Intercourse, Pennsylvania welcome sign. On the amusing Wikipedia list of unusual names, it said of Intercourse, “Oh, those crazy Amish…”. Intercourse was founded in 1754 and the current population is about 1,558. Signs in this town are often targeted by thieves. Photo #1 by Derek Ramsey

Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, New Zealand. According to Wikipedia, “The name on the sign that marks the hill is Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­turi­pukakapiki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­kitanatahu’, which translates roughly as ‘The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one’. At 85 letters, it has been listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest place name in the entire world. Other forms of the name are longer still: ‘Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­ure­haea­turi­pukaka­piki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­ki­tana­tahu’ has 92 letters. An even longer version, Taumata-whakatangihanga-koauau-o-Tamatea-haumai-tawhiti-ure-haea-turi-pukaka-piki-maunga-horo-nuku-pokai-whenua-ki-tana-tahu, has 105 letters and means The hill of the flute playing by Tamatea — who was blown hither from afar, had a slit penis, grazed his knees climbing mountains, fell on the earth, and encircled the land — to his beloved.” Photo #2 by Gouldy99

Welcome to Bong County, Liberia, population of about 328,919. Photo #3 by ladybugblue

Mount Terror, 8151 feet, 2484 meters in Washington. The peak is in North Cascades National Park, about 15.7 miles (25.3 km) south of the Canadian border. There is another Mount Terror in Antarctica with the nearby places of Terror Point, Terror Saddle, and Terror Glacier. Either place would probably strike fear in the heart of a mother if her child said, “I’m climbing Mount Terror.” Photo #4 by J Brew

Uncertain, Texas, is close to Caddo Lake. Wikipedia said the population was 150 as of the 2000 census. The town “derives its name from surveyors who were attempting to delineate the border between Texas and Louisiana and discovered that they were ‘uncertain’ as to which side of the line they were on as they began surveying that particular part of Caddo Lake.” Now imagine a phone call where you are trying to get a product shipped and you said to send it to “Uncertain.” Photo #5 by © Gary (wilco1900)

Dull, Scotland and Boring, Oregon. Regarding Dull, a village located in the county of Perth & Kinross in Scotland, Wikipedia explained that it “consists of a single street of houses. In June 2012, the U.S. town of Boring, Oregon accepted the proposal of Dull to ‘pair’ their municipalities, in an effort to promote tourism in both places as a play on their names.” Boring has a population of 8,000. Wikipedia added, “The name ‘Boring’ is embraced by locals, however, and found in many local businesses, resulting in many road signs that seem humorous to outsiders. Boosters of the village designation use the slogan ‘The most exciting place to live’.” Photo #6 by Erik Fitzpatrick & #7 by Erin and Lance Willett

French Lick, Indiana population of about 4,767 in 2000 Census. Trivia: Larry Joe Bird is an American former NBA basketball player who “grew up in both West Baden and the adjacent town French Lick, which earned him the nickname ‘the Hick from French Lick’ in his professional basketball career.” Top: French Lick / West Baden Hotel Lobby. Lower right: This dime store is now closed after almost 50 years in business. French Lick now has casinos. Photo #8 by Paul (W9NED) & #9 by Aaron Spielman & #10 by Cindy Cornett Seigle

Dildo is a town on the island of Newfoundland, in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Wikipedia states, “The place name ‘Dildo’ is attested in this area since at least 1711, though how this came to be is unknown. The origin of the word ‘dildo’ itself is obscure. It was once used to reference a phallus-shaped pin stuck in the edging of a row boat to act as a pivot for the oar (also known as a ‘thole pin’ or ‘dole pin.’) It was used as early as the 16th century for a cylindrical object such as a dildo glass (test tube), for a phallus-shaped sex toy, as an insult for a ‘contemptuous or reviling’ male, and as a refrain in ballads. The name, then written as ‘Dildoe’, was first applied to Dildo Island, located offshore from the present-day town of Dildo. This use was recorded in 1711 and 1775, and the name was thereafter applied to the Dildo Arm of Trinity Bay and other local physical features. Social scientist William Baillie Hamilton notes that Captain James Cook and his assistant Michael Lane, who mapped Newfoundland in the 1760s, often displayed a sense of humor in the place names they chose, and were not above selecting names that might offend overly sensitive readers. Regardless of the origin, the name has brought the town of Dildo a measure of notoriety. In the 20th century there were several campaigns to change the name, though all failed.” Photo #11 by Douglas Sprott & #12 by Douglas Sprott & #13 by Douglas Sprott & #14 by Douglas Sprott

