I am sure that you have been abroad and found yourself surprised by the translation of some of the street names. That is because you haven’t taken a good look at Spanish street names! Let us tell you about the most amusing Spanish street names.
Madrid and its countless curious names
If you have ever read the Spanish comic books Mort & Phil, you will know that there are countless curious street names in them, such as Calle del Pepino Verde (Green Cucumber Street), Calle del Caracol Renqueante (Lazy Snail Street), Calle de la Lechuga (Lettuce Street), Calle del Conejo Cojo (Lame Rabbit Street) and more! However, truth is often stranger than fiction.
It turns out that in Madrid there really are streets with names that are just as amusing. Calle de la Lechuga (Lettuce Street), de la Pasa (Raisin Street), de la Fantasía (Fantasy Street), de La Cenicienta (Cinderella Street), Salsipuedes (Salt if you can Street), ACDC Street… The collection is endless, and Madrid is not alone. All cities, towns and villages around the world have curious and funny street names and translating them often adds to the amusement.
The most amusing street names
Calle de Cristo de la Repolla (Christ of the Cabbage Street). Cifuentes (Guadalajara).
Now that’s a funny name! We found this short street, with only 10 houses, walking through Cifuentes, a small town in Guadalajara.
The story (real or fictionalised) is worth sharing. It seems that a beggar called at a wealthy house on that street asking for help. An old lady opened the door and, seeing how hungry the poor man was, she gave him a small chicken (polla in Spanish).
The beggar, grateful for her generosity, returned to the house the next day and left two chicks (re-polla) at the doors of the house and, to keep them company, a wooden crucifix. And so, a new Christ was “born”: that of the Cabbage (repolla).
Calle de Tintín y Milú (Tintin and Snowy Street). Madrid.
Ideal for fans of a good comic. This small Madrid street is in the town of Barajas (yes, there is a town in Barajas), in the Alameda de Osuna neighbourhood. The story behind its name is not as beautiful as the previous example. It was a lucky proposal from a councillor who was a fan of the incredible Hergé comic strips. Finally, a politician with a brilliant idea;)
Calle Tantarantana (Tantarantana Street). Barcelona
Located in the famous neighbourhood of La Ribera, it seems that Tantarantana Street got its curious name from one of its illustrious sons, an 18th century town crier. This man, whose name we do not know, was famous for the rhythm of his “rat-a-tat-tat” on the drum and trumpet when he called for attention before reading the official news. In Spanish that “rat-a-tat-tat” noise is called “tantarán”. I don’t know if one of the neighbouring streets was called Calle Tapones (Ear Plug Street), but it might not have been a bad idea!
Calle de la Corrida. Gijón.
Gijón, well known for its love of cinema and cider, is home to a street whose name is not suitable for those with a dirty mind: Calle de la Corrida (Slipping Street or more vulgarly, Cum Street). The origin of the name of this busy pedestrian street is not proven or documented, but one legend tells of a landslide that moved some buildings and caused the street to widen overnight. Other legends about the origin of the name are not so innocent, of course;)
Avenida Súper Mario Bros (Super Mario Bros Avenue) Saragossa.
The Aragonese capital is “guilty” of baptising one of its roads with the name of the most famous virtual plumber in the world: Super Mario. The idea for this curious name arose from an ideas contest. In 2008, the future residents of the housing complex under construction, known as “Arcosur”, decided to choose the names of their streets in a creative way and, it would seem, many of the neighbours were fond of video games. The ceremony to open Super Mario Bros Avenue was worth seeing: hundreds of neighbours in overalls and false moustaches cheering a statue of their hero in Aragonese dress. As you can see, reality really is stranger than fiction.
And you? Do you know of any amusing street names we have not mentioned? There are hundreds:)
Why not tell us about them!
