Pronounce the “s” in “Illinois.”
I thought this would be just plain common sense, but you should see the looks on my friends’ faces when an outsider refers to their homeland as “Illinoize.” Even I can’t help but wonder if these lunatics are just messing with us. The “s” is silent, people.
Assume that everyone is from Chicago
There is a whole state under Chicago. Literally the entire state. This is how this conversation usually goes down:
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- “Where are you from?”
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- “Illinois.”
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- “Oh, cool! Chicago!”
- “Actually, I’m from Mt. Vernon, which is closer to St. Louis, so…”
And no, everything below I-90 is not just “northern Kentucky.”