Rudery and prudery

 20. Strumpshaw, Tincleton and Giggleswick's Marvellous Map of Great British Place Names.

It was an item in the Eastern Daily Press that reminded me:

A post about tranquil Cockshoot Dyke was removed by Facebook because it goes against community standards and constitutes "hate speech".

Steve Burgess, a businessman and administrator on the Facebook page Love the Norfolk Broads said the issue arose when a member posted she had moored along the popular stretch, the old entrance to Cockshoot Broad.

Her reference combing the words cock, shoot, and dyke was promptly removed by automatic filters, a notification citing both violence and sexual content as the reason.

Most keyboard warriors have had similar experiences. Way back when PC (in every sense) machines were becoming available to teachers, I was edifying examination classes studying Romeo and Juliet. The institution had a super-Bowdler blocker. It meant a text-search of the the text of the play hit a block, and recorded an alarm to Higher Authority, were one to scroll to Mercutio's Queen Mab speech. Since that comes as early as Act I, scene iv, it really put the mockers on cut-and-paste text extracts.

Since my days in Norfolk, it has become generally accepted that the Broads are flooded mediæval peat excavations. There's a passing mention in Michael Pye's Antwerp that the Netherlanders borrowed the process.

Cockshoot Broad is off the River Bure, and near to ... ahem! ... Horning. It isn't just Facebook that has a down on Cockshoot Broad — as a place-name it gets omitted from many another map. Even on the Ordnance Survey, one has to come down to finer definitions:

Cockshoot Broad and Cockshoot Dyke seem to miss out on Marvellous Maps of Great Britain:

Some of those seem eccentric selections, anyway. What's funny or peculiar about Stiffkey (apart from one past rector)? Especially since, nearby is Muckledyke, Cockthorpe, Cocklestrand Drive and others? Why is Great Snoring (even with its Duckstown End) more amusing than Little Snoring? And Binham used to have Lousybush Lane.

The EDP conclude that story with even better snorklers:

A scan around the county reveals Facebook could have a field day if it were feeling particularly easily offended.

From Balls Lane in Fakenham to Booty Road in Norwich, Norfolk has its fair share of rude street names.

Notable mentions go to Three Holes, a hamlet on the Norfolk and Cambridgeshire border and Two Mile Bottom campsite near Thetford and Stiffkey.

But top honours have to go to Slutshole Lane, Besthorpe, Cock Street and Hooker Road in Norwich, Dick's Mount in Beccles, and Trumpery Lane in Norwich.

 

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