[Dr Q+] It constantly amazes me that Americans, most of whom speak English as their 1st language, have such trouble with English place names. Especially as so many of them are duplicated in the States. Why, do you think, this should be?
Actually Nottingham already has an airport! No scheduled flights, mainly freight and private planes, but it's there, nevertheless, and I've been there to see brother-in-law's plane (of which he owns one wing and the rear wheel, or something like that.)

[Twiki] The impression I got from the little local news I ever watch was that most people in Derby, Loughborough, Leicester, etc. (or at least the ones they bothered to interview), were generally quite p-ed off by the existence of the airport and "if Nottingham want it, they can have it" (apparently believing that the renaming would somehow magically move it somewhere where they wouldn't be under the flight path).

I've got tickets to the concert I've been waiting for! Yes! Sorry, just needed to share that with someone. :D :D :D

At least someone has tickets. *sigh*

[HB] You usually find the more English place names in New England (esp. around Boston.) Another problem is that many names are Americanised so that some consonants are de-silenced and others are eliminated; e.g. around here, North Versailles is pronounced "North Ver-sales"; Baden is "Bay-den"; Cheswick is "Chez-wick"; East Liberty is "E-Slibberdee"; White Oak is "Whairda-helzat". Strange that Duquesne is still "Doo-kane", but there we are.

There is one more town here that's worth mentioning. It's called "SNPJ" -- I swear I am not making that up -- it stands for "Slovenska Narodna Podporna Jednota".

(Herr Bratsche) I think you're a bit hard on the Yanks. If there's anything that shows up the vagaries of language it's local pronunciation. For instance, in south London there's Streatham (pr. Strettum) and in Berkshire there's Streatley (pr. Streetly). And why are Ardingly and Hellingly (Sussex) pronounced as if they have a final "e"? Who knows? (Dr Q) Near Mrs Trellis' house is the 58-letter name we all know, but the locals all call it Llanfair PG. (All) Anyone here from Shrewsbury? I call it Shrooze-brie. How say you?

(Rosie)Us Bristolians call it Shrowz-brie. And why is Berkshire "Barkshire"?

(Dr Q) In one of the jazz pubs I go to is a vast mural with a map of the lower Mississippi and New Orleans and there is a place on the river called D'Lo (presumably at one time De l'eau). We don't take anglicisation quite that far because we've got places such as Grosmont (N. Yorks) and Grosvenor (London) in which the "s" is silent, even though the names are several hundred years old. (Bigsmith) Yes, why, particuarly as Berkhampstead is BURK, but not Berkeley Square. Re Shrewsbury - two locals I have known call it Shrooze, for what it's worth.

Towns in America often have names reflecting the language its settlers spoke, or occasionally that of the natives who previously occupied the area. Mind you, these don't quite explain some towns just East of Lancaster, PA....

What a great name. I also like Zook's Corner ! In Tassie there is a Paradise and a Penguin, which I kind of liked.

In Saltfleet, Linconshire, there is a Paradise Car Park, with a sign reading Paradise Car Park, No Caravans or Camping. It's unpaved, but it's a parking lot all the same.

[Rosie] Yes, we can blame the French for dropped "w", silent "s" and all kind of manglings. I say "Shroozebury", btw, but then I also say "Sisister" for "Cirencester", and I may well be wrong about that. I also insist on "Alster" for "Alcester", despite the tendency of south Brummies towards voicing every letter in the name of the main road that I live just off. Bah!

[Dr Q] How about "Day Moyn" for Des Moines, but "Noo Orleenz" for New Orleans (refer to Orleans, Normandy for original).

I thought it was pronounced Shrooze-brie, but it seems to be more variable than that. Near me is Caerphilly, pronouced Ku-philly, but then all the Welsh names starting Caer seem to be pronounced like that, eg Caerleon. It took me ages to get them right, and it's probably different in North Wales. I also remember a sea-side village in Fife, on the Forth, called Ainstruther, pronounced Ainster. It's really a plot to make fun of tourists!

