Dear Jeremy, Dear All,
I know this doesn't directly relate to English Place-names and the list,
but just for the sake of a cross-cultural parallel. In Russia I've heard
reports at annual conferences for two years running on the topic of
informal place-names: of St-Petersburg (students and the young in general)
and the way St-Petersburg-Moscow (current among hitch-hikers, long-vehicle
drivers). It's great fun, though they are naturally not all hypocoristics.
A well-known short form for St-Petersburg is for instance Peter.
|