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America is full of some strange, ridiculous, hilarious town names. Ranging from a town called Two Egg, to the Porcupine Islands, we're covering 50 of the funniest town names in the country. What's your favorite? Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@MentalFloss?sub_confirmation=1 About Mental Floss: Mental Floss is where curious people come for trivia-tastic information. Mental Floss produces lists of fun facts, debunks common misconceptions, and tells untold stories from history, science, culture and more. Website: http://www.mentalfloss.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mental_floss Facebook: https://facebook.com/mentalflossmagazine Discord: https://discord.io/mentalfloss Copyright Notice: This video and YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are property of Mental Floss. You are authorized to share the video link and channel, and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to this YouTube Channel is provided. 2025 Mental Floss 1 Funny Town Name From Each State | Mental Floss https://www.youtube.com/@MentalFloss
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What's in a name? If you're doing it right, possibly a few hearty chuckles
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Case in point, Hell, Michigan. This small community, which is located on Hell Creek
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just about 50 miles from Detroit, has been around since about 1840. Which means that
0:12
they've heard all the jokes, and turned them into a clever tourism campaign
0:17
Want to get married in Hell? The Hell Chapel of Love is waiting for you. There's also a place to scatter the ashes of your loved, or unloved, ones
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For about $13, you can also buy one square inch of Hell, Or preside as its official mayor for one day for $100
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Who knew evil was so eternally damned affordable? Exactly how this fiery moniker came to be is the source of some debate
0:38
One popular theory involves a couple of German tourists stopping there in the 1830s on one
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particularly sunny day and declaring, So shone hell, which translates to so beautifully bright
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Another tale points to appropriately hellish conditions faced by explorers who first encountered
0:52
the area. An older story puts the origin at a local distillery and the, well
0:57
ungodly amount of fighting it caused. Wherever the truth lies, the people of hell would like
1:01
to point out that more people tell you to go to our town than anywhere else on earth
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I'm Erin McCarthy, editor-in-chief of Mental Floss, and that's just one of the 50 funny
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town names from each state we'll be talking about on this episode of The List Show. Let's get started
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We've got 49 more ridiculous town names to go, but I imagine there's a few out there that not
1:25
even the internet knows about. If you come from a place with a less than normal name
1:29
let us know about it in the comments. Someone has to live in a place called, I don't know
1:34
Hairball, Missouri. When it comes to weird town names, Michigan is far from the only state with
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Lucifer on its mind. The community of Satan's kingdom in Leicester, Vermont, was said to have
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been given its name by a disenchanted settler who expected fertile rolling acres and had received
1:48
rocks and hills instead. If you prefer a little positivity in your hometown designation, Montana's
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Paradise Valley, not far from Yellowstone National Park, is where you'll find Prey
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a community of less than 800 people that's been around since the early 20th century
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Despite its religious-sounding etymology, it was named for Charles Nelson Prey, who was the state's
2:06
congressman at the time. Why Arizona? Nope, that's not a question. It's the official name of this
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tiny community located near the U.S.-Mexico border. Originally, it was simply supposed to be named
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Y, as in the letter, after the Y-shaped intersection of two nearby highways, which
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hardly seems inspired. But, the story goes, Arizona law requires a minimum of three letters
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for any place name. Hence the more existential-sounding Y. In many cases, three letters is all it really
2:33
takes to paint a vivid picture of a town and what it's known for. Gas, Kansas, got its name when
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natural gas was discovered in the area in 1898, but they've also made sure to have a little fun
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with the appellation. The town's motto? Don't pass gas, stop and enjoy it. Cheeky. For gas of a
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different kind, let's move up north to Belchertown, Massachusetts, which, like gas, has a decidedly
2:55
less funny origin story than you might hope. It's named after Jonathan Belcher, who was the governor
3:00
of both Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire, as well as New Jersey during colonial times
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If we can keep the puerile theme going for another minute here, try these town names on for size
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It might barely qualify as a settlement, but officially, Dick Shooter, Idaho is classified
3:14
as a populated place, so we're using it. The best guess as to how this place got its moniker seems
3:19
to be that there was once a guy living in the area named Dick Shooter. Blue Ball, Pennsylvania
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a village in Lancaster County, was named for an inn that sat at the center of town that was sadly
3:28
torn down in 1997. If you want to take the most immature road trip of all time, grab some souvenirs
3:33
in Blue Ball, then hit the road and drive south, where you'll find Intercourse, Pennsylvania
3:37
less than 10 miles away. And while it may be more than 900 miles away from either of those
3:41
Pennsylvania towns, the most satisfying way to end that particular car ride might be in Climax
3:46
Georgia, which got its name from its location. It sits at the highest point on the railroad between
