Natives of these cities, what's your opinion?

[raccoon]

Is it "New Or-LEENS" or "New Or-le-uns?"

Is it "Saint Lewis" or "Saint Loo-ey?"

[wysimdnwyg]

1. Not a native of either, but

Naw'lins - I don't think I've ever heard a NOLA native say "New Or-le-uns"
Saint Lewis - Several friends from SL or the general area. None would be caught dead calling it "Saint Loo-ey"

[liberaltrucker]

2. When I was on the road, I visited both frequently

The locals say NAW-lins and St LEW-is.

[MrCoffee]

3. N'awlins

[NightWatcher]

4. yea you right

[crispini]

5. Second!

although not a native, just from Louisiana.

[WolverineDG]

9. N'orlins

a South Texas corruption of N'awlins. :hi: Crispy!

dg

[KamaAina]

7. N'awlins below Canal St., New Or-le-uns above

New Or-LEENS for songwriters ONLY, because there's no English rhyme for "Or-lee-uns".

[jobycom]

18. Below, like towards Elysian Fields, or below like towards the river?

When I was growing up in Gulfport two of the three tv stations we got were from New Orleans, and I remember a commercial for something--maybe the Whitney Bank--that sang "New Or-le-uns" as part of the jingle. I can still hear the name sung like that, but I can't remember enough of the rest of the jingle to figure out what it advertised. I remember Whitney Bank's jingle: Whitney Bank, is a freindly bank! Not real clever, but annoying enough that I've always remembered it. :)

[KamaAina]

19. Towards Elysian Fields

towards the river is simply "river", as in, "the downtown-river corner of..."

Naturally Whitney Bank, where all the swell white Uptowners keep their gobs of money, would say "New Or-lee-uns". :-)

[jobycom]

16. My parents and I were talking about that two weeks ago. No one says N'awlins.

I mean, maybe somone somewhere does, but usually the only time you'll hear that is one a tourist tries to say it, or when a local is trying to amuse a tourist.

[HopeHoops]

6. You forgot "Bal-tee-more" or "B'almer"

Anyone from around there knows the correct answer.

[many a good man]

23. For the natives it's BAL-mer

The same folks tend to also say WOR-shin-tun.

I'm a newcomer - a 20 yr. resident of MUR-a-lin. I was born in CLEVE-lund.

[HopeHoops]

24. I'm a native - it is pronounced like the wizard - "Merlan" - "B'almer Merlan"

And for the record, we just call it "DC".

If you drive in the area and get a call from your spouse, you only have to answer one question: "Are you stuck on the inner loop or the outer loop this time?"

[DevonRex]

8. Never New Or-Leens. Never. And if you're not singing, never say St. Loo-ey. nt

[rebel with a cause]

22. I think over the years we have called St. Louis

both St Louis and St Louie and although I am in Illinois we are only a few hours from here with most here Cardinals baseball fans.

[Captain Hilts]

10. And my-AM-ee is my-AM-uh. nt

[dysfunctional press]

11. is it 'FRIS-co'...or 'fris-CO'...?

[Taverner]

17. GAH! Frisco is a ski area near Denver. SAN FRANCISCO is the city.

You can call it SF, San Fran, 'The City,' or that place on the end of the Bay Bridge.

Just don't call it Frisco

[M155Y_A1CH]

12. In KY folks laugh when they hear

an outsider say Lewisville for Louisville. Outsiders laugh when we say Lullvull.

[rebel with a cause]

20. I think we call it lullivull.

but I could not swear to it. ;)

[MiddleFingerMom]

32. Don't coins minted in Kentucky have the motto, "In KY We Thrust"? n/t

[brendan120678]

13. I'm originally from Binghamton, NY, and people...

tend to always butcher that one.

[jobycom]

15. I never could get that one right.

I had a professor who used to talk about the SUNY there, and every time I said the town's name I said it differently. :)

[MorningGlow]

25. How in the world can that be butchered?

They don't say... :scared: ...Bing-HAMP-ton, do they? :crazy:

I've spent most of my life in Rochester, and if you're a true native, you say it like a bulldog--teeth clenched like you've got a juicy bone you're not giving up for nothin': RAAAAhhhhchstr.
:rofl:

[jobycom]

14. New Orlins, or New Orl-y-uns. Never N'awlins unless you're a tourist or just trying to amuse tourist

My parents grew up there, their families grew up there--as far as I can tell, the original immigrants from every branch of the family with maybe one exception landed in New Orleans and never left. I grew up near there.

There are a lot of different accents in New Orleans. Some sound like Brooklyn or Boston--people always think my mother is from Boston. Some sound like Justin Wilson--not many. Some sound like Foghorn Leghorn.

But in general, it's New Orlins. Contrary to a post I saw above, some do say New Orleens--several of my relatives do. The only people I've ever heard day N'awlins are doing it for the tourists, except now and then when you meet an old jazz musician whose voice has been scorched by cigars and bourbon. :)

On edit: I actually say it more like New Orluns, than New Orlins.

[rebel with a cause]

21. Okay, and Illinois

is Illinoi, you never sound the s. If you do, you have never lived here and never met anyone from here. ;)

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

26. You're from Illinois? What part of Chicago is that?

:grr:

[rebel with a cause]

28. What country are you from? ; )

When I lived in NYC and said I was from Illinois that is always what immigrants asked me. "Where in Chicago is Illinois?" I would explain over and over that Chicago was in Illinois not visa versa. They would never believe me so I got a map and carried it with me to show that I was from the southern tip of Illinois and Chicago was in the northern part of the state and there was a long way in between them.

Now to answer your question. I'm in the part of Chicago that is close to the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, just one hour from Paducah, Kentucky.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

31. Land o' Goshen!

If you go just north of the loop in Chicago and get on North Avenue, follow that for two hours and you'll end up on Main Street of my hometown.

[rebel with a cause]

34. Well, if you leave Chicago and travel

down almost the whole length of Illinois you will get to the region of my town. But you have to take some small highways and back roads to get to where I am. I'm in the Boomdocks. :rofl:

[Demoiselle]

27. I seem to remember that Mary Landrieu called the city

"NuWALLins." (My bet attempt at phonetic spelling) during a radio interview about Katrina.

And I have friends from St. Louis who say "Saint Lewis" and would never say "Loo-ey."
That's the best I can do.

[rebel with a cause]

29. My daughter got on to me today about

me saying that sometimes it was called Saint Louie. Well, we don't call it that but I seem to remember people calling it that over the years but maybe I am dreaming. So I will change my statement and say in Illinois we call it Saint Louis.(Lewis)

[kwassa]

30. the state of O-hi-uh

down by the crick I got the idear.

[XemaSab]

33. Nuh-vah-duh

Nuh as in "Nullify."

Vah as in "Vat."

Duh as in "Everyone knows the middle vowel is more like vat than volunteer."