Dear Editor:
Thank you for E. Assata Wright’s great article “Secaucus: How do you pronounce it?”
It would have been interesting if the source of the “new/incorrect” pronunciation was indicated.
I do have a possible source of why the incorrect pronunciation is so wide spread, especially in areas outside of the town and surrounding area: After their city of FCC license change and studio/office move to Secaucus, WWOR-TV (Channel 9) would air their legal station identification as Sih-KAW-cus. Every day, every hour, on the hour, for years! I would cringe every time I heard it.
I’m convinced it was the voice over announcer at Channel 9 and the constant incorrect “training” of viewers to the TV station as to why this is such a widespread issue.
Personally, I have been “corrected” by individuals from the deep Upstate regions of New York, who (for many years received the New York area over-the-air version of WWOR-TV on their cable systems via relay of microwave feeds and still do today on Dish Network) also heard and learned the incorrect pronunciation Sih-KAW-cus every hour.
It is one thing to have someone who is new to the area try to correct me, but it is even worse to have someone from deep in the hills of Upstate New York, who has never set foot in the town tell (and in many cases debate with) a resident on how to (in)correctly pronounce their own hometown.
I look forward to a follow up story and/or comment.
Robert Taylor