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Meeting these names for the first time, visitors and residents alike assume that some clever or funny story lies behind them. So, they ask, how did Elkhorn Creek get its name? What was the Monkey's Eyebrow? Were the roads to Red River really Hell each way? Why are so many places in Kentucky named for the Devil? Did bugs really tussle in Monroe County? Why was everyone whooping for Larry? Does "Kentucky" actually mean "a dark and bloody ground"?

To be hospitable and helpful, Kentuckians have come up with convincing -- if not always truthful -- answers to these and other questions about how places got their names. Some of the stories were clearly not intended to be believed, though a few of them have been anyway. And if, someday, we discover that our favorite explanation isn't rooted in reality, we're likely to refuse to accept the fact, or at least to be terribly disappointed.

From Red Hot to Monkey's Eyebrow presents some of the classic accounts of Kentucky's oddest place names. Included are the stories behind Black Gnat, Bugtussle, Eighty Eight, Lickskillet, No Business, Pinchem Slyly, Rabbit Hash, Shake Rag, Thousandsticks, Tywhapity, Whoopflarea, and many more. Most of them were collected through interviews with local residents over the past thirty years. All will captivate tourists, folklorists, and longtime Kentuckians. Complete with map, index, and humorous drawings by local artist Linda Boileau, this handy guide is a delight.