Every locality and region has these shibboleths. In New York, where I grew up, the natives know Houston Street is pronounced “HOW-ston,” not like the city in Texas, and the Avenue of the Americas is properly pronounced “Sixth Avenue.” In California, where I lived most of my adult life, Marin County is “Ma-RIN,” not “MAR-in”; San Rafael is “San Ra-FELL”; Paso Robles rhymes with “lasso nobles.”

Elsewhere, there are Berlin (“BER-lin”), New Hampshire; Lima (“LYE-ma”), Ohio; and Natchitoches (“NACK-i-tosh,” almost rhymes with the computer), Louisiana (not to be confused with Nacogdoches (“Nack-o-DOSH-es”), Texas); and many others that escape me at the moment. (There was more foolery yet, if I could but remember . . . )

Anyway, thanks for the tip. I’ll try to remember it next time I’m passing through San Jose and Teheran, Illinois.