3-syllable Chimney = Mary Poppins Song?

[GLL]

>From message of Wednesday 24 January 2007 21:00:
: >> I just happened to see part of the "People's Court" (blame it on the
: >> wife),
: >> and I thought you other court tv watchers might like this.
: >> I repeatedly heard the judge and the plantiffs/defendants pronounce
: >> "chimney" with a schwa between the "m" and "n."
: >
: > I had never heard it in the wild before coming to live in northern NY.
: > It's fairly common among adults who grew up here, but I think it may be
: > dying out among the younger generation. It sounds rather like Jiminy (as
: > in
: > Cricket).

My wife and I are in our early 40's. I grew up in North Shore Mass, she on the
Cape. We both say 'chi-mi-ny,' but with a short 'i' rather than a shwa in the
middle. Comes from hearing it that way in song from the childrens' movie Mary
Poppins:

"Chim- Chim-i-ny, Chim- chim-i-ny chi, chim cha-roo
Good luck will rub off when I shake hands with you..."

- GLL

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