I've always liked the name Condom, France (strange enough) and for a very different reason Oberammergau, Germany. My favorite English town is called Tring, a charming town with an old church and stockade in the small town square.

Great thread! Ones that have already been mentioned that I've always liked are Chichicastenango, Oaxaca, and Ouagadougou (Ursula, you might enjoy reading Peter Biddlecombe's entertaining book "French Lessons in Africa: Travels With My Briefcase in French Africa". You can travel vicariously with Mr. Biddlecombe to Ouagadougou). <BR> <BR>For laughs, I think it's hard to beat Humptulips here in Washington State. <BR> <BR>http://www.ohwy.com/wa/h/humptuli.htm

I've always liked Dorking in Surrey (England). (To dork: I dork, you dork, he/she/it dorks. We are all dorking.) <BR> <BR>Condom's sister city (no, wait) is Toro in Spain. Strong like bull. <BR> <BR>I also like Honolulu and Chicken, both in Alaska, Boring and Remote in Oregon, and Pysht and Twisp here in Washington. I agree about Humptulips, which is not far from Sappho.

My mother's home in PUNXSUTAWNEY,PA , the first word I ever learned to spell might come into the top contenders.

To the top! <BR> <BR>Capo, thanks a lot for your book suggestion. I shall try to find it. <BR>... and I am relieved, because I don't really need to go there. There are other places which go first.

Ever since I found out that the word vacillate sounded dirtier than its meaning, I've liked interesting names & words. <BR> <BR>In the US: <BR>Kissimme FL <BR>Gurley AL <BR>Abroad: <BR>Stow-on-the-Wold <BR>Machu Picchu <BR>and an address in England: Pooh Corner (I can see Piglet standing by his mailbox waiting for the mailman). <BR> <BR>I also think it's funny that the German word for city hall is rathaus (rat in the house?) and the German word for trip is fahrt...but that's a whole other thread. <BR>

Went to Check once. Passed a small town, Bianca Bystricia or something. Main attraction the restaurant, with a big sign: "HORARONKA". <BR>If any of you have the slightest knowlegde of Norwegian "fourletters", you'll know. I prefer not to translate it here. <BR>B, Oslo

Philipp: Well city hall in German is "Rathaus", yes, correct. <BR> <BR>But "Rat" means advice or councel in English. <BR>Whereas "rat" in English means ""Ratte" in German! <BR> <BR>.. and I just remember a place south of Florence when going to Siena: <BR> <BR>Poggibonsi!

Ursula, <BR> <BR>Please run that by us again. <BR>Thanks, <BR>Earnest

Earnest: I was referring to Philip's post! <BR> <BR>rat = Ratte (in German) and not Rat <BR> <BR>Rat = advice or council (in English) <BR> <BR>So, "Rathaus" is not a a house with rats in.. well, sometimes, yes! <BR> <BR>Earnest: Everything clear now?

Salamanca

my favourites are both here in Ontario, Canada: <BR> <BR>Kapuskasing <BR>Kakabeka Falls

Ursula, <BR> <BR>All is clear now. I have a <BR>very muddled mind. <BR> <BR>Earnest

French Lick, Indiana (Nope, we're not making these things up, folks!)

Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in Canada <BR> <BR>Hell, Michigan (lower peninsula) <BR> <BR>Paradise, Michigan (upper peninsula) <BR> <BR>Fishkill, New York (apparently the home of rabidly enthusiastic fishers!)

Just topping for this new day with: <BR> <BR>Okeechobee, Forida <BR> <BR>Been there, done that!

From Turkey: cemisgezek, safranbolu, rumelifeneri, ayanalikacvak, gaziosmanpasa <BR> <BR>http://www.istanbuloldcityhotels.com

Reminds me of a nice story. <BR>Colleague 1: My wife and I spent the whole weekend at loggerheads (i.e. having a blazing row). <BR>Colleague 2: Oh that's nice, it's a pleasant little town. <BR> <BR>Loggerheads is in mid Wales. <BR> <BR>There is a village in Cheshire with the splendidly subversive name of Peover Superior. Trouble is, it's pronounced Peever.

Shickshinny, PA

My travel agent phoned with the name of my hotel in Garmish.....Sonen Blisch. I thought she said I was staying at the "Son of a Bitch". Of course, there is Bug Tussle and Frognot in Texas

Some more, please!

Lake Titticaca!! It has it all...

Two towns near Munich -- Necking and Petting... Look it up ! <BR> <BR>Traben-Trarbach also in Germany. <BR> <BR>And Baden-Baden has a nice ring to it... <BR> <BR>BTW -- The name of the Hotel in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (that's a good one too) is Sonnenblick -- with a K, not an H !

It may come as a surprise, but Michigan is the only state where you can drive from Hell to Paradise in one day. If you take a round about way, you can also go through Climax. :-) <BR> <BR>When I was a kid, these were the cities in my home state we were most interested in!!!