Condom, France. Inside a church that the photographer said was located at Condom, Gers, France. Wikipedia reported, “Given the more widespread social use, in the English language, of the word condom, it is interesting to note that the town is located on the river Baïse; baise, without the diaeresis, is a French vulgarism for a sexual act. In European French however, a condom is usually called préservatif rather than a condom. It is also home to a museum of famous population-control devices.” Population in 2009 was 7,099. “Condom is the site of two castles, the Château de Mothes and the Château de Pouypardin, both started in the 13th century. In total, 19 sites in Condom are listed as monuments historiques by the French Ministry of Culture, including the cathedral, churches and houses.” Photo #15 by thierry ben abed

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, formerly called Hot Springs, population 6,475 in 2010. Nearby points of interest include Elephant Butte Lake State Park and Elephant Butte Dam. From Wikipedia: “The city changed its name to Truth or Consequences, the title of a popular NBC radio program. In 1950, Ralph Edwards, the host of the radio quiz show Truth or Consequences, announced that he would air the program from the first town that renamed itself after the show. Hot Springs won the honor. Edwards visited the town during the first weekend of May for the next fifty years.” In 1950, regarding the name change from Hot Springs, one city official said, “It is the truth that we have the health-giving waters here. The consequences are that people get results.” Here’s an odd crime tidbit: “Serial killer David Parker Ray lived in Elephant Butte, which is 5 miles from Truth or Consequences. On September 20, 2001, he was sentenced to 224 years in prison for abduction, rape, torture and — in some cases — murder of at least 12 people, although the FBI estimates the total number of victims could be as high as 60.” Top right: Scanned mail postage. Lower left, flashback to 1990: “A U.S. Air Force Sikorsky CH-3E Jolly Green Giant helicopter from the 1550th Combat Crew Training Wing floats on the surface of Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico (USA), as members of a Navy sea-air-land (SEAL) team approach in an inflatable boat during the joint Air Force/Navy special operations exercise “Chili Flag ’90”. The 1550th CCTW was stationed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.” Lower right: Elephant Butte Lake State Park, New Mexico. Photo #16 by Michael R. Swigart & #17 by Coal town guy & #18 by SSgt. Mark Johnson, USAF & #20 by Birdie Jaworski

Dick’s Peak — Top: The panoramic view of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding alpine lakes from (near) the summit of Dick’s Peak, Desolation Wilderness. Lower left: northeast from Hidden Lake Peak, Backbone Ridge on left rises to the highpoint of Eldorado Peak. The photographer added, “In front of Eldorado, just to the right, is The Triad. According to Beckey, ‘The original climbing party…three of whom had identical first names, called the formation The Three Dicks, but in the interest of good taste the name was later officially changed’.” Lower right: Dick’s Lake and Dick’s Peak in the Desolation Wilderness. Photo #21 by Joe Parks & #22 by Richard Droker & #23 by Daniel Parks

Toad Suck got its name: long ago, when “steamboats traveled the Arkansas River when the water was at the right depth. When it wasn’t, the captains and their crew tied up to wait where the Toad Suck Lock and Dam now spans the river. While they waited, they refreshed themselves at the local tavern there, to the dismay of the folks living nearby, who said: ‘They suck on the bottle ’til they swell up like toads’. Hence, the name Toad Suck.” In 2012, Toad Suck was voted “America’s most ’embarrassing or unfortunate’ town name, in a global poll.” Photo #24 by thomas23

