Catsup etc. (was: Re: Carbonated beverages)

[sagehen]

Matthew Gordon writes:
>The 'catsup' with /ae/ vs. /E/ matter is further complicated by the
>Northern Cities Shift (a/k/a God's gift to sociolinguists in the North).
>In this Shift, /ae/ is raised and /E/ is lowered or backed. If a speaker
>has /ae/ in 'catsup' but participates in the Shift, then the phonetic
>outcome might be [E] (maybe with an inglide). A shifty speaker that
>classes 'catsup' with /E/ however might produce something like [ae].
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I should have added to my earlier post that now, while I _think_ "ketchup,"
I actually _say_ "katchup."
A. Murie