Street names
Jan. 12th, 2011 12:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofastolatLast night, we did the Sporcle quiz on the 50 most common street names in the UK. (It's here, should anyone want to do it now without reading half the answers below.)
I was not at all surprised that High Street was the most common, but was very surprised to see that Main Street was third. I think of Main Street as being an American name, and I don't think I've ever noticed a Main Street in Britain. Perhaps I've just assumed that High Streety roads are called High Street, and haven't noticed that many are actually Main Streets. However, I've suddenly got a sneaking feeling that Main Street might be a more common term in Scotland…
I was interested to see that North Street was 24th, West Street 26th, South Street 42nd and East Street not placed. I wonder why this is. Why is north that much more notable that east?
The quiz counted "Church Road" as different from "Church Lane," so you had to type in all possible combinations. What's the difference between a Street and a Road? A Lane sounds smaller and more rural, so I'm not surprised that Mill Lane appears, but Mill Street and Mill Road don't. Station Road is second on the list, but there is no Station Lane or Station Street. I think a road, to me, suggests something that takes you from A to B, so Station Road would take me to the station, in the same way that London Road would (eventually) take me to London. London Lane would just be silly. But Victoria Road wouldn't take me to see Victoria. I suppose names that commerate bigwigs, royals and battles are as likely to be on roads as on streets. Do new housing estates have streets, or are streets confined to established main roads and town centres?
Muse, muse…
I was not at all surprised that High Street was the most common, but was very surprised to see that Main Street was third. I think of Main Street as being an American name, and I don't think I've ever noticed a Main Street in Britain. Perhaps I've just assumed that High Streety roads are called High Street, and haven't noticed that many are actually Main Streets. However, I've suddenly got a sneaking feeling that Main Street might be a more common term in Scotland…
I was interested to see that North Street was 24th, West Street 26th, South Street 42nd and East Street not placed. I wonder why this is. Why is north that much more notable that east?
The quiz counted "Church Road" as different from "Church Lane," so you had to type in all possible combinations. What's the difference between a Street and a Road? A Lane sounds smaller and more rural, so I'm not surprised that Mill Lane appears, but Mill Street and Mill Road don't. Station Road is second on the list, but there is no Station Lane or Station Street. I think a road, to me, suggests something that takes you from A to B, so Station Road would take me to the station, in the same way that London Road would (eventually) take me to London. London Lane would just be silly. But Victoria Road wouldn't take me to see Victoria. I suppose names that commerate bigwigs, royals and battles are as likely to be on roads as on streets. Do new housing estates have streets, or are streets confined to established main roads and town centres?
Muse, muse…
