Quick Dee-troit test:
Pronounce the next three street names correctly:
Gratiot
schoenherr
Dequindre
Mispronounce any of these incorrectly, and people know instantly that you are not from Dee-troit
I sure hope the first word doesn't get pronounced, "nice beaver."
Oh, and for the record, I can go so far with regional pronounciations. For instance, if someone's from the West Coast Portland, fine, I'll say Oh-riggin, instead of orrigahn.
But anyone from St. Louis (and please, say it English, -- Saynt Lewis -- or be pretentious and say it French -- Sahnl Wee -- but please, Saynt Looey just sounds stoopid!), if they tell me I've gotta pronounce it "Mizzuhrah," so help me, I'm gonna beat them over the head with the stump of their own arm until they assent to "Nuh Yawk" and "Nuh Joyzee." There's a difference between an accent and a pronunication, and I'm not gonna mimic anyone's accent.
Oh, and it ain't "Kunnecktickutt." It's "Kinnettickitt." Just like "Kinetic" energy. That's not just a blue-blood pronunciation like saying "Wistah" for "Worcestor"; Connecticut is named for the Connetquot. And "Worcestor," without the blue-blood accent is still pronounced like "Worse" plus "stir." Break it apart and it really does make sence.
Pronounce the next three street names correctly:
Gratiot
schoenherr
Dequindre
I grew up in Port Huron, so I'll take a shot at those:
Gratiot - GRASH-it
Schoenherr - SHAYN-ur
Dequindre - duh-KWIN-der
How'd I do?
BTW, though I didn't realize it while living there, when I visit Port Huron today it's very easy to hear the locals pronounce their city "Port Urine" ;-)