quest for info/suggestions. re: dialects

[James Smith]

> 'c' should be silent in 'arctic'?  I hear both
> variants all the time but
> always thought the 'c' "should" be there (it is for
> me)!  What is the
> source of the absent 'c'?

I usually pronounce the "c", but at times I drop it,
especially in "Arctic Circle", which is not just a
geographic designation but the name of a local
fast-food chain.  It seems I hear others routinely
pronounce the word with the "c" silent or weak, and
when the "c" is pronounced, it is often stressed,
almost a separate syllable.  Out of curiosity I
referred to my 22-yr-old Webster's, which shows both
pronunciations but with the pronounced "c" apparently
preferred.

BTW, I have come, after
> some time, to realize
> that for many native speakers the 't' in 'often' IS
> natural and not a
> bookish affectation, so I'm much more cautious now
> about proclaiming it
> artificial.
>
When I was young, I don't believe I ever heard the "t"
in "often" pronounced.  Of course, that could have
been local usage.  I remember questioning others about
this silent "t" because I thought it was odd.  Now,
many years later, it seems I rarely hear "often"
without the "t" being pronounced: same locale,
different time.  (BTW, my Webster's shows both
pronunciations without preference.)

An "incorrect" use ingrained in me is saying "nucular"
instead of "nuclear".  My children are happy to point
this out.

Jim SMITH

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