Aunt or aunt?

New Englanders have a few words that they say differently than the rest of the US populace that pretty much gives them away when they (we) talk.

Aunt (the "au" as in "father") instead of aunt (as in a small insect, with a short "a")

Either and neither (both with a long "i" instead of a long "e" sound)

and a wide variety of other words that aren't usually spoken of elsewhere:

a "couch" instead of a "sofa."
a "bureau" instead of a "dresser."
an "elastic" instead of a "rubber band."
a "tonic" instead of a "soda" or "pop"
a "frappe" instead of a "milkshake"

So speaking of regional differences, which way do you pronounce "aunt" and where did you grow up?

I have one aunt who we call AHNT, the rest are ANT. Parents are from Iowa, I'm from all over (FLA, TX, PA).

Go figure.

A sofa was a couch or a davenport<<< I don't think sofa is really used anywhere. I've lived on the East coast and it's couch, Midwest and it's couch, and South and it's couch. At least where I lived.

A Chest of drawers

A soda pop

A "Fribble". Anyone who remembers Friendly's will remember that.

:hi:

Actually here in Western NY it's "EEE-int" (two syllables, stress on the first). For the record, we also make "and" into two syllabes: "EEE-yind". Yes, we tend to sound like we all have clothespins on our noses. Ugh.

And we say "couch" (unless our Italian grandmothers instilled "davenport" in us), "pop" for soda, and, much to my midwestern DH's chagrin, "down cellar" for basement.

And I said everything else on the list except we called it "soda" and identified the tourists from Massachusetts by their use of "tonic," and a milkshake was flavored milk, while a frappe had ice cream blended in.

Also "cellar" not "basement"
and "supper" not "dinner" for the evening meal, and "dinner" not "lunch."

like Ant Bea

Carly