I'm American. Ask me anything.

[Andy_R]

What sort of self indulgent wankery leads to a child being called X Æ A-12?? WTAF???

 

[figbat]

What sort of self indulgent wankery leads to a child being called X Æ A-12?? WTAF???

He’s South African, not American.

 

[FrankCrank]

Could you explain the pronunciation of Kansas vs Arkansas ?

 

[Edwardoka]

Could you explain the pronunciation of Kansas vs Arkansas ?

English vs French pronunciation. See also Noo Awlins vs Old Oh-hu-lee-on(ɑ̃)

 

[anothersam]

I believe there was a change in US broadcasting laws (overseen by the FCC I think) that abolished the previous need to attempt to meet some sort of impartiality/giving different parties on an issue an opportunity to have their say.

Yes, thanks for bringing that up. You're referring to the Fairness Doctrine.

This required “licensed radio and television broadcasters to present fair and balanced coverage of cotroversial issues of interest to their communities, including by devoting equal airtime to opposing points of view.” (That Fox News could for years claim itself “fair and balanced” was the darkest of dark humour, but that’s the First Amendment for you.) The Federal Communications Commission formally decommissioned it in 1987 and tossed it into the memory hole in 2011.

Here's an interesting backgrounder.

R.I.P., Fairness Doctrine (click through to the Johnny Smoke video)

Last year former presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard introduced a bill to restore it. She has yet to attract cosponsors.

 

[Shadow]

I'd guess it's either one of the early colonies and a twin town that was created or grew as a result of Transatlantic trade or the Spanish name of an American who was sainted

Sound reasoning.

Unhelpful clue - in Italy, from city in PA. Answer and another question tomorrow.

[I seem to recall it was because of a connection between Italian town and someone like George Washington but I'm bu**ered if I can find any evidence now].

 

[Edwardoka]

Sound reasoning.

Unhelpful clue - in Italy, from city in PA. Answer and another question tomorrow.

[I seem to recall it was because of a connection between Italian town and someone like George Washington but I'm bu**ered if I can find any evidence now].

There is a suburb of Milan called Washington (that contains a restaurant called "Denzel") but I'm guessing that's not what you're aiming for.

Cross-referencing the wikipedia article "List of cities in Pennsylvania" and the Brittanica article "list of cities and towns in Italy" returns no matches.
Cross-referencing the wikipedia article "List of towns and boroughs in Pennsylvania" with the Britannica article has returned Rome, Verona, Alba and Modena.

And I know it's none of those.

So.

I have pulled the full list of literally every single named feature in Italy into google sheets, whether it be town, village, county, region, undersea pipeline, abandoned church, railroad yard, casino or phosphate works.

This may take some time to filter.
(as an aside, did you know that "Israeli settlement" has its own unique tag in geonames.org? Rly makes u think)

 

[Edwardoka]

Sound reasoning.

Unhelpful clue - in Italy, from city in PA. Answer and another question tomorrow.

[I seem to recall it was because of a connection between Italian town and someone like George Washington but I'm bu**ered if I can find any evidence now].

My final list of towns in Pennsylvania that share a place name with a named populated place in Italy:
Alba
Arona
California
Canton
Emmaus
Marianna
Marietta
Modena
Monaca
Rome
Verona

It is entirely possible that the American version has a different spelling, or the Italian version is exonymic in which case any attempt at crossreferencing will fail.

None of these appear in the list of *cities* in PA, so I officially give up.

 

[Edwardoka]

If the answer to this is "Filadelfia, Calabria" built on the ruins of Castelmonardo we are going to have fisticuffs, just fyi

 

[Shadow]

I have pulled the full list of literally every single named feature in Italy into google sheets, whether it be town, village, county, region, undersea pipeline, abandoned church, railroad yard, casino or phosphate works.
This may take some time to filter.

I am seriously impressed by your dedication. Way, way above and beyond.

If the answer to this is "Filadelfia, Calabria" built on the ruins of Castelmonardo we are going to have fisticuffs, just fyi

This comes as a great shame, as we were getting along really well, I thought!!

 

[Shadow]

Today's is straightforward, especially if looked up. Have a guess first.

Which came first Las Vegas, NV or Las Vegas, NM?

 

[anothersam]

Why have Americans started to do that rising intonation thing at the end of sentences? Is it because you watch loads of Aussie soaps? Whatever, just stop it.

You're referring to the high rising terminal? Also known as "upspeak, uptalk, rising inflection, upward inflection, or high rising intonation”? This has been a thing, particularly on the west coast, for quite a while? Some blame Moon Unit Zappa,

View: https://youtu.be/z756L_CkakU

and the Australians certainly export it,

View: https://youtu.be/KpBYnL5fAXE

but it may have been around in Britain as early as World War II? ("I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat?") It’s fairly widespread now? To be fair, everybody would have to stop at the same time?

What sort of self indulgent wankery leads to a child being called X Æ A-12??

What's in a name.

View: https://youtu.be/7KtXNz9QVMk

There is a suburb of Milan called Washington (that contains a restaurant called "Denzel")

A small kosher restaurant specialising in gourmet burgers, I see. Apparently not a family name, in case anybody is wondering.

View: https://youtu.be/di8nTzl1WKo

Which came first Las Vegas, NV or Las Vegas, NM?

Whichever was first founded, I know which is The Real Las Vegas:

View: https://youtu.be/4G8q2dq4Kn8
spoiler at the end of the song

 

[Chris S]

Why do Americans call the toilet the bathroom? Do they pee in the bath?

 

[Darius_Jedburgh]

One of the Pilgrim Fathers was called Miles Standish.
Standish is a rural community between Wigan and Chorley, that's Lancashire, or LA as the yanks call it.
He died in Duxbury, Massachusetts. Duxbury is a rural community between Standish and Chorley LA. They pinched the name.
Chorley Parish Church has a Union Jack flag that he took with him on the Mayflower.

Just thought you'd be interested

 

[classic33]

Today's is straightforward, especially if looked up. Have a guess first.

Which came first Las Vegas, NV or Las Vegas, NM?

The city in New Mexico was established by a Mexican land grant in 1835. Predating Las Vegas, Nevada by 70 years.

The Nevada city was briefly called “Los Vegas” in an attempt to avoid confusion.