We’re starting a new trend at The Novelty Girls. I’ll start a topic at the beginning of the week, and it can be funny or controversial or anything we can think of, and all the other Novelty Girls will post their takes on that topic throughout the week. Considering how diverse our backgrounds and interests are, it could get very interesting around her. 
We may not be doing this every week, but we’ll do it a lot. Stay tuned!
Since we’re from all over the country–and even have a token Canadian–I thought we’d talk about the weirdest places we’ve lived or been. Feel free to add yours to the comments if we remind you of one in your area!
The ones that say “you ain’t from around here” if you pronounce it incorrectly.
- Vallejo, CA: I think every state has one of these, a town that we all know is pronounced incorrectly, but that’s just how we say it. Maybe it’s a secret password that lets us know who is and isn’t from the area. But for those who say it wrong, we can automatically think tourist, oh jeez, how lame are they? For the area of California I grew up in, it’s Vallejo. Now, a lot of places in California are named after Spanish people or things and are pronounced with a Spanish accent. So, the correct pronunciation of Vallejo should be “Vy-yay-ho” because a double L in Spanish is pronounced as a Y, and a J is pronounced as an H. However, if you say it the Spanish way, we know you’re not from here. Likewise, if you say it the total white bread way–”Valley-joe”–we know you ain’t from around here. The local pronunciation is half Spanish and half white bread, “Val-lay-ho”
- Tooele, UT: My current home state has their own version of the “you ain’t from around here” town name. Looking at this one, you’d thing it was pronounced “Tool” or “Too-elle.” Alas, you’d be quite wrong. It is, in fact, pronounced “Too-will-uh.”
Some random fun from places I’ve lived or been.
- Tropic, UT: Uh, yeah. I can tell you from experience that there are no tropics anywhere in Utah. This is high plains desert, which means we have two kinds of weather: Hell and Hell frozen over. There is no lush tropical rain forest. Nice wishful thinking though, for realsies.
- Dumpling Valley, TN: What cracks me up about this one is it’s one of those Old Southern Family areas that’s very established and such. You’d think they’d change the name to something more dignified, but no. Maybe they tried, but southerners are nothing if not stubborn. Speaking of…I believe Lori’s family comes from here.
- Stinking Creek, TN: Dude, only in Tennessee. I kind of feel bad for the creek. I mean, what if it was just having that not-so-fresh feeling that day and poof it’s immortalized forever!
These ones all come from a very memorable road trip I took from Tennessee to Texas along I-40 with my cousin a few years ago. I had to share though.
- Mangum, OK: It just sounds like a chewable sex toy (I may have to add that to a manuscript somewhere)
- Kickapoo, OK: Because apparently, Hopoverapoo and Ickypoo were already taken.
- Nathan Bedford Forrest State Park, TN: Because we’re SO proud we invented the KKK, we had to name a park after the guy! Family reunions there have lots of sheet washing involved. Hope there’s a Bed, Bath, and Beyond near by. Sheesh!
- Toad Suck State Park, AR: BEST ONE!!! There are no words to describe how hard the cousin and I laughed when we saw the sign for this one. I mean, Toad Suck??
June 16th, 2008 at 7:08 am
How funny! I was born in Vallejo and I get that all the time when I talk to people who need my vitals.
The weirdest place I ever visited was Strawn, Texas. It was a memorable visit as I trekked from Abilene to Dallas since its Greyhound station was a sticker on a garbage bin. I’ve never forgotten it.
June 16th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I’ve seen the Toad Suck town name before. Made me crack UP! LOL
I can’t think of anything, but if you google town names, there’s this:
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/wackytowns.html.
and
http://www.amusingfacts.com/weirdtowns/
How do I know? I was looking for a wacky town for research of course! LOL
June 16th, 2008 at 9:34 am
Well, at least they had a marker, Jen.
Diana–Of course! How else do authors find anything. Research is awesome!
June 16th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Bucksnort, TN. I had to stop and take a picture of the sign.
June 16th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Wow, TN has some good ones, doesn’t it?
June 16th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Muff.
No really. Its in Donegal. They have a annual festival
http://www.mufffestival.com/
I’m serious. I swear!
June 16th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Are they celebrating what I think they’re celebrating? I’m afraid to click the link at work!
June 16th, 2008 at 10:02 am
No. They are celebrating their lovely town. They have prizes for gardening, a talent show, a beauty pagent…
The alarms are just roaring round my head!
But it is a real place with a real festival and it makes me giggle like a schoolgirl.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:11 am
My fav is the Bong Recreation Area outside of Milwaukee, WI. We’d always laugh and ask if anyone wanted to go HIT the Bong Rec Area.
Also, I have been to Hell, MI (who names their town after Hell? A Detroit Suburb! LOL)
June 16th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Muff LMAO!
June 16th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Well, let’s see. There’s Mexia, TX. MeHeeYuh. I always liked that one.
I lived in ID for several years and it’s funny to hear the non-natives try to pronounce Boise. It’s not quite BoiSSee, and it’s not quite BoiZZee. It’s somewhere in between. Takes practice.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:14 am
There’s a Hel in Norway, too. Goddess of the frozen underworld. Up there, Hel really does freeze over.
June 16th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Oh Sela I remember that!! There is a Hell, Michigan too I think.
It gets pretty cold in that state
June 16th, 2008 at 10:28 am
Wow, Hell really does freeze over. I knew it!
June 16th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I’ll save mine for my post Thursday, but yes, my family is from Dumplin. Some funny names. We should rename Dothan Hell. It’s hot enough.
June 16th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Yes, but it doesn’t freeze over, Lori.
June 16th, 2008 at 12:28 pm
My husband and I nearly bought a house in the UK once in a village called Ugley. What really cracked me up about this tiny little place was that it had a community center proudly bearing the legend “The Ugley Women’s Institute” I kid you not
And no, we didn’t buy the house-we moved to the U.S. instead
June 16th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
LOL–imagine saying you were a proud graduate of the Ugley Women’s Institute!
June 16th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
The Uk has a ton of weird names. We have Wyre Piddle, and Nether Piddle
June 16th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Well, I’d hate to piddle anywhere else but the nether area.
June 16th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I think Kate wins this round!
June 16th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
They have a Toad Suck celebration EVERY year too. And people actually “race” toads. I kid you not.
June 16th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
Dayna: Tooootally.
Lyric: Oh, no! Do they suck the toads after they race them?
June 16th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
You know-I’ve heard of toad sucking. there is some kind of toad that has like an LSD effect if you lick them. Hmmm
Gotta wonder how the founders decided on that name. hehe
June 16th, 2008 at 8:29 pm
Athol, ON located in Prince Edward County of Ontario. Worst part for the kids of the area is the fact that they have to attend Athol Public School
June 16th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
But do people call them Athols?
June 16th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Oh goodness…I hope not. I haven’t heard of that. If I knew someone who’d sucked a toad…well…I’d just have to laugh in their face every time I saw them. We would sooo not be friends.
Athol? Goodness the humiliation.
June 16th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Could be worse, they could be sucking toad Athols.
June 16th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
OMG!!!! ROTFLMAO!!!!! Toad Sucking Athols!!!
June 17th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
There’s a town by the name of Dildo in Newfoundland.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
LMAO! Nice addition, Rob.