Jenny's Noodle

Photo credit: Wikipedia

There is a small English hamlet in the village of Bere Regis, Dorset, and the residents aren't happy. You see, the entry sign that welcomes visitors to the town keeps disappearing; at least it did until recently. Yes, the people of Shitterton have all chipped in and bought a more permanent placemarker, one which they hope will deter vandals. You read that correctly; there exists a place in England called Shitterton where a 3,000 pound stone now welcomes you.

According to one researcher, the name Shitterton was probably derived from a river called Shiter, or "a brook used as a privy (outhouse)." Another source traces the name back at least 924 years to the Doomesday Book:

"Then, the settlement was recorded in Norman French as Scatera or Scetra. That translates to 'a place on a sewer or midden.' The word is based on the Greek skor, or skatos, meaning dung, and as such shares the same root as the noun scatology, defined in the Oxford Compact English Dictionary as 'a morbid interest in excrement.' The Old English scite–again meaning dung–was transformed into the Middle English schītte, and hence to its modern form."

Disappearing signs aside, imagine living in Shitterton and having to call for a pizza delivery or fill out a job application—you'd be the butt of countless jokes. That would really stink.

[via Telegraph]