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#116338 11/21/03 12:35 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Wow--two long-time-absents, returning the same day (more or less)! Welcome back, rav; and, stales: [HUG].


#116339 11/22/03 07:37 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 81
J
journeyman
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journeyman
J
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 81
The German for bath or spa is Bad. I thought Baden must be the plural but that appears to be Bäder. So what's Baden? Bathing? Bathing-Bathing?

Ronnie Barker did a sketch in The Two Ronnies about people who had a speech impediment making them say things twice. Of course he has it too. In his appeal he says, "So instead of saying Baden-Baden-Baden-Baden, they say Baden-Baden-Baden-Baden-Baden-Baden-Baden-Baden." :-)

Just the other day I found a fascinating site on dynasties: http://www.hostkingdom.net/regindex.html. It says there the Margravate of Baden was divided in 1190 into Baden-Baden (the elder line) and Baden-Hachberg. It gets rather confusing around 1335, but I think Baden-Baden was partitioned into Baden-Pforzheim and Baden-Eberstein. And it all went downhill from there.

My guess is that Baden the town was the original capital of Baden the territory, and whenever it was divided it was called Baden-<capital>, so B-B was the one that kept B.


#116340 11/25/03 02:54 AM
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 866
"With the exception of Goonoo Goonoo (and others I suspect), it is quite acceptable to only use one word in conversation when referring to these places - eg Wagga, Burra etc

Just thought of another exception to the rule - the town of Woy Woy in New South Wales. Made famous by the fact that the Goon, Spike Milligan's, mum lived there. Spike was oft seen walking the streets therabouts - or on the train from Sydney. Mate of mine had a lengthy chat with him one day on the train (we were in out teens). Got off at our station saying over and over, "I've been talking to Spike Milligan, I've been talking to Spike Milligan".

Famous or not, the place is never known as 'Woy'.

stales


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