Spoken place names

[Kharn]

If I were to be speaking to someone, and they asked where I was, would it look like this:

"I'm in Sacramento California."

Or this:

"I'm in Sacramento, California."

I think it's the second, just seeking confirmation. Thanks for the help.

 

[Danny McG]

I think that's an American thing isn't it?
A Brit would never say, for instance "I'm in Leeds,Yorkshire"
They'd just say "I'm in Leeds"

 

[-K2-]

Yeah well...

Then there is the rest of the U.S. to consider...

That said, yes, if you're also stating the state (I assume over the phone or online), then you'd use the comma.

In @dannymcg 's analogy, you'd just shout, "Oi! I'm ova' 'ere ya git!"

K2

 

[Kharn]

Thanks guys. Yes, in this particular case, it was over the phone. I'll post the short story (under 5000 words hopefully) in the critique section when I've hit my 30 post requirement, if anyone's interested.

 

[-K2-]

Thanks guys. Yes, in this particular case, it was over the phone. I'll post the short story (under 5000 words hopefully) in the critique section when I've hit my 30 post requirement, if anyone's interested.

I believe (though suggest you check critique rules), 1,500 words is the critique maximum. That rule is there to help you get it read. Anything longer, would be too time consuming for most to give it a serious in-depth look. Check the rules for accuracy of that statement.

K2

 

[Kharn]

I believe (though suggest you check critique rules), 1,500 words is the critique maximum. That rule is there to help you get it read. Anything longer, would be too time consuming for most to give it a serious in-depth look. Check the rules for accuracy of that statement.

K2

Will do. It may have to appear in a
Parts then.

 

[The Judge]

Just to confirm, 1500 words is indeed the limit in Critiques, and 800-1000 words is usually all that is needed to give initial feedback on someone's writing -- and Critiques is, of course, there to help members with feedback, since we don't have a outlet for anyone to post pieces simply for others' enjoyment.

If someone wants help with a longer piece, then we're happy to see another thread posted with a second instalment after 3 or 4 days, provided that it's clear the critiquee has taken on board any comments arising from the first part and has made any necessary revisions. (It's depressing, to say the least, when one spends a considerable time critiquing something only for the very same obvious errors to appear in a second piece.) If help is still needed then I'd advise waiting another week or so -- again digesting comments and making revisions -- before posting a third and final piece, again in a separate thread.

Alternatively, wait until you've got 100 counted posts and there's the Writing Group which isn't limited in word count, though strictly that should only be used for very polished pieces, some part of which has already appeared in Critiques.

 

[chrispenycate]

Yes, the name of a city followed by a precision on its location - if, for example, I said 'Portland', it would require a comma before the localisation in Oregon, Maine or Dorset (or British Columbia or Victoria…) would take a comma, but if you call for 'Santiago' and you specify 'de Compostella' it'd require no special punctuation. like 'Newcastle' (a very widely used description) when it gets its river as a specification.

'Course, Paris would be assumed to be in France, rather than Texas or New York, But Memphis?

 

[Danny McG]

But Memphis?

Memphis! The name's Memphis ... but there are 11 of them

historic-memphis.com

 

[Alex The G and T]

Samoa, California
Manila, California
Trinidad, California

All on the bleak, wind swept, fogbound North Coast.

Wishful thinking, I guess.

 

[CupofJoe]

I think that's an American thing isn't it?
A Brit would never say, for instance "I'm in Leeds,Yorkshire"
They'd just say "I'm in Leeds"

The only time they might add a county or area would be if it wasn't the obvious choice.
As an example, there is a Leeds in Kent [and is most famous for its castle], so someone from there would probably say "I'm from Leeds, the one in Kent. Yes where the castle is"
But I guess that is true of most less famous places...

 

[Stephen Palmer]

A cunning author can make use of such accidents.
In Beautiful Intelligence I used the fact that there's a Birmingham in America and Britain.
There's even a Shrewsbury in America! - in Massachusetts. With ultimate irony, it's in Worcester County...

 

[-K2-]

A cunning author can make use of such accidents.
In Beautiful Intelligence I used the fact that there's a Birmingham in America and Britain.
There's even a Shrewsbury in America! - in Massachusetts. With ultimate irony, it's in Worcester County...

Actually...
Canada
Birmingham, Saskatchewan

United States
Birmingham, Alabama, the largest city in Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama (Amtrak station), known as Birmingham station
Birmingham-Hoover-Cullman Combined Statistical Area
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
Birmingham, Connecticut
Birmingham, Kentucky, a sunken town
Birmingham, Indiana
Birmingham, Tippecanoe County, Indiana
Birmingham, Iowa
Birmingham, Kansas
Birmingham, Michigan
Birmingham, Michigan (Amtrak station), former station known as Birmingham station
Birmingham, Missouri
Birmingham, New Jersey
Birmingham, Coshocton County, Ohio
Birmingham, Erie County, Ohio
Birmingham, Guernsey County, Ohio
Birmingham, Chester County, Pennsylvania
Birmingham, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Birmingham Township, Schuyler County, Illinois
The former name of what is now known as the South Side neighborhood in Pittsburgh
Birmingham Township (disambiguation)

England
Birmingham (UK Parliament constituency), constituency 1832-85
Birmingham New Street railway station, the main railway station in Birmingham
Birmingham Airport, Birmingham

Other places
Birmingham (crater), a lunar crater
Birmingham, a star in the constellation Cygnus

Back to Leeds...