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Savannah and the Chattahoochee River. Virginia is for lovers, and bump-ass Virginia is for lovers
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of words that sound naughty. The town's residents seem to have tired of being the, um, butt of so
4:01
many jokes, though. They'd like you to know that the name is pronounced Bumpus. Thank you very much
4:06
Speaking of butts in 1981 this town in South Dakota made headlines when the sixth ever T dinosaur skeleton was discovered there It is of course pronounced Butte It was named for a nearby Butte which is an isolated hill with steep sides and a flat top
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But that doesn't stop the jokes from coming. Genuine buttheads can pay a visit to Butts, Missouri
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which is located within the Mark Twain National Forest and takes its name from a prominent local family named
4:32
yep, the Butts. In less juvenile names, if Arizona can have a Y, then North Carolina can have a why not
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It makes even more sense when you learn that the name was decided on when residents of the town
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which originally had no name, had to come up with one when the United States Post Office came to
4:48
town. Suggestions were thrown out and summarily rejected, at which point a resident apparently
4:53
rightly suggested, why not name the town why not and let's go home. Apparently, everyone agreed
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But they could have decided on No Name, which would have put them in contest with No Name
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Colorado. While there are all sorts of explanations for why the community went with No Name
5:08
the real answer is that it's probably near No Name Creek and No Name Canyon
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Though there are multiple versions of how Knock'em Stiff Ohio came to deserve that title
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its residents were said to have a pugnacious reputation in the town's earliest days
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the most popular story centers around a local woman who was in a fight with either her husband
5:25
or her adulterous husband's girlfriend, and commented that she was going to knock him stiff
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While it may sound like some higher plane of breakfast meat existence, Bacon Level, Alabama
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is a tiny town that's been around since the pioneer days. It reportedly got its name when
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a couple of travelers were robbed of their supplies, including their meaty provisions
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They were apparently told that a couple of local outlaws were known to be staying in an area where
5:47
the trail leveled out. They checked it out, and sure enough, there was their breakfast. Hence
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bacon level. Few things go better with bacon than eggs. But why not up the ante with Two Egg
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Florida, which supposedly got its name during the Great Depression when two enterprising
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youngsters in need of sugar traded with a shopkeeper for two eggs. The US is home to a
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few different places named Sandwich, including one in Massachusetts. But there's a connection
6:11
between Sandwich, New Hampshire and Sandwich, Illinois. In the 1760s, a town near New Hampshire's
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White Mountains was chartered and named after a prominent British politician, John Montague
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the fourth Earl of Sandwich, and the man who is credited with the invention of the sandwich
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Sandwich in Illinois, meanwhile, was originally founded as Allman, Illinois. It got a name change
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when a prominent politician worked to get a train stop in the area, and it got rechristened
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Sandwich, after the politician's New Hampshire hometown. Oh, and the guy who's responsible for
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Sandwich, New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth. Illinois, John Wentworth. Yay, nipotism! Oh, sorry, I meant prominent political families. Hot Coffee, Mississippi used to be a popular
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pit stop with horse and carriages traveling in the area. It was the perfect midpoint between
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Natchez, Mississippi and Mobile, Alabama. It's said an enterprising local decided to capitalize
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on all this foot traffic by building a store that claimed to serve the best hot coffee around
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Given that there was literally nothing else around, who are we to argue? Bug Tussle, Kentucky is a tiny village not far from the Tennessee border that apparently once
7:11
faced a pretty big doodlebug problem. The bugs could often be found in the piles of hay that
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local workers used for napping, and reportedly got so big that people would have to tussle
7:20
with them in order to nab the best napping spot. This sounds like my worst nightmare
7:25
Fairview, Maryland is a fine town name, but it wasn't good enough for the Postal Service
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When setting up a post office in the village in 1880, the town was informed that because
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there were so many Fairviews, they should change their name. So they decided to name
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it after their first postmaster, David J. Boring, and Boring, Maryland was born
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It's not just politicians and town founders who have places named after them. Rough and Ready California may have been named for a local mining company, but it also may have
7:50
been a self-fulfilling prophecy. The town's earliest residents were known to stand up for
7:54
their beliefs and, in 1850, seceded from the Union and became their own republic
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They were unhappy about taxation. Corner Catch, Delaware, an unincorporated community located just
