Whip Ma Whop Ma Gate is one of the shortest streets in York and possibly one of the strangest street names in all of England. The name was first recorded in 1505 and has puzzled people for centuries. Some historians think it loosely means neither one thing nor the other. Others believe it was a local joke, suggesting the name simply meant what a street. But there’s a darker story too. Local legend says this spot may once have been used for public punishment. Some even claim people were whipped h