Texas has been known to have some pretty strange pronunciations for its various cities and towns. "Montague" is pronounced "Mon-TAYG", Alvord is pronounced "Al-VOYD". One of the strangest, however, is the town of Mexia. It's pronounced "Muh-HAY-yuh" by the locals.
Two travelers, one of them a newcomer to Texas, were approaching the town of Mexia.
"We're getting close to 'Muh-HAY-yuh'," the Texan said.
"Getting close to WHERE?" the other said.
"Muh-HAY-yuh," the Texan said, pointing to the road sign.
The other traveler began to laugh uproariously. "That's not the way that's pronounced! Anyone can see it's Mexia!" (Mecks-ee-yah)
"Not around here it ain't," the Texan said. "It's 'Muh-HAY-yuh'."
The two proceeded to have quite an argument about the town's pronunciation as they drove into Mexia. Pulling into a local Dairy Queen, they decided to stop for lunch.
"I'm going to ask the counter person how this town is pronounced once and for all," the second traveler said. "If anyone, a local should know how their town is pronounced."
After placing their order, the traveler asked the counterboy, "Just how DO you pronounce the name of the place we're in?"
The counterboy looked at the man as if he were an idiot, then leaned down over the counter, gazing into the man's eyes.
"Repeat after me, suh," he said. "DAY-REE-KWEEEEN."
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