Hello, <BR> <BR>3 km from where I live there`s a little town called "Linsengericht". It doesn`t sound funny, but the meaning of the word makes everybody chuckle and they give me look as if I live in the pampas far away from every civilization, although that place is only 40km from Frankfurt. <BR> <BR>Linsen-lentils <BR>gericht-dish <BR>So it sth. to eat-a lentil-dish... <BR> <BR>Miriam <BR>

Joyce - the Hotel in Garmisch is called the "Sonnenbichl".

I've always wanted to visit "Hangnail-on-the-Pinkey".

Bastardo, Italy. In Umbria near Orvieto.

Croatia has some lovely vowel-less places, best among them Krk. <BR> <BR>But re:North Carolina -- we have Candor, Thrift, and Trust, but we also have Bat Cave, Pumpkin Center, Silk Hope, Toast, Colon and Barium Springs (no comment), Lizard Lick (a different sort of fun from the Hoosiers in Indiana) and of course, Tar Heel. But the place name that enticed me long before I ever moved here was Fuquay Varina. I have yet to find out what a Varina is and why distinguishes a Fuquay one from other Varinas.

If you get hungry from Columbus,Indiana <BR>to Bloomington,Indiana you can always stop in at Gnawbone,Indiana. Not much left!

More from the midwest: <BR> <BR>Floyds Knobs, Indiana (my hometown) <BR> <BR>and <BR> <BR>Knockemstiff, Ohio <BR>

Anyone familiar with Billy Connolly's trope on "Maputo"?

Big Bone Lick State-Park, Kentucky

If you're in western Massachusetts and get hungry, stop off at Feeding Hills or Indian (pronounced something like inneeyun) Orchard. And does anyone know what Seagirt means? Seriously, New Jersey has some real barn burners like Ampere (shocking), and then the M ones (Manahawkin, Manalapan and Moonachie) and the P ones (Piscataway, Parsippany, Pennsauken and Passaic).

Here are a few from the INternet...... <BR> <BR>Booze (in Arkengarthdale) <BR>Sources tell me there is no pub in Booze. <BR>Fartown <BR>Giggleswick <BR>Apparently to the Viking a "Wic" was a village, and "Gigel" some kind of Chieftain. Hence the name. <BR>Idle, (Bradford) <BR>Home of the Idle Working Man's Club. You can buy T-shirts and everything. Really. <BR>Land of Green Ginger, The (Hull) <BR>Land Of Nod, The <BR>From the Bible: Genesis 4:16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. <BR>Mold Green, Huddersfield <BR>Penistone <BR>The one everybody immediately thinks of. This and Scunthorpe can keep an idle mind amused for hours. <BR>Shat (now Skelmanthorpe) <BR>Thwing (near Scarborough) <BR>I'm not tho thure ath to why thith one ith amuthing. <BR>Tickhill <BR>Added because someone thought it amusing. Whether this is because a hill of ticks is inherently funny or because it's pronouced "tickle" they didn't say. <BR>Wetwang <BR>Richard Whiteley is (was?) the Mayor of this place. Figures. <BR>Wham (near Giggleswick) <BR>Not, sadly, the birth place of Roy Lichtenstein. <BR> <BR>And not to forget Twatt, Shetland. <BR> <BR>Check this out :- <BR> <BR>http://www.multimap.com/gb/A24658.htm <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> Street Names <BR> <BR>Cocking Lane, between Ilkley and Addingham <BR>Back Albert Passage, Headingley <BR>Butt Hole Road, Conisbrough <BR>A fairly recent addition. At the one end of Conisbrough. <BR>Butt Lane, Leeds <BR>Cockshot Lane, Leeds <BR>Dick Lane, Bradford <BR>Nutter Lane, Birstall <BR>Slack Bottom, Heptonstall <BR>Whip-ma-Whop-ma gate, York <BR>The tourist office and The City of York Council make great play of it being the shortest street in York and the longest street name in York. Apparently it was originally Whitnourwhatnourgate, meaning "What a street".

<BR>Try this site also... <BR> <BR>http://www.mapzone.co.uk/funny.html

what about some places in Portugal...there´s a small village in the south named PICHA( wich in portuguese it´s a rather rude word for male genitals !! believe it...there a small town with this name )

what about some places in Portugal...there´s a small village in the south named PICHA( wich in portuguese it´s a rather rude word for male genitals !! believe it...there a small town with this name )

Just off the A5 in the UK Midlands there's a place called Willey.

Anyone pass through this Welsh town and actually learn to pronounce the name? <BR> <BR>LLanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogoch? <BR> <BR>"St. Mary's Church in a dell of white hazel trees near the rapid whirlpool by the red cave of the Church of St. Tysilio."