Have a go at 'Mousehole' and 'Widemouth' if you would.

while we're at it 'Woolfardisworthy'.

renting a car in Dover from a place in the Maison Dieu Road, pronounced "Mason Doo" by the young woman working there. It's not just Americans...

Cornish towns are fun, more for the sheer improbability of the names than for the improbability of their pronunciation. "Perranarworthal", for example, is pronounced as it is written, which is in itself surprising.

Something I read recently in one of Bill Bryson's books (Made In America) was that the spelling placenames was regularised by a geographical names board. One of their more Philistinic acts was to say that all place names pronounced with the suffix "-burg" or "-boro" should be spelt that wayh exactly, and none of this confusing "-burgh" or "-borough" nonsense ("Pittsburgh" was given an explicit exemption).

Posting from IE on WinXP now, and I note my little fiddle has fixed the PNG problem. More in 'Notes'...

(IE users should request a full reload of this page to get things looking - hopefully - right)

Yep, seems to work from here.

[Dunx] The Scottish Pittsburghers of the late 19th Century (notably Andrew Carnegie) decided to "Scottify" the city by adding the trailing "h". It looks nicer to me, and it differentiates us from Pittsburg, Kansas.

I had a bit of a laugh the first time I saw the town "Feock". ;)

Yup!

Many Happy Returns, Chalky. *tips hat*

Yep, its all grey now! Not that I really noticed before..

And then of course there's Loogabarooga! Bruce. Ah, bringing us to the ever-irritating River Nene. We in the valley always said "Nenn", but then I heard Stephen Fry calling it "Neen" so now I don't know what to think!

(rab) Mousehole rhymes with tousle, as in hair, but I don't know about the other two you mention. I do know that Fowey is Foy, more or less. But I'm fascinated by Probus. Sounds disgusting. (ZK) If you called it Nenn, then that's it, despite the estimable Mr Fry. Another variation on the burg, burgh, borough ending is of course Middlesbrough.

Did I say Loogabarooga? I meant Loughborough. There's fun.

Changing the subject: Would other posters be interested in having some sort of link to either their own sites or to a central site of some sort? This of course would depend on rab's willingness to provide such a link.
I am only thinking of something basic. For instance, I am building a small (free site) where I can post my details and, eventually, a few pictures of the area in which I live. At this point in time it is very, very ordinary (and may stay the same!) see here. It's amazing how many people I meet on the Internet - usually from places far and wide - who are genuinely interested to see what it looks like where I live. I too have that interest (e.g. I'd love to see Chalky's view of "The Spire", Dr Q's surroundings in Pittsburgh and suchlike.)
Without wishing to rake over dead coals, there was such a link on the now defunct 'Pants' site and, whilst many did not choose to contribute, it was still quite interesting.
Silly or just stupid?

sounds like a plan! :) rab?

[Googol] Cheers!
[Dujon] Not silly at all. I'm interminably curious about others' home environments :-).
[ZK] As you expressed an interest, have you made a decision on the Rugbypilg yet? Sounds as though you're not that far away. So far there are 3 girlies who hope to be there - Lib (wahay), pen (wahay) and me. My email address is further up this page, probably now in the 'expose more' bit.

I've just been back-reading. I was rather fond of my white square. It was geometrically sound and neat and artistically separate. Was it never meant to look that way?

[Chalky] I'm probably free on the date, but I've just splashed out a tad on some concert tickets so I'm not sure I can afford to go. Can I answer that question a few days into March (when I get money)? Plus, what is required of said pilg? I'm not quite sure I'm up to spontaneous wit (is that tautology?) when surrounded by my elders.

The real ISIHAC is not really spontaneous wit!
I had originally planned for there to be teams that will play - but I now think it would best to make it open to contributions from all although there will still be at least 1 compare (a Humph) to move thing along and hopefully a JLE on piano. The evening is going to be one of daft parlour games that all who wish to can prepare for. I'll be letting everyone know what all the games are before the event - if you want to take part in a particular game - great, if not just enjoy other peoples contributions. For example, one of the games I have in mind is "New Definitions for Old Words". If you come up with any ideas, write them down and bring them to the event. A full list of games will be published soon.