England
West Yorkshire
Leeds city centre, the core inner portion of the settlement
Leeds railway station, the central station in Leeds city centre
City of Leeds, local government district created 1974
Leeds City Region, the area whose economic development is supported by the Leeds City Region Partnership, a sub-regional economic development partnership

Historical entities
Leeds manorial borough (1207–1626), within Leeds manor, within Leeds parish
Leeds (incorporated borough) (1626–1836)
Leeds Municipal Borough (1836–1889)
County Borough of Leeds (1889–1974)
Leeds (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–1885)
Leeds (European Parliament constituency) (1979–1999)

Kent
Leeds, Kent, a village near Maidstone
Leeds Castle, a castle near Leeds, Kent
Leeds Priory, a priory near Leeds, Kent

United States
Leeds, Alabama, a city
Leeds, Maine, a town
Leeds, Massachusetts, a village within Northampton, Massachusetts
Leeds Township, Murray County, Minnesota, a township
Leeds, Kansas City, a neighborhood of Kansas City, Missouri
Leeds, New York, a hamlet
Leeds, North Dakota, a city
Leeds Township, Benson County, North Dakota
Leeds, Utah, a town
Leeds, Wisconsin, a town
Leeds (community), Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
Leeds Center, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
North Leeds, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community

Canada
United Counties of Leeds and Grenville
Leeds (electoral district), Ontario
Leeds County, Ontario, historic county
Leeds and the Thousand Islands, Ontario township


And just for fun, let's do one more of many

United Kingdom
Brighton, East Sussex, England
Brighton, Cornwall, England
Brightons, a village in Falkirk, Scotland

Australia
Brighton, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane
Brighton, South Australia, a coastal suburb of Adelaide
North Brighton, South Australia, adjacent suburb of Adelaide
South Brighton, South Australia, adjacent suburb of Adelaide
City of Brighton (South Australia), a former local government area
District Council of Brighton, a former local government area
Electoral district of Brighton (South Australia), a former electoral district in South Australia
Brighton, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart
Brighton Council, a local government area in Tasmania
Electoral district of Brighton (Tasmania), a former electoral district in Tasmania
Brighton, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
Brighton East, Victoria, adjacent suburb of Melbourne
City of Brighton, Victoria, a former local government area
Electoral district of Brighton, an electoral district in Victoria
Brighton-Le-Sands, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney

Canada
Brighton, Digby, Nova Scotia, a community in Digby County
Brighton, Newfoundland and Labrador, a town
Brighton, Ontario, a town
Brighton, Shelburne, Nova Scotia, a community in Shelburne County

New Zealand
Brighton, New Zealand, Otago region, a town

Trinidad and Tobago
Brighton, Trinidad and Tobago, a Locality near La Brea, Trinidad and Tobago

United States
(Alphabetical by state)
Brighton, Alabama, a city
Brighton, Colorado, a Home Rule Municipality
Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation, Florida
Brighton, Georgia, an unincorporated community
Brighton, Illinois, a village
Brighton, Indiana, an unincorporated community
Brighton, Iowa, a city
Brighton Plantation, Maine
Brighton, Boston, a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts
Brighton, Michigan, a suburb in metro Detroit
Brighton, Missouri, an unincorporated community
Brighton, Erie County, New York, an unincorporated area in the town of Tonawanda
Brighton, Franklin County, New York, a town
Brighton, Monroe County, New York, a town and census-designated place
Brighton, Syracuse, New York, an official neighborhood of Syracuse
Brighton Beach, New York, a neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, sometimes referred to merely as Brighton
Brighton, Clark County, Ohio, an unincorporated community
Brighton, Lorain County, Ohio, an unincorporated community
Brighton, Oregon, an unincorporated community
Brighton, Tennessee, a town
Brighton Ski Resort, Utah
Brighton, Utah, an unincorporated community
Brighton, Vermont, a town
Brighton, Seattle, Washington, a neighborhood
Brighton (community), Kenosha County, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community
Brighton, Kenosha County, Wisconsin, a town
Brighton, Marathon County, Wisconsin, a town
Brighton Township (disambiguation)


It looks to me like that 'Merican thang' should become a universal... thang

K2

 

[Stephen Palmer]

Wow, Birmingham is even a crater on the moon!

 

[KiraAnn]

There is also Trinidad, Colorado, north side of Raton pass on I-25. Formerly the sex change capital of the US.

 

[Danny McG]

There is also Trinidad, Colorado, north side of Raton pass on I-25. Formerly the sex change capital of the US.

I presume from your use of 'formerly' that some nefarious and underhanded villain of a place has usurped this title?
Foul play! Sez I, foul play indeed

 

[Jo Zebedee]

There is no other Carrickfergus than my town even with the fame of the song about it.

 

[CTRandall]

if you call for 'Santiago' and you specify 'de Compostella' it'd require no special punctuation. like 'Newcastle' (a very widely used description) when it gets its river as a specification.

I thought the usual way of adding river names in Englad was with hyphens, i.e. Newcastle-upon-Tyne or Newcastle-under-Lyme. That's how I've always written it. Or has the Queen stopped using hyphens in her old age?

 

[KiraAnn]

I like the dishes myself. There is a ghost town in south Texas named Washington-on-the-Brazos, the first capitol of the Republic of Texas. There is also a separate town, still populated, named Washington in Texas.

 

[KiraAnn]

I presume from your use of 'formerly' that some nefarious and underhanded villain of a place has usurped this title?
Foul play! Sez I, foul play indeed

Kind of. Dr Biber started performing surgeries in 1969 or 1970. One of his patients completed her medical schooling and internship then took over Biber’s Practice when he retired. She later had a tv show which the conservative city fathers did not care for. Dr Bowers then moved to LA.