8:05
about a mile from the Pennsylvania border, also reportedly got its name from a group of belligerent
8:09
folks who frequented a local bar. They were so belligerent that locals would reportedly warn
8:14
strangers off of going near the place as they'll catch ye at the corner. While Hazardville
8:19
Connecticut was well known as a production hotspot for gunpowder the name came about in a much less hazardous way It was named after Colonel Augustus George Hazard who purchased and expanded the company in 1837 Volcano Hawaii is a stone throw away from the famed volcanoes within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
8:36
It was named Volcano because, I mean, do I really need to keep going
8:40
Based on the name alone, you might think that Un-Alaska is located in any state but Alaska
8:45
But you would be wrong. In fact, it's the largest city in the Aleutian Islands. Its name just sort of morphed into that after being originally known as Ogunalaxh, then Unalashka
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and probably references that it's near Alaska rather than not Alaska. Smackover, Arkansas was originally settled by French trappers
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and it's believed that the town earned its semi-violent sounding name as a result of the French name of the local creek, Shemun-Cuvert
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But some pose other possibilities, like the name just sticking after someone marveled about how a settler had jumped smack over the local creek
9:16
If you've ever wondered where your childhood letters to Old Saint Nick ended up, the answer
9:21
might lie in Indiana. Santa Claus, Indiana is a very festive town in the Hoosier State
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It didn't always have that name, though. It was originally named Santa Fe, or maybe Santa Fee
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Indiana. But when they tried to open a post office, they were denied, as a different town
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in Indiana had grabbed the name first. So they chose Santa Claus. I see no problem with this
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Iowa may not be on everyone's road trip bucket list, but one small town might be a cheerful
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incentive. What Cheer, Iowa was founded over 150 years ago by a settler named Peter who
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narcissistically, named the town Petersburg. But someone else had the idea to change the name to
9:56
What Cheer, and the rest is history. While the town has less than 1,000 residents, they do have
10:00
a killer flea market and events at their opera house, making it a pretty cheerful place to visit
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if I do say so myself. Some town names have seemingly random or inscrutable origins
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Others are simple marketing ploys. Take Unitas, Louisiana. At first glance, this town name might not sound like much, until you separated a bit
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Unitas. You need us. Okay, maybe a bit self-aggrandizing, but why? Well, the town formed around the Lake Superior Piling Company, a lumber company which built
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model farms in the area. Their slogan? You need us. With a bit of nudging, they made the whole town's name essentially free advertising for themselves
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Brilliant or dastardly? I can't say. The next one is less of a formal residential town with a silly name and more of a group of islands off the coast of Maine that all have silly names
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The Porcupine Islands are near Bar Harbor, Maine. If you look at a photo of them and squint a little bit, you can sort of get why they got their moniker
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They're round and look spiky due to their clustered trees. Sure, why not
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There are five islands in total. Burnt Porcupine Island, Long Porcupine Island, Bald Porcupine Island, Sheep Porcupine Island, and Rum Key
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Yeah, that last one frustrates me too. Nimrod, Minnesota sort of speaks for itself
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Well, actually, maybe it doesn't. It's named after the mighty hunter from Genesis, the book, not the band, Nimrod
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So not as insulting as the name might first appear. Sometimes the simplest answer is the best answer
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When settler B.E. Smith was tasked with naming a new town in Nebraska, they had one goal
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Attract as many people to the town as possible. So naturally, he named the town Magnet
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No notes. Jiggs, Nevada is just plain fun to say. The town, which is on the opposite side of the state from any Nevada city you've heard of
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didn't have a proper name before 1918. A man named Albert Hankins was put in charge of giving it a title
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Why him? Well, he owned the town's hotel, general store, and dance hall
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so naturally he was the most important person for miles. His kids suggested the name Jiggs
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which was the name of a protagonist from a popular comic strip at the time. He gave it the stamp of approval, and Jiggs was born
12:04
They say New Jersey is for lovers. Which, okay, no one has ever said that
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But if you do go, you can visit Love Ladies, which is named after a local named Thomas Love Lady
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If you have a sweet tooth, you might be drawn to Candy Kitchen, New Mexico. As the story goes, during Prohibition, a local moonshine distillery needed a front
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No, no, no. We don't sell liquor. We sell candy. The name stuck, and the western New Mexico town has been Candy Kitchen ever since
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Fun fact, there's now a wolf sanctuary in Candy Kitchen. The town of Never Sink in New York sounds more like a boat than a town but I suppose having your town be unsinkable is just as important Unfortunately either out of some divine irony or just plain bad luck the town of Never Sink literally sunk in the 1950s It was one of multiple Catskills towns that were flooded in order to create