Due to its unusual name, the sign for Lost, Scotland, is regularly stolen. “Each street sign costs approximately £100 (US$200) to replace,” explained Wikipedia. “As a result, Aberdeenshire Council tried to change its name to Lost Farm; however, in the face of strong local opposition, the hamlet’s traditional name was soon reinstated.” The tiny town of Lost has a population of less than two dozen. The photographer of the bunny called it a “Lost Foundling. Strapped to a Passing Place post on the road to Fearns, rabbit ears forlornly flopping.” Photo #25 by Bex Ross & #26 by Aiteann & #27 by Bex Ross

Lake Disappointment in Western Australia. Landsat image screen capture from NASA’s World Wind program. Wikipedia said, “Lake Disappointment was named by the explorer Frank Hann in 1897. Hann was in the area exploring the east Pilbara, around Rudall River. He noticed creeks in the area flowed inland, and followed them expecting to find a large fresh water lake. To his disappointment the lake turned out to be salt, and subsequently it got its name of Lake Disappointment. The lake is home to many species of waterbirds.” Photo #28 by NASA

Emo — Left: “While on my roadtrip across Canada, this summer, I came to this small town in Ontario.” Population 1200 and a WHO designated ‘safe community’. This is not the only town named Emo, but Wikipedia said, “Emo was officially created on July 1, 1899, and celebrated its centennial in 1999. Emo’s first reeve was Alexander Luttrell, an Irishman who named the town after a namesake village in Ireland near where he was born.” Would folks feel Emo is less depressing to live in than Pity Me in England? #29 by JoshNV & Photo #30 by joel—

Nameless, Tennessee, has a population of about 250. No Name, Colorado, had a population of 123 as of the 2010 Census. “It is named for No Name Creek and No Name Canyon.” Conversely, in Tasmania, Australia, there is Nowhere Else. No Place is a small village near the town of Stanley in County Durham, England. Photo #31 by Brian Stansberry & #32 by Steve Robbins & #33 by Tasmania Forums & #34 by Terry Robinson

Useless Loop, Australia: Aerial view of the town’s site with salt crystallisation ponds. “Useless Loop is located in the Southern Region of Shark Bay, Western Australia. Shark Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first half of Useless Loop’s unusual name was bestowed upon it by French explorer,” Wikipedia explained, “because he believed the inviting harbor to be entirely blocked by a sandbar.” Photo #35 by SatuSuro

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, Wales. “Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and beyond,” the sign at the railway station includes a handy pronunciation guide. Wikipedia said, the village’s name “was artificially contrived in the 1860s to bestow upon the station the honor of having the longest name of any railway station in Britain; an early example of a publicity stunt.” Photo #36 by vermegrigio & #37 by Roy Tait & #38 by Mélanie Girouand

Smut Eye Alabama, was named such because the men would hang out at a blacksmith’s shop and drink moonshine around the fire. But their wives would know where they had been because everything but their eyes would turn black from smoke. Photo #39 by Rivers Langley

Sexbierum (Seisbierrum) is a village in the municipality of Franekeradeel, in the central north of the Netherlands. Wikipedia added, “In the Frisian language the village is called Seisbierrum. The village consists of approximately 600 houses and 1799 inhabitant. The village is famous for its contraction of the words ‘Sex’, ‘Bier’ (the Dutch word for beer) and ‘Rum’. Because of this, the traffic sign of the village is subject to street sign theft.” Of the top left photo, the photographer wrote, “Crossing over to Ameland, leaving the coast of North Friesland with its typical patchwork polder pattern. The village at the right should be Sexbierum.” Lower left is a town sign. The Sexbierum windmill on the right is Koorenaar corn mill. Photo #40 by albert kok & #41 by Michielverbeek & #42 by Ziko van Dijk

New Jersey: Left is the intersection of Shades of Death Rd and Hope Rd. Top right: Shades of Death Road sign. Lower right: Nearby Ghost Lake, which happens to have a small cave close to it that is called the Fairy Hole. Weird N.J. wrote, “According to one legend, murder is at the root of the Shades of Death name.” It may have gotten its name by “murderous bandits,” or because there was “an outbreak of malaria” in 1850. “Some people claim to see the dead walking along the road in the mist.” Ghost Lake, with its wraith-like vapor formations rising off the water on cool mornings, is also steeped in legends of ghosts, supernatural or other paranormal phenomena. Photo #43 by Heather-D & #44 by Daniel Case & #45 by Daniel Case

