Shrewsbury's Grope Lane, shown on map in last RT, was originally 'Gropecountelane' (1304)...even less ambiguity! See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gropecunt_Lane …
Grope Lane does, of course, mean pretty much what you'd expect! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5864981/Street-names-date-back-to-brothels-and-red-light-districts.html …
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For more, see [NSFW?] Briggs, 'OE and ME cunte in place-names', Jnl English Place-Name Society, 2009: (link to PDF) http://keithbriggs.info/documents/Briggs_cunte_offprint_JEPNS_41.pdf …
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@caitlinrgreen Apparently needless or needles alleys etc were red light areas too. Pricked by needles. -
@thegn69 well, the Birmingham one certainly seems to have been! http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/local-news/chris-upton-birmingham-alley-shady-3944195 … -
@caitlinrgreen I'm not surprised there's one in Brum! A decent Black Country mon such as myself would expect the worst of that town!! - End of conversation
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@caitlinrgreen the Victorians changed prostitutes job descriptions to seamstresses to hide the truth from the queen. Allegedly ! -
@thegn69 ooh, not impossible... I've seen an 1881 census return with ‘Lady of Easy Virtue’ crossed out & replaced w/ 'general servant'!
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