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reservoirs to provide water to New York City. It was, luckily, relocated, but the original
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Never Sink now sits about 175 feet below water. Cannonball, North Dakota is obviously named
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after some sort of battle that happened 200 years ago, right? Wrong. The town is named after a river
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which is named after very peculiar natural formations that can be found lying on the ground
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Sediment over the course of millions of years formed around plants and shells to create rocks
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that resemble unnaturally perfect spheres, kind of like cannonballs. Make sure to travel along
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the Cannonball River to see your fair share of these natural wonders. Gene Autry, if you're
13:26
unfamiliar, was known as the Singing Cowboy. He was an actor, musician, rodeo mogul, the whole nine
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yards. He moved to a small town named Berwyn, Oklahoma before World War II and opened up a ranch
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The town was so excited about having the famous Gene Autry in town that they did what any reasonable
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people would do, change the name of the town to Gene Autry, Oklahoma. Gene's rodeo ranch is gone
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now, but you can find a museum dedicated to the late actor. In the middle of Mount Hood National
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Forest, there lies an unincorporated area called Zigzag, Oregon. It's named after the Zigzag River
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which drains from the Zigzag Glacier. It's just a real zigzaggy place. Woonsocket, Rhode Island
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was once known as the most French city in the United States. So you might be thinking that
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Woonsocket might have some sort of French origin. Nope. It might be a corruption from a Native
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American language, but experts aren't sure. But I, on the other hand, am sure about one thing
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Woonsocket is a very silly word. Ketchup Town, South Carolina, sounds like it could be
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home to the Heinz headquarters. But surprisingly, the town isn't named after the condiment at all
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As the story goes, farmers would gather at the local country store every week to gossip and
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catch up. It became such an important tradition that the name stuck. If you're looking for an easy living, look no further than Difficult Tennessee
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This community in the volunteer state may not be very big, but its name definitely stands out
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There are a few competing stories, but one says that when the original name was submitted to the
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post office, they were informed that either the pronunciation or spelling of their proposed name
14:52
was too difficult. So they responded in perfectly spiteful form by submitting the name difficult
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If you're looking for some beautiful wordplay, boy have I got a town for you. The town of Ding
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Dong, Texas is amazing in its own right, but it's also part of a county named, wait for it
15:07
Belle. Hilariously, the two names aren't actually directly related. They're both named after a
15:12
person or family named Belle, but they're totally different bells. Sometimes things just work out
15:18
Mexican Hat, Utah is about as literal as it comes. Northeast of the town, there's a 60-foot-wide rock formation in the shape of a sombrero
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If you're wondering why they didn't just name the place Sombrero, Utah, I don't know either
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Who doesn't love an onomatopoeia? In Washington, there lies a small town that is potentially named after the sound of a wasp
15:36
Its origins are unclear. The town is Twisp, Washington. And if you're thinking to yourself, I would have gone for a bzzz-bzzz-Washington, I don't disagree
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But Twisp is undeniably whimsical. There are very few town names that are basically complete sentences
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But sometimes you get a gem like Lick Fork, West Virginia. While this might sound like a place dedicated to eating every crumb of delicious food from your plate
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it's most likely named after some local mineral licks. A girl can dream, can't she
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There's a story in Wisconsin about a man named William Henry Dosh. He was ill as a child and got used to the attention he received
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As an adult, this led to him being a very bossy man. He received the nickname Boss, and after he opened a store in town, the place adopted the name Boss Town
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Kind of seems like rewarding bad behavior, but hey, you ended up with a pretty cool town name
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It must be lonely being all alone at the end of the alphabetical list of states
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At least one part of Wyoming is apparently embracing this. Recluse Wyoming is located in the northeast corner of the state
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If you can believe it, it's a pretty isolated little community. Judging by their name, I think they prefer it that way
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Thank you for joining us on this silly journey across the U.S. Which names stood out the most to you
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I, personally, can't stop thinking about Bacon Level Alabama. I wish to one day ascend to that magical level
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Don't forget to subscribe, stay up to date with all things mental floss, and I'll see you next time
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