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Happy29
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PARIS (Reuters) - Tired of being sniggered at, people from French villages whose names sound like "Filthy Swine" and "My Arse" plan a weekend get-together in a tiny hamlet whose name means "Eat Onions" in old French.
The idea, local newspapers say, is for the villagers to form a united front against constant teasing and forge a new pride in their colorful toponyms.
Only villages "with suggestive names that evoke a smile, a laugh, or have a singsong folkloric name" can take part, say organizers, who plan a gourmet market to show off local fare and say they do not want the event spoiled by vulgarity.
Among the 15 or so villages joining the event in the southwestern village of Mengesebes (Eat Onions in Occitan, an old language from the south of France) are: Saligos (which sounds like Filthy Swine), Montcuq (sounds like My Arse) and Trecon (Very Stupid).
Quirky French place names are nothing new to some English-speaking tourists who several times a year make off with signposts from the southwestern town of Condom.
The idea, local newspapers say, is for the villagers to form a united front against constant teasing and forge a new pride in their colorful toponyms.
Only villages "with suggestive names that evoke a smile, a laugh, or have a singsong folkloric name" can take part, say organizers, who plan a gourmet market to show off local fare and say they do not want the event spoiled by vulgarity.
Among the 15 or so villages joining the event in the southwestern village of Mengesebes (Eat Onions in Occitan, an old language from the south of France) are: Saligos (which sounds like Filthy Swine), Montcuq (sounds like My Arse) and Trecon (Very Stupid).
Quirky French place names are nothing new to some English-speaking tourists who several times a year make off with signposts from the southwestern town of Condom.