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[–] 29 points 2 years ago (2 children)

There was a disagreement on how to pronounce Arkansas; the first two US senators from Arkansas disagreed on how to say it.

Congress ended up having to request the Arkansas legislature in defining how to pronounce the state name.

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  • [–] 28 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I, an east coaster, once bought a car from Texarkana. When I learned it was literally on the border of Texas and Arkansas, I think my brain broke. Great share, thanks!

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  • [–] 17 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Here's the really crazy thing.

    Ark City, KS is located on the Ar-KAN-sas River. But this is the same river that flows through Little Rock under the name AR-kan-saw.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    We come through and destroy an entire native civilization, and as a final "fuck you" we butcher their dead languages and name military equipment after them.

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  • [–] 16 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Y'all come to New Orleans and try to pronounce a single street name "right."

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago

    Arkansas is pronounced Arr-Kansas already though. ;)

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    There’s a Newark NJ and a Newark DE.

    The Jersey one is pronounced Newurk and the Delaware one is pronounced New Ark. It’s mildly inconvenient.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (6 children)

    The little town in Texas is also "New Ark".

    Some of my other favorites:

    Texas

    • Montague = mon-TAYG (hard 'g')
    • Italy = IT-lee (2 syllables)
    • Buda = BUD-duh (EDIT: or is it BYOO-duh ?)

    Georgia

    • Vienna = VYE-eena
    • Cairo = KAY-roe

    Canada (less experience here, tbf)

    • Newfoundland = NEW-fin-LAND (do NOT slur the "land" part. Enunciate!)
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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    TBH, I’m a native Kansan and have only ever heard it called “Ark City.”

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    That makes sense. It's like back in Morocco, how Morocco Mole is just called Mole.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    And in Brazil, Brazil Nuts are just called nuts.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (8 children)

    Ohio is great for shit pronunciations of town names.

    Bellfountaine - bell FOUN'n (the t drops there in most dialects, some would say 'fountain' with the the first syllable stressed).

    Versailles - verSAILS

    Medina - muhDYEnuh

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago* (3 children)

    We have "verSAILS" in Indiana too. Also:

    Peru - Pee-roo

    Russiaville - Roosha-vil

    Lebanon - Leb'nun

    My favorite though is that there are two spellings for the Wabash river: Wabash and Ouabache. And despite being in a town that is on the Wabash River, the local Oabache Elementary School is pronounced: Wah-bat-shee.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    The pronunciation of Lebanon you called out may sound like it came from a hayseed, but it’s closer to the way people in the country of Lebanon pronounce it than the mainstream American pronunciation.

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    [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    I learned that from the Big Bang Theory!

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  • [+] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)
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    [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    That's some high tier psychological damage right there.

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