[QUOTE=copper1;8079698]
always pronounce the "t"s. Had a radio newscaster here at one time who dropped the 't"s in lots of words like kitten, and it drove me crazy![/QUOTE]
I just tried saying “kitten” and I say it Ki-in. Didn’t even realize it. Dang.
New Englander here. It’s Cantah and Huntah. We love our T’s but drop our R’s.
Eastern PA we pronounce the letter T in both words.
I drop the T in hunter, for sure, and to some degree in canter as well. (For example, I just realized that “counter canter” often comes out more like “couner canner.”) I hear lots of people here who don’t, so who knows where I got that from. Then again, I grew up with the same crowd that says “aamond” instead of “almond”…
hahaha this made me laugh, I pronounce in every day speech, both terms ‘properly’ with the T’s. However, when speaking to my horse, who is voice command, Trot is TEEE-ROT, and Canter is CAAN-TUR. People have to ask, every time, to figure out what the hell language I’m speaking to my horse.
I pronounce them both ways. IDK. Its like…if the words are on their own, I pronounce them with the hard T. If I’m having a conversation and am using the words in a sentence, I tend to drop the hard T. So bizarre.
ETA: for example, if I’m talking to someone about my horses gaits, I may say “his trot is great but he can be a little uncomfortable at the canner.” Whereas if I’m yelling at someone to hurry up, I may shout across the ring, “CANTER ALREADY!!!”
[QUOTE=ybiaw;8080901]
I pronounce them both ways. IDK. Its like…if the words are on their own, I pronounce them with the hard T. If I’m having a conversation and am using the words in a sentence, I tend to drop the hard T. So bizarre.
ETA: for example, if I’m talking to someone about my horses gaits, I may say “his trot is great but he can be a little uncomfortable at the canner.” Whereas if I’m yelling at someone to hurry up, I may shout across the ring, “CANTER ALREADY!!!”[/QUOTE]
Yes, for me it totally depends on placement in the sentence. In my case it’s because I talk a mile a minute and have a tendency to start running my words together (and therefore dropping the t’s in “canter” and “hunter”) in the back half of the sentence.
Wow. I had no clue. Around here (North Dakota) we say canter and hunter with the T’s in them (as spelled 
).
PNW Canadian here, and I always pronounce the Ts. Except when I am making fun of other Canadians who are trying to sound like Americans, who, I find, IME, drop the Ts.
I have never heard anyone drop “t” out of a word.
[QUOTE=TBROCKS;8080574]
I just tried saying “kitten” and I say it Ki-in. Didn’t even realize it. Dang.[/QUOTE]
I think that’s more common, though. It sounds very British to really put the Ts in “kit-ten”. LOL. I think most people say something like Ki-in.
But we never say canner around here. A canner is for canning tomatoes.
“What you hear around you is the way you end up speaking.”
Not always. I like language and all so I tend to listen and pull it apart.
A bit different, but another one that perplexes me is at the deli counter in the grocery store. People will say, “Gimme a pound da turkey.”
I guess it could be regional but I don’t think the “gimme” is that much polite.
Thanks for the input. Carry on.
[QUOTE=french fry;8080909]
Yes, for me it totally depends on placement in the sentence. In my case it’s because I talk a mile a minute and have a tendency to start running my words together (and therefore dropping the t’s in “canter” and “hunter”) in the back half of the sentence.[/QUOTE]
It’s not uncommon to do this and it is a big area of linguistics. Sounds are pronounced differently depending on not only dialect but where they fall in a sentence. A hard T may become soft or skipped altogether.
I recently had a conversation with a friend from Arkansas. She says the word opportunity as op-por-tun-i-T-y. I say opportunidy. She also says Mondee, Tuesdee, Wednesdee, etc rather than Mon-day…
The thing I really don’t like is when people drop the verb “to be.” I’m sorry, but your horse doesn’t need washed and your tack doesn’t need cleaned. The horse needs to be washed and your tack needs to be cleaned.
I frequently drop the “t” in hunter, and pretty rarely in canter. As others have said, it usually depends on the situation. Born, raised, and still residing in California.
[QUOTE=Ajierene;8080160]
Central Jersey -
Ca-ner
Hu-ner
Tre-n (Trenton - yeah, we drop an entire syllable)
I remember a student transferring into our high school from Massachusetts and the arguments about proper pronunciation. Apparently, they do not drop letters or syllables where he comes from.[/QUOTE]
I grew up in the Midwest, but had a native Philly/South Jersey speaker at home. I could never figure out the proper pronunciation/accents on many words - it sounded right which ever you sounded it out.
RE “that horse is good enough for the ladies”. Could it be that the Pros you’re hearing are referring to a “Lady’s Horse” not the lady client’s horses? I’ve often heard horses referred to as a “Lady’s Horse” meaning that it had the manners and way of going suited for a Lady to Ride/Drive class. The expectations for a Lady’s horse are not the same as a junior horse, or an amateur horse.
I’ve also heard many Amish ask if a horse is a “Lady’s Horse” referring to how it drives & manners.
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;8081132]
“What you hear around you is the way you end up speaking.”
Not always. I like language and all so I tend to listen and pull it apart.
A bit different, but another one that perplexes me is at the deli counter in the grocery store. People will say, “Gimme a pound da turkey.”
I guess it could be regional but I don’t think the “gimme” is that much polite.
Thanks for the input. Carry on.[/QUOTE]
I completely agree… My mother grew up with a VERY southern family. She hated the southern drawl and was careful to never speak that way. Since she did not have much of an accent and my dad was from out west, I never developed much of a southern accent either. My mom and I both have slight accents, but not near as bad as the rest of her side of the family…
That being said, when my mom is around her family and/or drinking wine, a bit of that southern drawl does escape :lol:
[QUOTE=RugBug;8081394]
The thing I really don’t like is when people drop the verb “to be.” I’m sorry, but your horse doesn’t need washed and your tack doesn’t need cleaned. The horse needs to be washed and your tack needs to be cleaned.[/QUOTE]
I grew up in the midwest and unknowingly did this until I was about 13 or 14, when my friend’s dad told me in no uncertain terms that I sounded like a hick. Brutal but effective - I haven’t dropped a “to be” since!
Not to derail the thread, but I cannot stand when people say “I seen that.” YOU FREAKING SAW THAT!
It is common down here. I have seen people write that in professional emails!
[QUOTE=sonomacounty;8079057]
This is not important but wanted to throw it out there & see if anyone else has ever wondered about this, at all. And, just for starters, I’ve lived on both coasts and find it common on both. Do you notice that people often pronounce canter as “canner” and hunter as “hunners”?
Pourquoi?
Thanks.[/QUOTE]
Because they can’t say Ts ?? Lazy mouths the further south you go.
[QUOTE=RugBug;8081394]
The thing I really don’t like is when people drop the verb “to be.” I’m sorry, but your horse doesn’t need washed and your tack doesn’t need cleaned. The horse needs to be washed and your tack needs to be cleaned.[/QUOTE]
This makes me RAAAAAAAAAAAGE!!!
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
