New Yorkers - help with this pronunciation question

[OxyMoron]

*Originally posted by Cervaise *
**

the writer could find no real reason for the difference

That kind of namby-pamby non-answer is exactly what you get when amateurs try to muscle in on Cecil’s territory. **

<snicker> See, I’ve been trying to buy into the whole Zen thing, where it really doesn’t matter if there’s an answer or not…makes it much easier to deal with the non-Cecils of the world…

[theretsof]

Better yet, in Portland we have a “Couch St”, pronounced like the thing between a woman’s legs “Cooch”.

Anyone have an explanation for that one? I’ve never found out why.

[Tinker_Grey]

*Originally posted by dqa *
Actually, the relevant question is why did it come to be spelled Houston. I blame typical English, or in this case Scottish, inconsistency. As to the pronunciation, I refer you to the The Gazetteer of Scotland, by Rev. John Wilson, 1882

HOUSTON, village and parish in north centre of Renfrewshire. The village stands on burn of its own name, 5 miles west-north-west of Paisley; succeeded an ancient village, called originally Hugh’s town

Hey, now that’s useful info! My relatives won’t be happy to know they’ve been pronouncing their own name wrong.

Tinker