fucking

June 16, 2004 9:47 AM

Have you heard of Fucking? In Austria? According to Wikipedia, Fucking's sign is "the most often stolen street sign in Austria". Despite the cost of constantly replacing the sign, however, residents of the small village thankfully refuse to change its name.
posted by reklaw (43 comments total)

Yeah, I've heard of it, and so has absolutely everybody else on Earth. This last news story was on Fark over a week ago, but the town name is very, very, very old.

Just sayin'.
posted by soyjoy at 9:59 AM on June 16, 2004

It vibrates?

It's worth noting that snopes has the world's greatest picture of the Fucking sign.
posted by infidelpants at 10:01 AM on June 16, 2004

Do you suppose their "sister city" is Intercourse, PA?
posted by briank at 10:02 AM on June 16, 2004

"As a result of increasing attention from the media, Fucking has become more and more well-known throughout the world."

Priceless. Also, WHY ALWAYS BLAME THE MEDIA
posted by Peter H at 10:15 AM on June 16, 2004

Did you know that in Mexico, there's actually a city called "MEXICO CITY?" Isn't that AMAZING? WOW!
posted by NedKoppel at 10:16 AM on June 16, 2004

Yeah good point NedK ... I just want to Mexico City all night long. Mexico City long and hard.
posted by Peter H at 10:19 AM on June 16, 2004

I used to live in a village in Austria called Großklein, which is German for 'big little' or 'large small'. It's next to Kleinklein, of course.
posted by tippiedog at 10:35 AM on June 16, 2004

I find it interesting that the third link insists that the name is "F*cking". Come on, it's a news story, the name is "Fucking".

Bunch of fucking Pussies.
posted by DBAPaul at 10:35 AM on June 16, 2004

Mexico City you long time, soldier boy! Mexi, mexi! Five dollah!

Yeah, Fucking is very well known, I'm about the last to come across this stuff and I knew about this well over a year ago.

And infidelpants? Snopes no likee the direct linkee to their pics. I got the yuckface.
posted by fenriq at 10:37 AM on June 16, 2004

oops. My apologies to the fine people at snopes, whom I love semi-carnally.
posted by infidelpants at 10:41 AM on June 16, 2004

I can't help but think that a simpler solution, instead of changing the name of the town, would be to make the sign less steal-able. For example, make an engraved granite marker, or encase the metal one in a big concrete pillar.

The fact that they don't take such an obvious approach indicates that they're getting something out of the stealing.
posted by yesster at 10:41 AM on June 16, 2004

Alright, I'll say it:

I've never heard of Fucking in Austria, but Austrians keep being born, so apparently someone has.


infidelpants: Cyril Connolly?
posted by chicobangs at 10:42 AM on June 16, 2004

Of course they're not going to change the town name. Geez for every sign that gets stolen the merchants of the town probably sell 100 latte's, 150 sandwiches, 50 hotel rooms, and 200 tacky sovieners. The name is like a licence to print money.
posted by Mitheral at 10:51 AM on June 16, 2004

i friend of mine claims to have met the fucking priest
posted by quarsan at 11:00 AM on June 16, 2004

I love that right under the town's sign is a sign that reads "Please, Not So Fast! (Drive Slowly)".
posted by Down10 at 11:03 AM on June 16, 2004

What, no love for Dildo or Come by Chance, Newfoundland?
posted by GhostintheMachine at 11:05 AM on June 16, 2004

"My friend went to Austria and all he bought me was this Fucking T-shirt."
posted by jozxyqk at 11:05 AM on June 16, 2004

So...Can the FCC really rule that Fucking is a bad word if you can claim that you simply referencing a town in Austria?

i.e.
Stern/Letterman/Leno:
"Have you heard of Fucking? It's this lovely little town in Austria"
posted by aaronscool at 11:10 AM on June 16, 2004

I wish you'd done a search for this before posting.
posted by Peter H at 11:20 AM on June 16, 2004

Butts Close City Park, England, Hitchin
Gay, Russia (4 different villages, same name)
Hag, Germany, Baden-Wurttemberg
Jerka, Poland, Wielkopolskie
Lame, Nigeria
Moron, village(s) in Cuba,Venezuela,Mexico,Mongolia,Sweden ; Moron Peak in Switzerland
Poo, Spain, Asturias
Pussy, France , Savoie
Sissy, France, Picardy
Slut, Sweden, Vasterbotten
Tart, China, Qinghai
posted by elpapacito at 11:24 AM on June 16, 2004

Well, I for one welcome our... no wait. I for one had never heard of this quaint little town.

