FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

I live in a townhouse community with only 2 streets: Penny Lane and Lois Lane. One part of Lois Lane was once called Abbey Road.

I have started to take pics of humorous street signs.... one of my faves is "Moonya Avenue" in Victor Harbor, South Australia!

My aunt lives on Roller Coaster Highway

When I lived in the Bay Area of California, there was an area in the city of Santa Clara where the streets were all named after species of birds. The names included Meadowlark Lane, Nightingale Ave., Nuthatch Lane, Oriole Ave., Parrot Ave., Partridge Court, Peacock Ave., Quail Ave., etc. The street map calls the area "Birdland Neighbors". However, when people from that area were asked where they lived, they would say, "Oh, I live over in the Bird Cage!"

Here in Key West we have a Catholic Lane and a Passover Lane along with Donkey Milk Alley and Calabash Alley.

From Tom Robbins novel "Jitterbug Perfume" my all time favourite, rue quelle blague.

Tell me, are the streets of Séguret still deserted?

In Southport, NC, there are streets named for early settlers: Lord, Howe, and Dry. The town named an alleyway I Am

My college roommate lived on Easy Street. Hey, it was the 70s...just saying... My niece now lives on Imaginary Place (the surrounding streets are all "I" words).

Carefree, Arizona actually does have an Easy Street.

How about Skunk Misery Road, in Higganum, CT?

aaahhhh .... "Ragged Ass Road" on Latham Island, next to Yellowknif, NWT, Canada.
A place where the float planes still land, carrying provisions,miners, and explorers. It is beautiful, rugged, sad and charming all at the same time. Home to "The Wildcat Cafe" where Bumbleberry Pie is served up each spring, and diners and strangers share rough wooden benches at plank tables, and coffee is served in Mason jars.

The street name is of course interesting. But mostly, I am made jealous by the lovely photo's of such a beautiful part of the world. A strawberry, olive and wine vendor? Near the source I presume. Enough said.

In the tiniest incorporated town in California, population around 150, there is a street called Pig Turd Alley. True story. The town is Amador City, in Amador County, gold country. I suppose the old miners had something to do with that name!

Wacky Nut Way on Bainbridge Island WA always amused me. I wanted to meet the people who came up with that one.

The man who does my yard lives on No Name Road. I guess they just ran out of ideas by the time it was named.

In France we live on a cul de sac which is named "Impasse des Celibataires" or Deadend of the single people. When I'm asked for our address the answer is usually met with a laugh and we've had the street sign stolen more than once. Around 50 years ago the village of Castelreng allowed the inhabitants of each street to name their street. There are only two houses on the impasse and they were both occupied by single men...thus their inspiration for the name!

Kristin,
I adore everything you !write! and French-Word-A-Day is always read to the end...

Comment to WilliamBeard post: Oh my gosh...we lived on Crooked Cartway Road in West Barnstable (Cape Cod) when I was growing up! Small world.

When we lived on Brae Burn Drive in Eugene, Oregon, we would sometimes receive mail with a mangled street name; the most interesting was "Bra Burn Drive".

Ah, two mentions of Easy Street reminded me of my friend Gail. She was looking at houses to buy and called to tell me she'd found one on Easy Street but didn't think they'd buy it. She'd be too embarrassed to tell people that she lived on Easy St., she said. Thanks for the memory.

My favorite - the infamous rue du chat-qui-pêche in Paris. This street (or alley really) was opened in 1540!

I have a few favourites here in Bermuda-Hesitation Lane, and breezy Corner are two of them!

My all-time favorite funny street names are both in rural Georgia:
Shake Rag Road and Bug Scuffle Road!

Here in Kerrville TX we have Easy Street. That appears to be not uncommon. We also have Short Street. It is one block long (or short):).

When I lived in Ohio, the main road to my neighborhood was Polecat Road. I should look at my local map now.

One day, strolling in London, I came upon a tiny lane called "Harriet Walk." That was my mother's maiden name!

Bonjour,

How very colorful, but are you folks making these things up?. Thought sure my aunt Sherry's off-and-on address of "Lick-Skillet Road" in rural Ohio would be the most embarrassing if not the funniest street name. But it's nowhere near Ragged Ass Road or Wacky Nut Way, to say nothing of Skunk Misery Road! Can't you just imagine placing mail orders by telephone, and dreading to say the mailing address out loud. Time to move, or get a post office box!

Bonne chance with the writing project!
Linda Frederick, Columbus Ohio

Years ago we nearly bought a house on Tater Peeler Road. I liked the house but I loved the street name, and was kind of disappointed when we decided to buy a different house on a road with a boring name.

Judy, Tennessee

In Galveston, Texas: Avenue P-1/2!

Here in Bloomington, Indiana, USA, we have a nearby road called That Road. Over in Brown County is one called Scarce of Fat Road. It's pretty rural over there...

I am new to your site, but enjoy it a lot. I would llike to email you but only get Google where I don't want an account. I'd like to know exactly where you are in France in case I get near there, information about your wines and how to find them in the USA. This seems to be the only way to contact you. SVP, responder.
For street names, in Chicago there is a Hooker Street and Couch Court.

My favorite street in Paris is "Rue du chat-qui-pèche" Street of the cat who fishes. It's really just a narrow alley, but it has a great mural painted on the wall of...a cat fishing! (And a man holding an umbrella over the cat).

In 2010 I lived in Paris for the summer. Right around the corner from my apartment in the Latin Quarter was the street described two posts up - Rue du chat qui peche. I thought it was cute!

In 2003, we once lunched in a bar-café- tabac named Le Pourquoi Pas in Andouillé-Neuville between Rennes and Mont St. Michel. I am sure business improved as folks came to hear what M. le propriataire had to say about les americains! One of his buddies (he and they were senior citizens) mumbled something of which I could only catch "Président Bush." Remember this is 2003, and he was NOT popular in Europe. So I said, "Et vous les françaises, vous êtes toujours en accord avec votre président, n'est-ce pas?" And they all laughed! One of the times I was SO GLAD I could speak French!

Dick's Dam Road in PA makes us laugh and my friends Uncle Dick had a good chuckle over it too!

In an update, a few years ago I was in Paris and went to find my favorite street and mural. Morbleu! There was some renovation of the building and the mural is gone!! Glad I immortalized it in a photo.