Pegman – What’s in a Name?
Here is my story for What Pegman Saw, which this week takes us to Littleton, West Virginia, in America.
I’ve gone crazy this week. My story is totally mad! Maybe it’s the long hours at work. I will read everyone else’s stories hopefully tomorrow 🙂

Copyright Google
“Wow, cool little town. What’s its name?”
“Littleton.”
“Ha!”
“What…?”
“Um, nothing. I’ll have a Bud Light.”
“You’re in luck. The lorry’s just delivered. All the way from Bigton.”
“Bigton? Seriously?”
“Yep. There used to be another town in between. It was quite big but not really all that big but bigger than small.”
“What was it called, dare I ask?”
“Quitebigbutnotreallyallthatbigbutbiggerthansmallton.”
“What happened?”
“Businesses all went under. No-one got any post. Address wouldn’t fit on the envelope.”
“This is pretty surreal. You people are very literal with your town names.”
“Yep, there’s Waterton, Farmton, Lorryton, the nearest city is Hugeton, then of course there’s the sewage works, that’s called…”
“This is mad! Let me guess, Shitton?”
“Excuse me? No, ‘Little Dearing’. What kind of name is ‘Shitton’? That’s rude. You better leave, boy.”
“Fine. You’re all insane with your crazy literal names. I’m going home.”
“Home is…?”
“Hometon.”
Ha! The map makers must’ve gone mad trying to fit Quitebigbutnotreallyallthatbigbutbiggerthansmallton in between the two. The either had to unincorporate it or increase the distance between Bigton and Littleton.
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The official word for the town’s demise was the collapse of business, but it has been rumoured that the postal service got together with the cartographers and engineered its demise… 🙂
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It sound like the valley,, except we are all names after whatever mill ran here. We go home to our industrial work places 😀 And we DO have Littleton and Middleton. No Hugeton, but there’s always Upton.
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Cool! It’s like I made up a real story about real places 🙂
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Oh, and Topsfield.
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🙂
To be fair a lot of our place names are geography-based like “Four Lanes”, “Five Lanes” and so on.
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Be thankful you don’t come from:
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu, New Zealand, or
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, in Wales!
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That would be pretty cool, though 🙂
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LOL excellent, Ali, excellent 😀
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I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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This story came straight out of Fuckedupton!
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Hey, how’d you find out where I live?
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You didn’t know I’m the mayor of Googleton? I know everything!
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You guys make me happy. 🙂
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🙂
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well i am very short on time as I head out the door, but super glad I was able to read your fiction piece this morning – laughing pretty goo d- hahh
nice humor
“Quitebigbutnotreallyallthatbigbutbiggerthansmallton.”
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Thanks, I’m glad you got a laugh on your way out 🙂
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🙂
it was another reminder of what flash fiction can bring to us
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🙂
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That was wild, Ali. I understand some little places in the western U.S. had odd names that were changed later. They might draw more tourists with the original names. I grew up in a tiny crossroads in Ohio named Comet because a comet had once come near and people thought it was the end of the world. Scared them half to death. 😀 — Suzanne
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I guess it’s better than calling it “Arrghalmostflamingdeathton” 🙂
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Dear Ali,
My head hurts after reading your story and the comments. As an American from the States I should point out that over here a Lorry is a Truck, therefore Lorryton wouldn’t make sense on this side of the pond. Ah slang and language. Love it. My job is done so I’ll pack my luggage into the boot of my car and hope that I don’t have a flat tyre. 😉 How am I doing? AtanyrateIalwaysenjoyyourmadcapcrackersstories.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
Oh no, a linguistic muck-up! I suppose “post” should have been “mail” too. I would hope that Americans would know what a “lorry” is much as I know what a “sidewalk” is, or does it not work like that? In any case, authenticity has been compromised! Must do better 😦
Your UK English is spot on, however. Top job!
I’m glad you liked it, anyway 🙂
Ali
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I live in Fallstown, right next to Asshatville. 🙂
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My neighbouring village is “Upper Douchecanoe”, I believe it’s twinned with Asshatville 🙂
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Bwahahahaha!!!! 😀
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🙂
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Hahahahaha! That is pretty close to true! LOL!
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Hee 🙂 A bet every country has towns with funny names!
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LOL! Yes!
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Hahaha! Most excellent!
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Thanks, I’m glad you liked it!
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This made me LOL! Hilarious! 😀 One of your best! Says the resident of Damnedannoyington.
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Damnedannoyington? Surely not 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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MOL…Binktonfromhometontooton 😀 Pawkisston 🙂 ❤
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Hee(ton) 🙂
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Too funny! I always smile at those unimaginative names like Littleton. We have a lot of Native American names out here like Stillaguamish, Puyallup, Tulalip and Steilacoom. Most of them are not pronounced exactly the way they are spelled. I’m sure all news people that come to our area wish for a Littleton! But perhaps not a Quitebigutnotreallyallthatbigbutbiggrtthansmallton. 😂
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Those are cool names for sure. I can imagine trying to get them right on the news can be a bit tricky, though 🙂
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Yup! Crazy! The address wouldn’t have fit anywhere for that place “Quitebigbutnotreallyallthatbigbutbiggerthansmallton”.
Reallyenjoyedit. 😀
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Hee, glad you liked it 🙂
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So imaginative and inventive and fun. I think they could have gone for Middlington between Bigton and Smallton. They don’t have much imagination!
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I like the sound of Middlington. I could live there 🙂
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This is really funny. I’m glad to have at least one story that isn’t depressing, scary, or depressing AND scary! Thanks for contributing.
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I’m glad you liked it! It was a pretty depressing-looking town (no offence to anyone living there).
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Brilliant 🙂 Love the Little Dearing 🙂
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I’m glad you liked it! Little Dearing sounds like a lovely place 🙂
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🙂
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