OK so this is silly, but the word “chaps.” I say it like "chap"stick with a “c” but I have heard people say it “shaps.” IT DRIVES ME CRAZY.:eek: But maybe I am the one saying it incorrectly? Anyone else have words that other people’s pronunciation throws you for a loop?
Shaps. From Montana.
But crupper here is crooper… and Helena is Helen-a. and Meagher County is Mar County. We do our own thing here but we have a boatload of cowboy tradition and chaps are shaps. :lol:
I’ve always said it chaps, in fact I’ve never heard it as shaps.
Unlike the poster above me, I’ve always said it as shaps and have rarely heard anyone use a hard ch. Though I’ve always thought of english chaps as “shaps” and western chaps as “chaps.”
[QUOTE=cowboymom;7650703]
Shaps. From Montana.
But crupper here is crooper… and Helena is Helen-a. and Meagher County is Mar County. We do our own thing here but we have a boatload of cowboy tradition and chaps are shaps. :lol:[/QUOTE]
Haha well the one woman I know who says it is from out west with a western riding background, so maybe that’s why! Nothing wrong with cowboy traditions!!
Wow, in the east, and they are chaps, not shaps around here!
[QUOTE=OneGrayPony;7650711]
Wow, in the east, and they are chaps, not shaps around here![/QUOTE]
Same, that’s probably why
Things are big-time regional out here but in all my experience it’s shaps. DH agrees from his lifetime of experience too.
For the most part, if you are from the western/southwestern US, you’re more likely to say “shaps.” If you’re from other regions of the country, you’re more likely to say “chaps,” like chapstick.
Edited to add that both pronunciations at considered to be correct from the standpoint of the dictionary. I’m from the east (except for those 5 years in Texas) and I say chaps.
I say chaps, my grandma says shaps (she’s lived in SD all her life, I’m an east coast girl).
State capital of SD is Pierre–french pronounciation to non-natives, PEER to natives.
It will be a cold day in hell before I say subs and pop instead of hoagies and soda.
I have honestly never heard anyone call them shaps, perhaps they were Swedish or something?
There is no “cha” sound in Swedish so some Swedes pronounce that sound “sha” if they don’t speak English on a daily basis. It was actually quite funny, listening to my friends there speak English when I was living there. I enjoyed how they pronounced checks but the best when they pronounced these taxi cab vouchers which were called “chits” :lol:
Um… I hardly think the cowboy tradition in Montana was all Swedish… :lol:
More so we had Spanish, Irish and English and southern and a whole mix of peeps along with the Swedes and Norskies and the other parts of the melting pot.
Montana is its own thing. :yes:
Even ehow says “never chaps”! LOL http://www.ehow.com/about_5143696_history-cowboy-chaps.html
It’s chaps in WI as far as I can tell.
[QUOTE=billiebob;7650716]
It will be a cold day in hell before I say subs and pop instead of hoagies and soda.[/QUOTE]
One of the funniest things I’ve ever seen was the look on my Michigan Mom’s face when she ordered a chocolate soda at an ice cream parlor in Pennsylvania. :lol:
She expected this: http://hostedmedia.reimanpub.com/TOH/Images/Photos/37/300x300/exps26683_TH2379798C02_23_3b.jpg
but got this:
http://alcademics.typepad.com/.a/6a00e553b3da2088340162ffe78659970d-pi
[QUOTE=cowboymom;7650723]
Um… I hardly think the cowboy tradition in Montana was all Swedish… :lol:
More so we had Spanish, Irish and English and southern and a whole mix of peeps along with the Swedes and Norskies and the other parts of the melting pot.
Montana is its own thing. :yes:
Even ehow says “never chaps”! LOL http://www.ehow.com/about_5143696_history-cowboy-chaps.html[/QUOTE]
I just wanted an excuse to tell my chits story :lol:
Cowboymom has just described my grandma’s heritage–one big melting pot minus the Swedish. I still don’t know where she gets “catsup” from.
My Norwegian cowboy grandfather says both shaps and chaps, depending on if he’s talking to me or my grandma.
ETA NoSuchPerson, your mother’s face was probably similar to mine the first time someone offered to get me a sub. I also bite my tongue at what the local coffee shop calls a “Philly steak sandwich.”
You chap people are saying it wrong. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaps
It’s funny to me but I really do think the word is derived from the Spanish, technically. Common use though is Katie-bar-the-door!
[QUOTE=cowboymom;7650735]
You chap people are saying it wrong. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaps
It’s funny to me but I really do think the word is derived from the Spanish, technically. Common use though is Katie-bar-the-door![/QUOTE]
Wow, who knew?? How strange that it evolved so regionally too! I’m still gonna say chaps though:D.
Shaps. The pronunciation of the CH follows the pronunciation of the CH in chaparral, from which the chaps are supposed to protect your legs. Chaparral is also that stuff that burns so efficiently.
Shaps, and half-shaps. Because of what Peggy said 
