At-lanna
Not to disclose too much information about my political leanings, but I was listening to Air America Radio this morning and was struck by how clearly their promo announcer said “Air At-LAN-Ta”. It sounded a bit clinical and too concerned with enunciation to me, but it is technically correct.
I’m one who often falls into the trap of saying “At-lanna” – dropping the second “T” entirely in favor of some kind of faux-Southern pronunciation.
My question to everyone is how do you say the name of our fair city? Do you find yourself clipping the hard consonants or, conversely, being scholarly and diction-correct? I’m curious.
I’m a dang foreigner, so I say At-Lan-Ta
I pronounce the T as well.
>>It sounded a bit clinical and too concerned with enunciation to me,
It’s because he’s a liberal who is out-of-touch with mainstream values and, uh, pronunciations.
I was Super Enunciator for a while (moved here from Maryland in 97) but I’m slowly losing the second “T” in Atlanta.
I say… Hotlanta!! ….although it does seem a bit silly when I actually do say that…
I am a native and can’t recall the last time I clearly enunciated the second T. Atlanna sounds good to me.
Funny though…I hadn’t noticed this until reading your post. I am slowly turning into one of the Duke boys, aren’t I?
I don’t even really say the first T. Mine sounds more like “ed-lanna” because I say it fast. I’m Georgia-born and quite edu-ma-cated, but my drawl persevered through them all!
And thank you (to all posters) for not letting your political leanings permeate this blog to any significant degree. It’s one of the reasons I hang around. I’m an OTP’er and a conservative, but it’s nice to have a blog that focuses on what something we all have in common — edlanna!! :o)
I think we need to take out anyone who pronounces the T..
Excuse the cheesy acronym but I’m LMAO at the Pat Robertson comment!
One of my co-workers pronounces it “oh-lanna”. She’s from NC like me. I tend to also leave out that second t (I do pronounce the first one though!)
I was was born and raised in GA and I pronounce both Ts. My friends give me a hard time because I enunciate my words. Whatever – tomao, tomato.
Depending upon the hearer, I will pronounce the second T. If I’m talking to my husband, I usually say something like “A’lanna” because, whatever, we live here. If I’m speaking with someone who does not live here or who does not know me, I will pronounce it correctly. It’s all about audience.
It’s pronounced “Smyrna.”
Anyway, I’ve listened to Air America on occasion, and the way the announcer says “Air At-LON-Taaa” does sound very very weird.