Onct, Twict

[scw1217]

Certain relatives of mine are fond of doing things "onct" or "twict". And that's pronounced just like the actual word only you add a "t".

These are the same ones who pluralize anything ending with the letter "t" by adding "es", pronounced like "ez". Honestly, I haven't any idea where all the "t" confusion comes from in their daily language!

[Dr. Goodword]

My guess would be that these same speakers pronounce "th" [t], i.e. say duh for "the" and dat for "that".

If this is true, then they are regularizing these words by adding the suffix for original numbers to these two: onceth, twiceth.

You hear it all the time in rural NC, too.

[scw1217]

My guess would be that these same speakers pronounce "th" [t], i.e. say duh for "the" and dat for "that".

If this is true, then they are regularizing these words by adding the suffix for original numbers to these two: onceth, twiceth.

You hear it all the time in rural NC, too.

I like that term, "regularizing". I'll have to remind myself of that!

[Perry]

Should I use Ex-Lax or Philip's Milk of Magnesia to regularize my speech?

[sluggo]

I used to see the former rendered in print as oncet, a strange assemblage. Reading this as a kid and not knowing the word I assumed it was pronounced "wun-cet", which made no sense either but that was the spelling. Never heard twice beteed though.

[scw1217]

Should I use Ex-Lax or Philip's Milk of Magnesia to regularize my speech?

LOL!

Never heard twice beteed though.

I assumed they invented both. So it's news to me that they did not.

[Bailey]

heh, heh, heh, MOM is always best.

mark missing-mom Bailey