Is Pronouncing Building And Store Names Incorrectly An Illinois Thing?

Are you thinking, "Here comes the grammar police!"? Surely you've heard or read someone talking about a place of business or building and used the incorrect name. I've noticed it a bunch in several Illinois neighborhood groups on social media. Is this a universal thing or an Illinois thing?

How do these pronunciation flubs happen? Is it holding onto the past? Is it misreading? Is it just wanting to be different? Is it just the names of places or do people do this when someone has a name change or title change at work? "Yes, you're married, but I'm not using your new last name." That thought seems a bit much, doesn't it?

Take, for example, the arena in Rockford, Illinois.

Yes, in the past its name was Rockford Metro Centre, then it was renamed BMO Harris Bank Center, and it's currently named The BMO Center. Some people REFUSE to call it anything other than Metro Centre. Is this a sign of refusing to accept change?

Another well-known building people refuse to accept a name change with stands tall in Chicago, the Willis Tower.

For decades the building was dubbed "Sears Tower," but, as normal for life, things changed, it's now named "Willis Tower." Some people refuse to call it the correct name, holding on tightly to the past.

Why Is The Letter 'S' Tossed Into The Word?

I'm positive you've heard this happen or done it yourself.

Some of the most common mispronunciations involved two grocery stores in Illinois.

One of the most frequent I hear is "Aldi's." It's Aldi, A-L-D-I (all-dee), and there isn't an "S" at the end of it. This isn't the only store that gets an extra added to the end of its name. People also squeeze an unnecessary letter into Jewel and call it Jewels.

You don't often hear an "I'm headed to Walmarts.' or "I'm going to Best Buys." but you're likely to catch an extra letter in another big superstore.

Yup, some people are calling Meijer "Meijers." This is incorrect, there isn't an "s" at the end of the store name.

This begs the question: Is this a midwest thing or is it happening everywhere?