h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Would 'curm' describe it?

Entry: Pronouncing British Place Names - A16352381
Author: Icy North - U225620

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Hi Icy

>>I can't imagine New Malden as the valley of the wild boar. Someone once told me it has the largest Korean community in Europe<<

It certainly has a disproportionate number of Koreans and Korean related services from hypermarket to Catholic Church, so, no that would not surprise me at all Pretty odd place for them all to have settled upon, in the middle of suburban Surrey. most peculiar choice of location... still, there's no accounting for taste, really, is there?

Hi Wilma, I had a colleague with a Korean wife who lived there - they could only communicate via Esperanto.

Completely off-topic, but I'm sure there are other towns with disproportionately-large foreign communities. I think that most of the Japanese congregate in the Amstelveen district of Amsterdam.

As a station announcer, the isssue of pronouncing place names porperly has been risen on several occasions. Off the top of my head, 'Leigh', is it pronouced 'Lee' or 'Lie'. There are several others, but as I've just woke up, I can't think what they are right now.

Anyway, great entry as usual Alex.

SP

Sorry Icy, wrong person. I told you I've only just woke up and should really wait until I've had my coffee.

It's OK, I'm only Ashman's sock puppet, anyway.

Oh drat. I should have known you'd tell everyone about the conspiracy eventually.

Trouble is I forgot to spike it with links to my, sorry, your entries.

Am I really that bad?

I certainly am.

That figures.

Thank you for such a thought provoking entry!
Kirkcaldy, I love that one, having relatives in The Kingdom of Fife.
When we lived in Peterborough, we missed the sea so much we took our doggy boys all the way to Hunstanton, and I agree with a previous post that it was always pronounced as its written by true locals.
When I was at uni in Southampton, there is an area called Bevois Valley, which everyone refers to as beavers too.
Made me think, and really enjoyed it!!
Soo

Thanks soo

So you're with the 'hunstanton' camp? (Alex) rather than the 'hunston' camp (Deep Doo Doo). I heard the BBC weatherman say 'Hunstanton' last night, but I don't always trust BBC traffic & weather reports - they've only recently started saying 'Charwell valley services', although they're good at 'root-um'. Sally Traffic correctly said 'punnel' the other day, too.

I'm going to leave it as 'hunston', as the odd controversial one in there should generate a bit of interest.

I'm about to update the entry with links & tweaks. If I've missed out your favourite, then now's the time to shout...

Icy

http://www.norfolkdialect.com/rumolenearmes.html

http://www.norfolkdialect.com/hopelisth-n.html

Hope they help, if you've not seen them already, Icy.

My employer's blocked that site, DDD, but I'll check it out when I'm at home

Not read the backlog, liked the entry, loved the section headings.

One thing - surely any article mentioning Torpenhow has to have a footnote pointing out that since "Tor" means "hill", "pen" means "hill" and "how" means "hill", that Torpenhow means "Hillhillhill". And the modern name for the hill there? Torpenhow Hill. Hillhillhill Hill.

SoRB

Thanks SoRB - much appreciated

The section headings are intended as mnemonics. Unfortunately, I can't pronounce 'mnemonic'.

Someone mentioned that Torpenhow story in the original thread (see post 1) - maybe it was you, I can't remember. I'll research it and add a footnote if I can verify it.

Icy

I don't know if it's only me, but the entry only covers about 1/2 of the page, the other half is covered by the right side bar, showing the referenced entries. I guess it's the link to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Anglesey, Wales which causes the problem, but I can't find it when I look at the guide ml.

I didn't put the full name in the entry for that reason. I think I'll remove the link in that case - thanks, Bel