May 8th 2012 07:13 am The art of the probable
I recently was talking with a good friend of mine who grew up in Paris. No, not that Paris. This would have been Paris, Tennessee. According to my friend, the town’s early-19th century founders wanted to honor the Marquis de Lafayette, which was a very popular thing to do at the time. Lafayette had returned to America in 1824 for an extended victory lap late in his life, after having done so much to help George Washington defeat the British almost 50 years before. He visited all 24 states and was acclaimed a hero by citizens of a grateful nation who were, even then, suckers for a big celebrity. I have read that there are more towns and counties in the U.S. named for Lafayette and things related to Lafayette than any other person except Washington himself. I personally grew up in a county in Alabama where the town of “Lafayette” served as county seat. We pronounced it laFEHT, but I digress. Back to Paris, Tennessee: the founders wanted to get in on the Lafayette-naming craze, but no one was sure how to spell “Lafayette.” So they named the town “Paris.” This is according to my friend. I started out to tell you something totally unrelated to the Marquis de Lafayette, but I seem to have used up my space and time. Tomorrow, maybe.
Meanwhile, I’m going to post the first in a series inspired by the local spring arts festival where I was living in 1997. Much of it is not exaggerated.
Posted by jimmyjohnson / Vintage A&J
58 Responses to “The art of the probable”
Brenty on 08 May 2012 at 7:40 am #
Worms. I’ll have to tell my step-daughter that. Now, I’m just curious where you are going with the stip this week with Gene’s visit. Veddy intahesting………….
sandcastler on 08 May 2012 at 8:14 am #
JJ, logged in a few minutes back caught the May 8th post, jumped to the current days strip, came back to main pags and surprise it was the 6th. This after I awoke thinking it was the 9th. Color me confused.
Blinky the Wonder Wombat on 08 May 2012 at 8:22 am #
My undergraduate college was named in honor of the Marquis. He never came close to the town, but the locals were starting a new school when he was making his grand tour and they got caught up in the naming craze.
With regard to today’s comic, does anyone else have a bad feeling about things?
Dave in MA on 08 May 2012 at 8:27 am #
phil in Missoula, MT, can it really be that easy? I’ll try that tonight when I get home. Thanks!
Rickmeister on 08 May 2012 at 8:27 am #
I wondered when we were going to get back to Gene and Mary Lou. Will they finish the house in time for the wedding? Or is there no longer going to be a Gene and Mary Lou? Tune it tomorrow for another thrilling episode of “Arlo and Janis”!
Mike From Hartland on 08 May 2012 at 8:30 am #
In Detroit, Lafayette brings to mind one of the best Coney Island hotdog restaurants in town. Detroit is also rich in French history. A lot of French named streets, which we American-ize.
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 08 May 2012 at 8:49 am #
I went to Purdue, which is located in West Lafayette, IN. Because when I went there, partly because the guys out numbered the girls, the social life was not very good. So sometimes named it West Layflat.
It is true that Lafayette has a lot of cities named after him. As far as streets go, I wonder who this guy or gal named Main is?
Bob, near Mark on 08 May 2012 at 9:18 am #
One of our local streets had the “La” dropped when it was named. It’s just Fayette Street.
Galliglo in Ohio on 08 May 2012 at 9:30 am #
My home town of Gallipolis was founded in 1790 by the “French Five Hundred.” Naturally, it has a Lafayette connection. A local tavern (supposedly) hosted Lafayette on his grand tour. It is now (also naturally!) a museum – Our House. Wonder who slept in more places – Washington or Lafayette?
Mindy on 08 May 2012 at 10:08 am #
Steve from Royal Oak, if you’re wondering about Mr. Main, just take a look at all the Generals running around! Just for starts you have, General Motors, General Electric, General Dynamics, General Foods, General Election, General Delivery [although I think he's fading] and many, many others! Erect statues to all the Generals and the pigeons will bury thousands of town and city halls!
But now it’s time for me to embarrass Dear John. Whoops! Didn’t mean it like that! Anyway, now I get to try to embarass MY JOHN. He won’t blush. What he’ll do is grin, wink and promise payback. The last time I ever saw him blush was definitely a story for yet another day. But I ramble, no?
Jimmy? John wants to know when you’re going to publish another of those “semi-adult” strips such as his perennially favorite “a peek is worth a thousand words” in-the-garden classic? Before they day was out he’d be beating his chest, making really strange sounds, and declaring, “Me Tarzan, you Jane.” Men can be so strange. But they make such great pets if a woman can get by the ballgames and coerce them into taking out the garbage.
