List of disparaging nicknames for settlements

This is a list of disparaging nicknames for settlements, like cities. These pejorative nicknames may be coined for a variety of reasons. Some may be a straightforward desire to slander or disparage the city, while others may be examples of self-deprecating humor. While residents of the cities may see such nicknames as offensive, they may also be reclaimed as positive, even affectionate terms. Still other nicknames may simultaneously serve to attack the city from the outside and as a point of pride for its residents, especially those criticizing local politics. ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

Etymology of these terms varies. Some are simple portmanteaus of the city name and profanity; others may reference a specific aspect of the city, such as an unfortunate incident in its past.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Canada

• British Columbia
  • Vancouver: Blandcouver, Hongcouver, No Fun City, Bamgoober
  • Nanaimo: Surrey on the Sea
  • Cumberland: Cumby, Cumbie
• Manitoba
  • Winnipeg: Winterpeg
    • Transcona: Trashcona
• Ontario
  • Toronto: Centre of the Universe, ^[1] Muddy York, ^{[lower-alpha 2] [2]} Frozen Swamp ^{[lower-alpha 3]}

Chile

• Calama: Jalama ^{[lower-alpha 4] [3]}
• Puerto Montt: Muerto Montt ^{[lower-alpha 5] [4]}
• Santiago: Santiasco ^{[lower-alpha 6] [5]}

United Kingdom

• Bradley Stoke: Sadly Broke ^[6]
• Brighton: Skid-Row-on-Sea ^[7]
• Bognor Regis: Boghdad^{[ citation needed ]}
• Edinburgh: Auld Reekie ^{[lower-alpha 7] [8]}
• Kingston upon Hull: Hull on Earth ^{[lower-alpha 8] [9]}
• Liverpool: Liverpuddle ^{[lower-alpha 9]}
• London: The Great Wen, The Smoke
• Manchester: Gunchester
  • Moss Side: Baby Beirut ^[10]
• Nottingham: Shottingham ^[11]
• Salford: Dirty Old Town
• Scunthorpe: Scumthorpe ^[12]
• Sheffield: People's Republic of South Yorkshire
• Stevenage New Town: Silkingrad

United States

Main article: List of disparaging nicknames for settlements in the United States

See also

• Big Smoke (disambiguation), a disparaging nickname for several cities
• Dysphemism
• Lists of nicknames
• Satiric misspelling

Notes

1. For example, a facetious People's Republic moniker
2. And variants, including Dirty Little York and Nasty Little York
3. Since 2016; see Drain the Swamp
4. From Calama and "jalar" (Spanish : snorting cocaine)
5. Mening "Dead Montt" in Spanish
6. From the words Santiago and "asco" (Spanish : disgust)
7. Scots for Old Smoky
8. A pun on the phrase "Hell on Earth"
9. From which Liverpudlian derives

References

1. "Let's All Hate Toronto". The Lens. CBC Newsworld . Retrieved 2010-04-07. Mister Toronto hurdles through the divide to discover more than he could imagine about the "Centre of the Universe" and the crazy country around it.
2. Gerard, Warren (2004). "Chronicling a City's Past". Imperial Oil Review. 88 (450). Imperial Oil Limited. Archived from the original on 2004-12-17. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
3. Jalama. Diccionario Chileno: El diccionario del pueblo. Retrieved: March 9, 2022.
4. Carolyn McCarthy, Kevin Raub, Regis St Louis, Cathy Brown, Mark Johanson Lonely Planet Chile & Easter Island. Chapter: Puerto Montt.
5. Santiasco. Diccionario Chileno: El diccionario del pueblo. Retrieved: March 9, 2022.
6. "'Sadly Broke' celebrates 20 years". BBC News . 3 January 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2015. A town once nick-named Sadly Broke, because of its reputation as a soulless housing estate with homes in negative equity, has reached its 20th birthday.
7. "Brighton's come a long way from Skid Row-on-Sea". The Argus.
8. Auld Reekie is the most miserable place to live in Britain, The Times, 27 August 2008 (subscription required)
9. Biggs, Alan (14 September 1999). "Hull on earth as Murphy mauls Tigers". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
10. Webb, Belinda (14 February 2011). "The big society will struggle in Moss Side". The Guardian . Retrieved 24 January 2015.
11. Macdonald, Laurie (27 November 2013). "Shottingham? I think Notts". Inside One Magazine. Milford Scott. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
12. Nicholson, Rebecca (2013-02-10). "Why Scunthorpe is not the least romantic place in Britain". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-08-02.