Oh those silly Germans. If you wonder where Ausfahrt Germany is, then Google Maps says if you start at Wankum, Germany, and then travel through Titz, you can reach Ausfahrtit. Wikipedia says Wankam is “infamous with British motorists who pass the sign to the Wankum exit shortly after entering Germany and view the name with amusement (sometimes photographing it) because of its first syllable.” An acclaimed German crime writer, Petra Hammesfahr, was born in Titz. The photographer of the leaving Titz sign said nobody stays in Titz. Photo #46 by Thaddäus Zoltkowski & #47 by About:Blank & #48 by ChristopherTitzer

Meanwhile in Switzerland: Bitsch, Les Arses and Wankdorf. Photo #49 & #50 by Newly Swissed & #51 by Victor Engmark

And if traveling in France, snap of picture of these town signs: Pussy that has a steadily declining population of 1,455 in 1561, 548 in 1776, and 276 in 1979. Corps-Nuds (which literally meanings’Naked Bodies’) and Anus, France. Photo #52 by will_cyclist & #53 by Ouest-France & #54 by Chevy111

Climax, Colorado, icy conditions may exist? Top: A heavenly shot of Chalk Mountain, taken from Fremont Pass, just across from the Climax Mine along Colorado State Highway 91. Lower Left, Climax Colorado, population 229. Lower right: The photographer said the sign was redundant. Photo #55 by David Herrera from Albuquerque, NM, Bernalillo & #56 by Joy Reactor & #57 by e_monk

Rude UK road trip: Butt’s Road in Great Longstone, Derbyshire. In January 2011, the Comic Relief fund-raising ‘Rude Road Trip’ covered the interesting sign of Butts Road. Right: Road sign to Twatt, Shetland, UK. And Sandy Balls is “120 acres (0.49 km2) of woods and parkland in the New Forest, between Godshill and Fordingbridge, in Hampshire, UK.” Photo #58 by David Squire & #59 by Storky & #60 by William

The small towns of Nasty, Happy Bottom in Dorset, Fingringhoe in Essex, England, and Titty Ho are all real places in the UK. Rude Britian featured Pratt’s Bottom, Ugley, Titty Ho, and Spital-in-the-Street. Photo #61 by richardsonpilot & #62 by Brett Jordan & #63 by medusaandthemirrors & #64 by funnyplacenames

Horni Police in the Czech Republic. Photo #65 by NGU & #66 by Zákupák

Fucking, Austria — Although the German pronunciation of this town in Austria rhymes with booking, “the village has become famous for its name in the English-speaking world. Its road signs are a popular visitor attraction, and were often stolen by souvenir-hunting tourists until 2005, when they were modified to be theft-resistant.” The population of this town is a whopping 104 with 32 houses. “It is believed that the settlement was founded in the 6th century by Focko, a Bavarian nobleman. The existence of the village was documented for the first time in 1070 and historical records show that some twenty years later the lord was Adalpertus de Fucingin. The spelling of the name has evolved over the years.” Wikipedia added, “The village is especially popular with British tourists; as a local tour guide explained: ‘The Germans all want to see Mozart’s house in Salzburg; the Americans want to see where The Sound of Music was filmed; the Japanese want Hitler’s birthplace in Braunau; but for the British, it’s all about Fucking.’ Augustina Lindlbauer, the manager of an area guesthouse, noted that the area had lakes, forests, and vistas worth visiting, but there was an ‘obsession with Fucking.’ Lindlbauer recalled how she had to explain to a British female tourist ‘that there were no Fucking postcards’. In April 2012 a satire story went popular claiming that the residents wanted to “change the name to Fugging, but it was discovered that a village with that name already existed.” When called and asked about it,”The irritated mayor of Fucking denied these false stories.” The photographer of the sign on top wrote, “This is a road sign we saw while driving in Austria. Fucking and Haid are two different towns.” Signs seen entering (bottom left) and leaving (bottom right) the village of Fucking, Austria.according to Wikipedia. Photo #67 by Scott & #68 by Rene Rivers & #69 by Rene Rivers