[Needless to say, I'm typing this with tongue firmly implanted in my cheek.]
Rich in Belchertown on 08 May 2012 at 10:32 am #
As for geographical namesakes, I think Ben Franklin has the Marquis beat. Wikipedia lists over 100, including my first home town here in Massachusetts.
Keith in Knoxville on 08 May 2012 at 10:45 am #
I am also from Paris, TN, but didn’t move there until high school. Lived there for three years and never really heard why the town was named Paris, but that story seems plausible. Of course, we are better known as the home of “The World’s Largest Fish Fry”, held each spring. It’s a big deal in those parts. There’s even a statue of a six foot catfish when you come into town. Ah, small town America!
John in Virginia on 08 May 2012 at 10:46 am #
I may change my name to “John with Mindy.” Would that be a plea for understanding?
Not too long ago, Mindy showed up at a informal gathering wearing a pale blue T-shirt with the legend, “Guess,” on the front. I pointed and said, “Implants?” Mindy at that point demonstrated that she has (actually she does) not much of a sense of humor. She did get her revenge.
sandcastler on 08 May 2012 at 10:58 am #
John in VA, I would have never guessed they were implants had you not let the secret out.
Mindy on 08 May 2012 at 11:11 am #
They are NOT! Ooooh, I’m gonna get that man.
Neal in Bahstawn on 08 May 2012 at 11:17 am #
Regarding today’s strip, I want to express my admiration for JJ’s ability to create cliffhangers. Yesterday, the final frame lulled us into a false sense of complacency with Arlo’s ‘… or poor scripting’ dialog – a one-day-bada-boom thing. Then, today, we get the set-up for what is going to come, and we start a guessing game.
I now read fewer than half the strips in the Boston Globe. Either I’m becoming cynical or the cartoonists are increasingly running out of ideas. Those which attempt to tell continuing stories (‘stay ‘tooned!’) deliver only maudlin resolutions. A&J is that bright spot – a strip written/drawn for adults.
Why is Gene home? When I finished reading it, one of the great line pairings from the classic ‘The Philadelphia Story’ immediately came into my mind. Katherine Hepburn has just finished blowing up at her fiance and the incomparable Mary Nash says, “The course of true love…” Jimmy Stewart complete the line and creates an entirely new aphorism: “…gathers no moss.”
Jerry in Fl on 08 May 2012 at 11:28 am #
Today’s fortune cookie-don’t buy any Guess jeans. BTW, It was a compliment as the way that you can tell implants is that they are too perfect.
Jerry in Fl on 08 May 2012 at 11:36 am #
Look up the redhead on Celebrity Apprentice and you’ll see what I mean.
sandcastler on 08 May 2012 at 11:39 am #
Mindy, stay calm; just realized we were not discussing dental implants.
John in Virginia on 08 May 2012 at 11:44 am #
Mindy isn’t really P-O’ed at me, Sandcastler, she does have a great sense of humor, but, at gunpoint, I’m being urged to remedy my ill-conceived and totally false joke: What she has is all real and totally delightful.
Is that okay, Dear?
sandcastler on 08 May 2012 at 11:58 am #
Mindy!!! Point muzzle away from John, breath deep, tell him you love his sense of humor, and you could not live without him. Now take yourself out and attack the bamboo; you will feel better in an hour.
Boise Ed on 08 May 2012 at 12:03 pm #
Mindy, did you ever tell John about your fling with Mork?
JJ, your hometown simply did the French one better. Frenchmen commonly elide consonants, but your folks elided nearly a whole syllable! Or maybe they just wanted to declare that their hero wasn’t fey.
billinbossier on 08 May 2012 at 12:22 pm #
We have a Lafayette in Louisiana about 180 miles south of here, and my sister lives in Paris, TX, but I am not sure why they named her town Paris. Gene must be out of school for the summer, and taking some time off before going back to work.
Mindy on 08 May 2012 at 12:57 pm #
We always enjoyed visiting Lafayette, billinbossier, but it’s been ages and I can’t remember much about it.
John still lives, sandcastler, no sweat, and the “fling” with Mork was really comical, Boise!
Ghost Rider 6 on 08 May 2012 at 1:11 pm #
Obviously I haven’t been reading recent posts carefully enough, or I would have probably have known before now that Mindy and John are spouses. Or VERY close friends. Or both.
