From Pennyhill to Whynot passing through Lizard Lick on the way to Pig, America is full of funny and downright silly town names.
And behind every one of those strange names is the obscure story of how that place came to be known and in some cases celebrated by its residents.
Take the tiny hamlet of Tightwad for starters.
Very tight lender: The town of Tightwad, Missouri, famous for Tightwad Bank
With a population of 64, the small town southeast of Kansas City was named after the postmaster was cheated in a watermelon deal at the local store in the early 1990's. Simply out of spite, he took advantage of his privilege as town postmaster and renamed the town Tightwad.
Retaining that moniker to this day, the major attraction in the town is the humorously named Tightwad Bank, which is Federally insured and ironically classified as 'well capitalised'.
No Name nowhere: Stuck between No Name Canyon and No Name Creek the residents of No Name are proud of their town's history.
Sandwiched conveniently between No Name Canyon and No Name Creek, the town with no name began after the major Interstate 70 was built.
An official with the Department of Transportation noticed that the area did not carry a sobriquet on the map and wrote 'No Name' for Exit 119.
Elephant Butte: One of New Mexico's top tourist destinations is at the other end of the highway from Truth or Consequences.
The plight of a nameless town in Colorado is brought into perspective when one is faced with a fork in the road that offers Truth or Consequences as one destination and Elephant Butte as the other.
Seemingly caught between a double dare or a herd of escaped circus performers you would be forgiven for scratching your head.
In fact the name Elephant Butte refers to a volcanic cone that slightly resembles the animal's silhouette in the middle of a reservoir that is a favourite vacation spot in the state of New Mexico.
Goldrush town: Unable to spell the name of the local grouse that lives in the area the locals settled on Chicken instead.
If calling a town after a local landmark that slightly resembles an animal is one way of doing it then spare a thought for the Alaskan outpost of Chicken.
Populated by large numbers of the ptarmigan, which is a type of grouse, the gold-prospectors in the area wanted to name their new town after the bird.
However, because no one could agree on the correct spelling and to avoid ridicule the locals named their township Chicken instead.
One of the few remaining gold-rush towns in Alaska, Chicken has no phone service, no electricity and its population fluctuates between 17 and 37.
Nirmrod: The town's sign is bolted down to stop the repeated theft that kept on occuring.
However, for sheer silliness the town of Nimrod, Oregon has it covered.
Named after a mighty biblical hunter, the town welcomes thousands of tourists each year looking to have their picture taken under the welcome sign.
The longest and silliest of them all: All 58 letters of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Undoubtedly though, the king of stupid town names is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in Wales.
With 58 letters the name translates to St. Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel Near to the Rapid Whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave.
Although not authentic Welsh, the name was an 1860's publicity stunt created by the railway station so that it would have the longest name in Britain.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ng-face-Truth-Consequences.html#ixzz1rSwJ7MsJ
Which is your favorite silliest town name? Mine for sure is Elephant Butte!
And behind every one of those strange names is the obscure story of how that place came to be known and in some cases celebrated by its residents.
Take the tiny hamlet of Tightwad for starters.
Very tight lender: The town of Tightwad, Missouri, famous for Tightwad Bank
With a population of 64, the small town southeast of Kansas City was named after the postmaster was cheated in a watermelon deal at the local store in the early 1990's. Simply out of spite, he took advantage of his privilege as town postmaster and renamed the town Tightwad.
Retaining that moniker to this day, the major attraction in the town is the humorously named Tightwad Bank, which is Federally insured and ironically classified as 'well capitalised'.
No Name nowhere: Stuck between No Name Canyon and No Name Creek the residents of No Name are proud of their town's history.
Sandwiched conveniently between No Name Canyon and No Name Creek, the town with no name began after the major Interstate 70 was built.
An official with the Department of Transportation noticed that the area did not carry a sobriquet on the map and wrote 'No Name' for Exit 119.
Elephant Butte: One of New Mexico's top tourist destinations is at the other end of the highway from Truth or Consequences.
The plight of a nameless town in Colorado is brought into perspective when one is faced with a fork in the road that offers Truth or Consequences as one destination and Elephant Butte as the other.
Seemingly caught between a double dare or a herd of escaped circus performers you would be forgiven for scratching your head.
In fact the name Elephant Butte refers to a volcanic cone that slightly resembles the animal's silhouette in the middle of a reservoir that is a favourite vacation spot in the state of New Mexico.
Goldrush town: Unable to spell the name of the local grouse that lives in the area the locals settled on Chicken instead.
If calling a town after a local landmark that slightly resembles an animal is one way of doing it then spare a thought for the Alaskan outpost of Chicken.
Populated by large numbers of the ptarmigan, which is a type of grouse, the gold-prospectors in the area wanted to name their new town after the bird.
However, because no one could agree on the correct spelling and to avoid ridicule the locals named their township Chicken instead.
One of the few remaining gold-rush towns in Alaska, Chicken has no phone service, no electricity and its population fluctuates between 17 and 37.
Nirmrod: The town's sign is bolted down to stop the repeated theft that kept on occuring.
However, for sheer silliness the town of Nimrod, Oregon has it covered.
Named after a mighty biblical hunter, the town welcomes thousands of tourists each year looking to have their picture taken under the welcome sign.
The longest and silliest of them all: All 58 letters of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Undoubtedly though, the king of stupid town names is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in Wales.
With 58 letters the name translates to St. Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel Near to the Rapid Whirlpool of Llantysilio of the Red Cave.
Although not authentic Welsh, the name was an 1860's publicity stunt created by the railway station so that it would have the longest name in Britain.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ng-face-Truth-Consequences.html#ixzz1rSwJ7MsJ
Which is your favorite silliest town name? Mine for sure is Elephant Butte!
