MailOnline (January 5, 2009)
"For some, the road signs mean one thing - home. For others they may simply raise a smile.
"But one council is failing to see the funny side of names such as Hoare Road and Cracknuts Lane.
"In a bid to avoid double entendres and unflattering place names, Lewes District Council, in East Sussex, has drawn up guidelines for new street names.
"The council's cabinet is expected to agree its first street naming and numbering policy on Tuesday which will ban potentially rude sounding names."
Maybe it's because it's barely 56 (Fahrenheit) here at my computer: but reading that article, the Lemming snapped.
A district council protecting the citizenry from naughty names on lanes?! I'm sorry to see PC nuttiness abroad, but it's sort of nice to know that America isn't the only place afflicted with this sort of silly prudery.
I'm with a former council member, quoted in MailOnline: "Rachel Powell, of Cockshut Road, said: 'I would hate for the name to change. It has some history. I can see with political correctness why the council would not want these sort of names but it is a pity.' "
My town, here in Minnesota, lost names like Thunderbird Land, Arrowhead Avenue, and Tomahawk to the sprachemeisters here in America. Like Rachel Powell, I understand why these terribly 'offensive' names had to be changed - but I don't have to like it.
On the positive side, the prissy politicos' spasm of propriety put places like Amber Valley on the map. And, Amber Valley ("The Heart of Derbyshire") looks like a very nice place to live: Cockshut Lane and all.
Lewes, East Sussex
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There's more:
"Verboten Numbers: The Lemming Snaps II"
(January 5, 2009)
ppht
ReplyDeleteIf they want to change names, they really should look at the name of the county. Sussex?