Llanfair

I discovered while browsing my dictionary many years ago that the full name of the Welsh village of Llanfair—​Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, and yes, there are 4 ls in a row there—is 58 letters long and is reputed to be the longest place name in Great Britain. Googling past the domain squatters, I found an interesting article about the town, including a guide to Welsh pronunciation. If you want to hear it pronounced, an Australian group called Cotters Bequest uses it in the lyrics to an eponymous song, although I can’t follow it even with the pronunciation guide. And here’s a clip of the name as interpreted by the lovely Naomi Watts on Inside the Actors Studio.

Amazingly, this came up in random conversation with kc, my writer friend (who I’m hoping I’ll be able to link to in the near- to middle-future).

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Peter

7 thoughts on “Llanfair”

  1. I still say that town’s name is the result of a someone losing a bet in a moment of drunken wit down at the pub.

  2. Or clever manoeuvering by the sign painters union right after settling the contract that required they be paid by the letter on all jobs.

  3. “…my writer friend (who I’m hoping I’ll be able to link to in the near- to middle-future)”

    Nope. Not going there. Gonna just let that one go by and take the strike.

    Uh uh. Not going to comment. That just wouldn’t be jennelmenlee. Just going to tip my hat, smile and walk on.

    No sirree. Not a peep out of me!
    (This “Croptop’s Poetry Moment” brought to you by X10. X10. Because not *all* our ads are pop-unders).

    By the way. Do you like how I split up my comments so that at first glance it looks like you’ve got a lot more readers?

  4. A quick review of our dictionary shows that Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is Welsh for get off your ass and ask the “writer friend” out!!!

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