On many occasions, I’ve seen Southerners spoofed in film and on TV for referring to La Ville-Lumiere as “Paris France.” But it only makes sense to us, what with there being a Paris Tennessee, a Paris Texas, etc.
phil in Missoula, MT on 08 May 2012 at 1:45 pm #
GR6, where the heck have you been? Haven’t seen you in a coon’s age!
phil in Missoula, MT on 08 May 2012 at 1:47 pm #
For that matter, I don’t we’ve heard from Debbie for a long time, unless she’s changed her name.
sandcastler on 08 May 2012 at 1:59 pm #
Kentucky has Versailles located just outside of Lexington. And Lexington is home to the oldest university west of the Appalachians, Transylvania University. TU alumni include: Stephen F. Austin of Texas independance fame and Jefferson Davis the President of the CSA. Davis only attended one year before going north to West Point.
Nancy in Bucks County on 08 May 2012 at 2:02 pm #
We have Lafayette College just north of us. And there is a Fayette street in Fredericksburg, VA where there is a delightful mix of history, both revolutionary and (is any war?) civil.
My husband has been known to inquire of me, “Is it real or is it Memorex?”
Glad Gene is back…
Mindy on 08 May 2012 at 2:13 pm #
I love your way with words, Nancy! Oh, by the way, did you ever find that long-billed cap at the nautical outlets? I was later told that it’s also a sport fisherman’s accessory for fresh water as well, although the fly guys seem to prefer the Colonel Potter of M*A*S*H fame-type with all the hooks and lures and stuff attached. That seems like an easy way of getting hooked badly, if you’ll forgive the pun.
sideburns on 08 May 2012 at 2:18 pm #
You mean, Steve, that you don’t Remember the Main?
Boise Ed on 08 May 2012 at 2:30 pm #
GR6: What’s wrong with referring to La Ville-Lumiere as “Paris, France”?
billinbossier: Paris, Texas, was also named for the French place, in 1844.
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 08 May 2012 at 2:32 pm #
No Sideburns that was just a bit before my time. However I do associate “Sink the Bismark” with the capital of North Dakota. I know that Bismark is a capital of one of the Dakotas and to “sink” it would mean it would have to be in North Dakota.
John in Virginia: You are lucky you said “Implants”. You could have said “Pregnant” and gotten a punch in the nose.
Steve from Royal Oak, MI on 08 May 2012 at 2:34 pm #
Speaking of capitals and Paris Ky reminded me of a VERY old joke. How do you pronounce the captial of Kentucky? Is it Louisville, Louieville or Luliville?
The answer of course is Frankfort.
Ghost Rider 6 on 08 May 2012 at 3:01 pm #
Nothing, as far as I’m concerned, Ed. It’s just that the writers always seemed to have the “red-necky” characters saying that and pronouncing it as “Parisfrance.”
Not to pick nits, Mindy, but I think the hat to which you referred was worn by Col. Blake, not Col. Potter.
Hi, phil. Been busy, busy. Had things to see and people to do, or something like that. I’ve missed debbie, too. I tried to get a rise out of her a while back, but I guess she was either off line or not in the mood. Oh, well, she probably took her powerful lavender bikini out of storage this spring and got swept off her feet by a charming prince the first time she wore it.
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 08 May 2012 at 4:25 pm #
Steve/RO,M: I pronounce the capital of Kentucky as “KAY”! For what it’s worth, “Bismarck” contains a “c”….
Mindy & John: you guys must have a great history, but I bet that really would be a story for another day….
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 08 May 2012 at 4:26 pm #
…or week…
curmudgeonly ex-professor on 08 May 2012 at 4:26 pm #
…or a month of Sundays!
Bill in Paducah on 08 May 2012 at 4:27 pm #
And across the river from Paducah we have Cairo (pronounced like the syrup), Illinois. I passed Jimmy’s story along to a couple of friends who are natives of Paris, Tn. One said they didn’t have any trouble spelling it – they just couldn’t agree on pronunciation.
We avoided that problem in Paducah by having a song written – even taught Carmen Miranda how to say Paducah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxya8Ms4rBo#t=2m4s
Sort of…
Mark in TTown on 08 May 2012 at 4:45 pm #
And in Alabama we had Detroit, where my grandmother was born. It was named Moscow first. In my teens I lived in Hale County, near Havana. We also have a Cuba. There is a Fayette County and a city named Fayette, don’t know if any connection to Lafayette.
