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Comment by jld89 | Hacker News Reader

I thought it was Sicily and that Scilly was a keystroke mistake. Funny that...

Before reading your comment I still thought it said Sicily. My brain just assumed that was what it said

It doesn't help that Scilly isn't usually used in isolation. Usually the group is referred to as the Isles of Scilly or the Scilly Isles. None of the islands is actually called Scilly.

They are also sometimes called 'the last piece of England', reflecting both their westerly position and the fact they are a place where some aspects of time have stood still.

The boat that takes tourists there is called 'The Scillonian'.

But the residents apparently prefer the Isles of Scilly to the Scilly Isles.

Now that's just some Scilly nitpicking.

..I'll let myself out.

I presume few people outside Britain know how "Scilly" is pronounced, so for their benefit: like "silly".

(I've heard "Scilly Isles" far more often than "Isles of Scilly", but I'm nowhere near local.)

Perhaps they need a government tourism office that focuses on advertising the many wonderful hiking opportunities on the islands.

A Ministry of Scilly Walks.

I've never really heard of it being called the Scilly Isles. Only the Isles of Scilly.

Not many people even in the UK know it exists though (I only do because my ex girlfriend grew up there)

I imagine more people in the UK know they exist than you perceive. Anyone who still watches the weather updates on the TV or listens to them on the radio instead of getting it from their phone will have heard mention of the...

Though... the more time goes on, the more I expect to hear "oh, they still broadcast the weather on TV? I thought they just did that during the war"... and by war, they're referring to the Gulf war... along with "Walkman/Discman? What's that?"

There are people in the UK who don't know the Scilly Isles exist!?

Ah! I was in full cognitive dissonance, like how did that stuff get into the strait of Gibraltar, why does the fisherman have an English name etc.

Well, I have an explanation that doesn't involve aliens: I didn't read the name of the island correctly. Good job from the conspiracy to hide itself very well, but next time I'll catch you anyways.

Me too. And I wondered how it wound up getting through the straights of Gibralter

Had a somewhat similar thought, stopped for a second wondering how they'd got the authorisation to launch rockets over the mediterranean sea as that seems somewhat unsafe.

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