Fa – the Green Dragon

A Place for the Odd Musings of an Expat Bristolian

Category Archives: Life Events


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Unusual U.K. place names 22. – Cam

CAM, Gloucestershire

Is a large village

Bigger than neighbor Dursley

which has town status


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Obscure words explained 67. – Flâneur

FLÂNEUR

From the French, flaner

An idler or foppish, man.

Shows disdain for work


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Obscure words explained66. – Deipnosophist

DEIPNOSOPHIST

A good dinner guest

Great conversationalist

They don’t eat their words


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Unusual U.K. place names19. – Framilode

FRAMILODE, Gloucestershire

On the Severn’s Bank

The Tidesman* opens the lock

for the passing trows**

 

*Tidesman is a lock-keeper

**Trow is a flat-bottomed barge-like boat about 70Ft long for hauling cargo

The name Framilode means Frome crossing.


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Unusual U.K. Place names 21. – Happy Bottom

HAPPY BOTTOM, DORSET

No person gets here

by sitting around all day.

Start exploring.

Note: To explore these unusual place names, I urge readers to visit Google Earth to see where on earth they are situated and then to visit Wikipedia for expanded historical information. All of this is difficult to convey in just 17 syllables.


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Unusual U.K. place names 20. – Lychett Matravers

LYCHETT MATRAVERS

Lichett means grey Wood

Feudal Lord Hugh Maltravers

Name from Brittonic

Note: To explore these unusual place names, I urge readers to visit Google Earth to see where on earth they are situated and then to visit Wikipedia for expanded historical information. All of this is difficult to convey in just 17 syllables.


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Obscure words explained 65. – Esculent

ESCULENT

Suitable as food

that is, something good to eat.

Appetite for words.


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Unusual U.K. place names 18. – France Lynch

FRANCE LYNCH

Old stone cottages

near Severn and Thames canal

Folk from Chalford Vale


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Unusual U.K. place names17 – Ingst

INGST

Only five households

three of which are cattle farms

Near River Severn


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Unusual U.K. place names 16. -Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch

A town in North wales

On the Isle of Anglesey

quite near Beaumaris

For good measure: The Welsh name means,  and by the way happens to be the longest place name in Europe as well as the best value in platform tickets at any railway station*.

St Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool of Llandysilio of the red cave.

  • Best value, because they are about 4″ long.
  •  The name is usually shortened to Llanfair P.G.