What's in a Prague street name

Originally published on X on 11 March 2023.

Na Výtoni was built in 1894, and was called Vejtoňská until 1903.

Once upon a time, there was a settlement here called Podskalí. The first written mention is from 1198, but it’s likely to have originated a long time before that.

The locals made a living by rowing and trading in wood. When logs were brought here, one twelfth of each log would be cut out, and the locals would collect this as a duty.

One of many words that Czech has used over the centuries for ‘to cut out’ is vytnout – hence Výtoň, and the customs officers being known as vejtoníci.

Apparently, the customs office is now both a pub and a museum. I went to the pub in May 2020, and, perhaps because of all the May 2020-ness in my brain at that time, or the fact that I just really wanted a non-bottled beer, I failed to notice the museum: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:V%C3%BDto%C5%88_celnice_1.jpg.

Finally, back to the street itself: if you’ve ever seen a cafe with a better name than this, you’re a liar.