What was a Tin Lizzie? Where is the Venice of the West? Who plays at the House that Ruth Built? History, geography and literature converge in this reference book, which explains the names and nicknames of 1500 famous places and things, both real and imaginary. Included are not only the names of streets, cities and other landmarks of the real world - shops, theatres, railway stations and historic buildings - but also those of sites mentioned in literature or legend. Informative descriptions aim to capture the features of each place, whether the character of Tokyo's Ginza District, the musical importance of Tin Pan Alley, or why romantic poets were attracted to the Lake District. This is the paperback edition of the hardback published by Grafton Books under the title of Names and Nicknames of Places and Things.