[Old406Kid]

Every part of the country has it's screwed up names but we seem to have more than our share in the Northwest. Here's a little guide to help keep the locals from snickering at you too much.
http://www.stevensauke.com/say/northwest.html

After living within 30 miles of the panhandle for 40+ years, being stationed in Mountain Home for a year, and getting married in Rexburg I think I still flunked Idaho.

 

[hbmcc]

WA (*) - They have a special footer for Des Moines. Having lived next door to both, I know for a fact, that if you give people one "s", they will take two. And, then continue the butchery. I was naive at the time, but my introduction to what I learned later to be "poor white trash" was a family from Cleveland trying to get to Dezz Mee Oh Ness.

Sometimes, imitating the "native" language is a good guess. But, the wrong native language for an Anglo place name can yield a real head scratcher, as in: Ep EEE ratta. It's in WA, and on Sauke's list.