Until now. So, that's it. This is no longer news.
posted by codger at 11:30 AM on June 16, 2004

Don't forget Toad Suck, Arkansas
posted by Tenuki at 11:47 AM on June 16, 2004

Is Austria close to Australia? A friend of mine has been telling me about how great fucking in Australia is.
posted by blindcarboncopy at 11:47 AM on June 16, 2004

A couple of friends and I made a poster with 101 drug references across the U.S. Check it out if you're bored.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:01 PM on June 16, 2004

Specially for UK MeFites : Amusing places close to you. I'm 18 miles from Sandy Balls, which sounds far enough.
posted by punilux at 12:02 PM on June 16, 2004

Tenuki: and Knob Lick, in both MO and KY.
posted by infidelpants at 12:12 PM on June 16, 2004

i.e.
Stern/Letterman/Leno:
"Have you heard of Fucking? It's this lovely little town in Austria"

well, it's supposedly pronounced "fooking", so I imagine that wouldn't be bleeped. Of course, if we were attentive to the way other people pronounce the names of their towns, we'd say Pahree, not Paris, so I guess it'd be legit to talk about this town using a normally bleeped word. (can you spell obscene words on air? if you pronounced it as austrians do, but then spelled it...eh, prob not)

But I'd bet the fcc would call whoever tried on some kind of intentionality charges; ie, the only reason the town is in the news is because in english its name is lewd. It's not like (whoever) would have a valid reason to say the name - the whole reason would be the humor/danger of saying "fucking"...
posted by mdn at 1:01 PM on June 16, 2004

Let's not forget about the UK's Siemens Staines.
posted by shepd at 1:13 PM on June 16, 2004

Late News: Arnold Swarzennegger admits he wasn'y really born in the town of Graz... that's right, Arnold is a Fucking Austrian!

(In other news, Bono has announced he'll buy a home in that town, in the hope that he'll get to say it on TV again...)

The thing about the f-word is it's all about the context (self-link to something I've self-linked before).
posted by wendell at 1:15 PM on June 16, 2004

Oh, mdn, take our fooking fun away, why don't you.

You'd have to have a real reason to talk about the place. So fine, then. Let's some of us set up a mailbox there and do a little business. (I've always wanted an Austrian address for -- I don't know, a zine or something mailorderish or something. (MetaFucking?))
posted by chicobangs at 2:01 PM on June 16, 2004

I never thought I'd say this but you can have too much Fucking...
posted by terrymiles at 2:52 PM on June 16, 2004

i'm going to the fucking pub.
posted by quarsan at 3:43 PM on June 16, 2004

I live a few miles from Fulking in Sussex if that's any help. There is of course the classically named Fok Shitt Wan Kaa in Nothern Thailand as well.
posted by i_cola at 4:15 PM on June 16, 2004

GREETINGS FROM FUCKING AUSTRIA Dear Mom And Dad, Haveing a great time! You were right! I never thought fucking could be so much fun. Yesterday I went to the fucking museum then I met some of the fucking people they taught me so much about fucking and also told me about some fucking points of interest like the fucking oprea and the fucking festival, Imagine! a whole festival about fucking. And the food! there are some really great fucking restaurants. well I guess thats it for now I going to go see some more fucking . Love your son Elsworth.

P.S. Now I know why you love fucking so much.
--cruel.com

posted by quasistoic at 7:28 PM on June 16, 2004

Clearly, the song to sing at this point would be John Forester's Entering Marion.
posted by weston at 8:03 PM on June 16, 2004

There's a buffet in Shoreview, Minnesota called FU XING Buffet. I used to see the sign out of the corner of my eye while driving past and always did a double-take.
posted by GaelFC at 11:23 PM on June 16, 2004

(from the Snopes page)
Siegfried Hoeppel, the Mayor of Fucking.
Best. Job Title. Ever.
posted by etc at 1:26 AM on June 17, 2004

Wank, Germany.
posted by ed\26h at 3:12 AM on June 17, 2004

I'll see your Wank and raise you a Twatt
posted by etc at 3:32 AM on June 17, 2004

Shitlington Crags
Fanny Barks
And (the nice if you can do it) Willy Knot

Not to mention, the Cock Play that seems to be going on near the Wide Open Dykes in my backyard.
posted by Blue Stone at 11:35 AM on June 17, 2004

There's a buffet in Shoreview, Minnesota called FU XING Buffet.

Hilarious, GaelFC. The couple of times I've driven by that place, I've wished I had my camera in the car.
posted by ScottUltra at 11:49 AM on June 17, 2004

Once, while driving through the Lake District in England, I was pleased to see a sign with directions to Cockermouth.
posted by divrsional at 3:02 PM on June 17, 2004

I believe there's a Climax, NY.
posted by stavrogin at 8:39 PM on June 17, 2004