I should be used to this, coming from the Northeast with towns like Leominster, MA (Lemon-stir), and Worcester (Woos-tah, or Wiss-tah for some locals).
Now I'm travelling and the local newscasters are talking about all the Arkansans (Ar-KAN-sans) here in Arkansas (Ark-en-saw).
Evidently, the state name is pronounced that way by law:
The pronunciation of Arkansas was made official by an act of the state legislature in 1881 after a dispute between the two U.S. Senators from Arkansas.
But if that's the case, why in the world wouldn't they call their residents Ark-en-saw-ens, or something?
Don't even get me started on Versailles, IN (Ver-sales).
Are there any other US places that FTers just can't make themselves pronounce like a local?
Or better yet, any Arkensawens care to explain your home state's fascination with not being like Kansas?