Build a Massachusetts town name

By adamg on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 10:31am

Rejected Massachusetts Town Names is a site that lets you generate Massachusetts places names just by clicking a button. Who's up for a trip to North Fitchbridge?

Also see: The classic list.

Via Drew.

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Comments

Eastborough and Wessex County come to mind

By necturus on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 10:38am.

Massashusetts is so gender-queer that it even has a Middlesex County.

More seriously, the two names that amuse me most are Southborough and Sudbury. They both come from Old English words that mean "southern fort (burg)", but "Sudbury" is the old dative case form, while "Southborough" is nominative.

I was always amused that

By Scratchie on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 9:24am.

I was always amused that Massachusetts had a Middleton, a Centerville and a Middleborough, and they're nowhere near each other (and the last of the three is nowhere near Southborough, Northborough, et al.).

Blame the British.

By JonT on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 12:16pm.

Southborough and Sudbury are both place names in England, so it's their fault.

Seinfeld

By anon on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 10:56am.

Don't forget "Latham, MA", from the Seinfeld finale.

The Joe Kennedy for Senate campaign

By jmeltzer on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 11:06am.

could have used this.

And then there's Stoneham

By Percy L on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 11:13am.

Stoneham is the only eastern Massachusetts municipality that I am aware of having two longstanding accepted pronunciations: While STONE-(h)em seems more common nowadays, at least a generation ago STONE-HAM (equal emphasis, H pronounced) was very common among longtime townies and is still heard today.

Norfolk would like to have a word

By adamg on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 12:02pm.

It seems to have at least three acceptable pronunciations:

Norf-fk
Norfork
Nor-folk

Norfork

By Ben_Quahog on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 7:48pm.

I've only heard Nebraskans say Norfork

Not to mention..

By Neal on Thu, 10/05/2023 - 12:27am.

Billerica:

Bill-rica
Bul'rica
Bill-a-rica
Bill-erica (I think I've only heard that one said in jest)

Huh?

By perruptor on Thu, 10/05/2023 - 2:21am.

I may not have the best ear for such things, but when I hear locals say it, I don't hear any 'L' at all, like Birricah.

Here you go

By Hunter on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 11:22am.

Belchingham

Bridgebridge

New Glouceborough (pronounced New Gloss-a-bro)

Needhead

Rockonkportport by the Sea

You mean there's a new

By C. Montgomery Burns on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 11:43am.

You mean there's a New Braintree?

There is

By perruptor on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 6:37pm.

Here

Does that mean...

By Scratchie on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 9:25am.

Does that mean we can get rid of the old one?

Be careful

By perruptor on Fri, 10/06/2023 - 2:28pm.

There's also a New Boston. In New Hamster.

You Know The Middle of Nowhere?

By John Costello on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 6:45pm.

New Braintree is next to it.

A guy who I went to HS and college with was a Statie. I asked him what's it like getting to New Braintree from the Pike for training? He rolled his eyes because its about 20 miles of back roads with everyone going the under the speed limit in front of you afraid that the Staties would pull them over.

New Braintree had a private school which shut down in the mid-80's. The state wanted to make the school a prison and all the locals got all peasants with pitchforks about it. The prison scheme died and then MCI-Shirtucky was built. The school became a State Police training facility.

The move to build the prison was a major sticking point in trying to derail Mike Dukakis.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-07-10-mn-9209-story.html

When the original Braintree voted for Scott Brown...

By necturus on Thu, 10/05/2023 - 5:25pm.

...we learned that brains do not, in fact, grow on trees.

East Burndoverham

By SwirlyGrrl on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 11:59am.

I liked that one.

Scroughton is still a fave.

UPDATE: okay, gotta give some props to the retro-futuristic "Arlington by the Sea".

Scroughton?

By perruptor on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 6:43pm.

I believe you're thinking of Scroughtham.

McSweeny's list from 2012

By DerekLessing on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 12:45pm.

Here.

My favorite is Unstable (/unst’-a-bull/)

One of the all-time great McSweeny articles

By monkeynaut on Wed, 10/04/2023 - 1:47pm.

I drive through Dunstable with some regularity and always smile when my brain automatically reverts to calling it Unstable because of that article.

My favorite of the list is Hamham. I hope someone can incorporate a new town with that name.

Their high schools are in the same football league. I can only imagine how fragrant the fans are.

If you click long enough,

By Dave on Thu, 10/05/2023 - 9:52am.

If you click long enough, does it come up with Woodwood?