On a slightly different topic, the Post Office decreed some years ago that all streets had to have a name, even the ones in the county which had formerly just had a number. That has led to some really creative/weird naming. For example, in Tuscaloosa County there is now a Shiver DeFreeze road. In Tennessee there is a Booger Hollow Road, don’t know if they mean a spooky booger or the other kind. I hope the ghostly kind. Tuscaloosa has had a Jug Factory Road and Jaybird Road for years.
And my answer to Mindy’s “Guess” would probably have been “What?”.
sandcastler on 08 May 2012 at 4:51 pm #
. . . meanwhile: Gene has returned home, Janis and Arlo are at the art festival, and Luddie is snoozing.
Mark in Boston on 08 May 2012 at 4:53 pm #
Painting with worms …
Has anyone else here read “Son of Rhubarb” by H. Allen Smith?
emeritus Minnesota biologist on 08 May 2012 at 5:14 pm #
Blinky: Yes.
Steve: It was 4:1 [by administrative design] at Cornell in the late ’40s, but I did all right.
Craig T on 08 May 2012 at 5:31 pm #
LaGrange, Georgia, got it’s name from the Lafayette tour. He passed through from Savannah and at some point gave a speech in which he said that the state reminded him of he country estate, La Grange.
For the bicentennial the town renamed the square Lafayette Square and commissioned a replica of a statue to go in the middle of the fountain (they also eliminated the colored lights from the fountain. The new connector between the new Interstate 85 and the center of town was named Lafayette Parkway. Our high school band uniforms that year were patterned after French military uniforms. The town went crazy for him.
Amusingly, this was apparently a standard part of the speech he gave all over the country. Every town named LaGrange or La Grange in the US (that I’ve been able to research) was either named after his country estate or named after an existing town of that name.
Craig T on 08 May 2012 at 5:36 pm #
And, while Frankfort is, indeed, the capital of Kentucky, the city of Louisville isn’t properly pronounced any of those ways. It’s LOO-uh-vuhl.
It’s fun listening to people try to pronounce Southern town names like “Vidalia”. Unless you can say “i” without it being a diphthong, you don’t have a chance.
Bob, near Mark on 08 May 2012 at 5:43 pm #
Mark in TTown,
All streets requiring names was because of the 911 emergency system. Dispatchers and emergency vehicles had to have that information to respond to the correct address. In the town where my ex-son-in-law lives, the unnamed streets were given the last name of the resident at the beginning of the street. That’s the reason he lives on Laws Lane.
Rick in Shermantown, Ohio on 08 May 2012 at 6:08 pm #
“Much of it is not exaggerated.”
Are you exaggerating?
Mike from Hartland on 08 May 2012 at 9:23 pm #
In Dearborn Mi, there is a street named Emanon because it had no name.(backwards)
Nancy in Bucks County on 08 May 2012 at 9:56 pm #
Mindy, headed for local big box hunting/fishing store this weekend to locate hat. Baseball cap is just not enough. Though with all the clouds and rain here, I don’t know when i’ll be on the water.
Robin in Fl on 08 May 2012 at 10:12 pm #
Mark in Boston
I read that years ago–I don’t think I was supposed to.
Jerry in Fl on 08 May 2012 at 11:09 pm #
In LA, not the City of Angels or Lower Alabama, I believe that it is La Feet. In GA it is Kay- Row. At the risk of having MIB track me down I will disclose that I live midway between New York and Bagdad. & no I didn’t spell it incorrectly.
Jerry in Fl on 08 May 2012 at 11:26 pm #
Wikipedia will show you a picture of New York and although I wasn’t referring to the street it shows a picture of the sign in front of a lovely field covered in snow or what we use as an imitation. Btw , in addition to New York, Fl there is apparently a Florida, New York. And, no joke, there is a town in Mississippi named after my family. I will respond kindly to any guesses, but it has nothing to do with pigs or skunks.
Blinky the Wonder Wombat on 09 May 2012 at 6:19 am #
Jerry Biloxi?
Crab from Grapeland on 09 May 2012 at 7:28 am #
There is also a Paris, Texas. We went there on our 50th anniversary. It was a little closer than the one in France.
Brenty on 09 May 2012 at 7:35 am #
Take all the time you need to think, Gene. Mom’ll get over it.
TruckerRon on 09 May 2012 at 8:23 am #
Jerry Jackson? Michael’s lesser-known-but-equally-talented brother?
Jerry in Fl on 09 May 2012 at 9:08 am #
Nope and nope.
Tom in Southern Ohio on 09 May 2012 at 11:10 am #
I once rode through Texas, Ohio. They had a “Don’t Mess With Texas” bumper sticker on the sign below the town name.
Cheers,
Tom