Three Towns the Whole World Laughs At
own it: to accept something about yourself openly and with confidence instead of being embarrassed by it
In 2012, a Scottish woman named Elizabeth Leighton was cycling across Oregon when she passed through a small town called Boring. Leighton thought of a tiny village back in Scotland named Dull and had a simple idea. Why not bring the two towns together?
The people of Boring loved it. In June 2012, the town of 8,000 voted to join with Dull as “a pair for the ages.” Instead of being embarrassed by its name, each town decided to own it. In Scotland, a new road sign appeared: “Dull Paired with Boring.” Tourists began visiting just to see it. One Dull resident said the sign is now a sightseeing stop, like Edinburgh Castle or Loch Ness. In Boring, sales of mugs and T-shirts raised about $5,000 for town projects. August 9 became Boring and Dull Day, with bagpipes and singing.
In 2013, the mayor of Bland, a rural district in Australia, asked to join. Boring wanted to keep its relationship with Dull exclusive. Instead of simply rejecting them, it invited Bland into a new club, the League of Extraordinary Communities. Bland said yes, and newspapers called the three towns the “Trinity of Tedium.”
None of the three names actually means what visitors think. Boring and Bland were named after early residents, William Boring and William Bland. Dull probably comes from an ancient word for a field. The names were never meant to be insults, but the towns welcome the jokes. And the League is not finished. It is open to any town whose name makes people laugh.
Sample sentences
My husband is the worst dancer at every wedding, and he owns it.
When his hair started to fall out in his thirties, he shaved his head. He told me you’ve got to own it.
I asked her how she stays so confident with her accent. She said you just have to own it.
Read More
Dull, Boring and Bland Team Up to Lure Tourists
Towns Called Boring, Bland, And Dull All Joined Forces To Make A Trinity Of Tedium
