Everybody knows that the United States has some of the most ridiculous place names on the planet. But not everyone knows why. You see, it was kind of like branding or selecting unique usernames: the Post Office needed to know where to deliver the mail. And the newly incorporated burgs often came up with really weird names for their geographical infants. Kind of like the woozy mother who christened her daughter 'Anaesthesia' after the last thing she saw. . .

Here's a cheery multiple choice about US place names.

1. The first Santa Fe, Indiana, snapped up the name. What did the second Santa Fe decide to call itself in 1854?
   
   • Santa Anna
   • Santa Maria
   • Santa Caramba
   • Santa Claus
2. In 1814, the Pennsylvania town of Cross Keys, in Amish country, changed its name. What is the 'new' name?
   
   • Uncrossed Keys
   • Bird in Hand
   • Intercourse
   • King of Prussia
3. The community that grew up around Ryan's mining camp in Oregon was so remote, most people thought you'd be mad to go and live there. What became the official name?
   
   • March Hare City
   • Idiotville
   • Looneytunes
   • Sacre Fou
4. A postmaster in Kentucky wanted a number for his town's name because it was easier to write. How did he come up with the town name 88?
   
   • He counted the change in his pocket.
   • He liked the idea of two infinity symbols.
   • He measured the miles to 'civilisation'.
   • He used numerology.
5. Who or what is Ding Dong, Texas named for?
   
   • Hostess Ding Dongs, the postmaster's favourite snack cake.
   • A cat that fell down an oil well.
   • The enormous number of churches in the area.
   • The sign on the Bell family's shop.
6. This one's Canadian. What is Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!, Quebec, noted for, besides having two exclamation points?
   
   • A factory that made laughing gas.
   • A lake whose sudden appearance startles visitors.
   • A lot of unusual landscape gardening.
   • Nobody who speaks French.
7. Hot Coffee, Mississippi, is on Highway 532. Yes, it was named because LJ Davis' restaurant (est.1870) served the best hot coffee in the region. Davis wouldn't put cream in his coffee because it 'ruined the taste'. What did he use for sweetener?
   
   • Honey.
   • Cane sugar.
   • Beet sugar.
   • Molasses drippings.
8. The residents of Two Egg, Florida, refuse to agree on exactly where the town got its name. (It has something to do with the Depression and exchanging eggs for store goods, but don't get them started.) Besides the weird name and the fact that Faye Dunaway grew up down the road from there, what is Two Egg famous for?
   
   • Chicken racing with an international attendance.
   • Sightings of the Two Egg Stump Jumper, a 'mini-Bigfoot'.
   • A film festival that charges eggs for admission.
   • The fact that nobody there speaks English.
9. Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, was so named because of a dietary staple of early residents. What is remarkable about Rabbit Hash's mayor?
   
   • The mayor is always chosen by the staff of the nearby coal-fired energy plant.
   • The mayor has always been female.
   • The mayor has always been a canine.
   • The mayor is appointed for life by the governor.
10. What famous person came from Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania?
    
    • Glen Campbell, who sang 'Rhinestone Cowboy'.
    • Glenn Campbell, the Scottish journalist.
    • Glen Campbell, the Jamaican actor.
    • Leaping Mike Menosky.

We hope you chuckled as you scratched your head. Click the picture for the right answers.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

22.05.17 Front Page

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