to it as does Mungabunda
And lastly there's the old town of Iron Pot whose residents moved to the more modern town of Electric Frying Pan when they connected to the power grid in 1964.

Regular tour guide you are Bertho.

There a lot of odd, and frankly unpronouncable, place names here in Ireland so I won't even get into all that! One that always makes me smile is Termonfeckin. Every time I drive to Belfast I pass the sign for this place and it still creases me up.

My father thinks he remembers a street in Manchester called Back Passage, though I can find no references to it.
There is a Moron in Spain and Cuba, and when I was at school, I used to like the West African Island Fernando Poo. And I almost forgot Wangford in Suffolk- had me cracking up when I was there at 18, every time I drove past the signs.

Speaking as someone 2 miles from it, Copago is correct- It's 'Shoot Up Hill' (though without the road), and is a stretch of the A5. Shooters Hill of course does exist, it's the main A 207 to Kent and is also the name of the surrounding district.
For good measure I'll add Dog Kennel Hill in Dulwich, where I recently saw Dulwich Hamlet who have their football ground there.
A late reply, but it's just popped up to the top of the pile, so I only just found it

Oh, so no 'road' on the end. Oops, it's been a while since I've been there but it always made me smile .

Well, it's nice to know someone so far away used to be a neighbour- what a small world

Do you know the Black Lion in Kilburn? Spent a few nights and a lot of money in there. Great pub.

Quote:

---

Do you know the Black Lion in Kilburn? Spent a few nights and a lot of money in there. Great pub

---

Me too Jill, We lived in Kilburn Park Road for a few months (in the early 60's though!!)

When I was there, just a few years later than you Ren they would have a band that played what I would call folk music (sort of Irish/Australian diddly-i-di-di stuff) every Saturday night. Loved it and would never miss out - if anyone wanted to do something on a Saturday night then it would have to be done at the Black Lion or else I wouldn't go. Friday night was pretty good as well and getting locked in on a Sunday arvo was always good fun, Mondays was darts night and ... oh, you get the drift.

re Black Lion, not personally - I live in the opposite direction (north), but my favourite pubs were in Hampstead, (I lived near there before I came back here after a very long gap) though two are now gone, the Hare & Hounds and now Jack Straw's castle. And I like the Prince Albert in Golders Green.

Hi Copago,
I laughed out loud at some of those placenames. Of course Ireland has its share of oddities. So what about
Hackballscross, Effin, Nobber. I always get a giggle out of the signpost which says Kill 5 miles.
Seoghais

There is Iron Knob in South Australia, Andrew's Knob (a mountain), Longreach, and just down the road there is a street called Woolybutt Street.

Have we had Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (on Anglesey, Wales) yet?

That one always amused me.

So...anyone care to vist http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com?

And -- its position in the Google Directory!

Considering that the Indus River is now almost entirely in Pakistan, isn't "India" kind of a strange place name? Of course, the proposed "Bharat" creates other problems, since some will think it refers to a former Israeli PM, a type of hat worn by French guys, or some casino game.

I think the subcontinent should be called Acesodia, or perhaps Harishia or some such.

Well, yes, "India" isn't really a very appropriate name for this nation, but now that it has already been named such, there isn't much of a point trying to change it.

I don't know anything about this matter -- but the name 'Bharat' (in my opinion) displays a tilt towards the Hindu religion, not very felicitous for a secular country! 'Bharat' can refer to either:
a) An ancient king, Jada Bharatha.
b) Bharat, son of a King Dushyanta.
c) Bharat, brother of the Hindu god Ram.
Now the last option might strike up a controversy... (By the way, this info was collected from Wikipedia!)

Anyway, I don't think either 'India' of 'Bharat' sounds very "strange" but it might be a different case for people otside India...

India has stuck, who cares. Much better would be the name Gangan or something related to Ganges.

Here are a few places in Kolkata which sound a bit odd to me.

1) Jadavpur (I live here)
2) Gariahat
3) Rashbehari Avenue
4) Dalhousie
5) Howrah

Here is a place in India, and I find the name hilarious.

Cherrapunji or something like that.

Hmm...anyone heard of Sri Venkatanarasimharajuwaripeta?

Oh, and Angi, Cherrapunji is in the eastern state of Meghalaya, and is next to MAwsynram, the rainiest place in the world.

Thanks, Harish, I know it was the rainiest place in the world but didn't know where it was.

Quote:

---

I know it was the rainiest place in the world but didn't know where it was.

---

Neither did I for a very long time!

I mean it's in such a place, which very few people go and it's not too popular at all. Who wants to go to a place where it rains all the time ?