Is this a speech fad?

[Buckeyephan]

In the grand scope of things, this is really trivial but still makes my ears hurt. There seems to be a trend for those on TV and elsewhere to substitute "sht" for the blend "st." On the news tonight, I heard shtreet, shtrong, firsht, wesht and others. Maybe it is the speech therapist in me that cringes every time I hear this. Thanks for listening.

[villages07]

Could it be the audio on the device you listening to? I recall in my old IT days "S" sounds were distorted on video playback. Otherwise, I had not noticed this on broadcast TV.

[Buckeyephan]

I don't think this is the problem. It happens both with the TV speakers or our sound bar on a variety of shows. Generally these are live programs such as Today or the local news. There was a radio spot a little while ago about supporting the military. Jill Biden said "strong" and Michelle Obama said "shtrong."

[TheVillageChicken]

I have not noticed what you describe, but what gets me is when someone on television drops consonants and therefore becomes an unintelligible mushmouth. Tyler Florence on the Food Network is the worst.

[alwann]

At Happy Hour, losh uv peeble tak funzy. Other than that, I hear regional dialects but nothing like you described.

[CFrance]

We have noticed it too. It's some kind of speech impediment, like a lisp. We've heard it on some news broadcasts and a couple of NFL broadcasters too. Somebody dropped the ball when they were in elementary school. Should have gone to the speech teacher.

One wonders how they got into broadcasting.

[sunnyatlast]

In the grand scope of things, this is really trivial but still makes my ears hurt. There seems to be a trend for those on TV and elsewhere to substitute "sht" for the blend "st." On the news tonight, I heard shtreet, shtrong, firsht, wesht and others. Maybe it is the speech therapist in me that cringes every time I hear this. Thanks for listening.

It looks to me like a fair number of people on t.v. have an underbite because of orthodontics done a long time ago (and their jaw kept growing as they passed into adulthood?).

Also, many on t.v. have had facelifts and have some facial paralysis or numbness.

[tcxr750]

Yes, my wife and I have both heard the use of "sht" in place of "st". I'll have to pay attention to where I've been hearing that usage. We do watch the Food Network.

[Loudoll]

There is a trend, it seems, to show both upper and lower teeth while broadcasting.

[joldnol]

sht is part of african american dialect I believe

[CaliforniaGirl]

In the grand scope of things, this is really trivial but still makes my ears hurt. There seems to be a trend for those on TV and elsewhere to substitute "sht" for the blend "st." On the news tonight, I heard shtreet, shtrong, firsht, wesht and others. Maybe it is the speech therapist in me that cringes every time I hear this. Thanks for listening.

OMG - I thought I was the only one who finds this annoying. I even fired off an email to WFTV several years ago asking them if they paid their announcers extra for inserting "h's" where they didn't belong. My personal opinion is that if your job is to report traffic conditions and you can't properly pronounce "street" you need to find a different job.

Years ago I worked with 2 young people who had tongue piercings, and both of them did the "sht" thing. I assumed it was related to the metal ball in their mouths. It may have started out that way, but now I think it's more of a trendy thing. I especially hate "reshtaurant" - have never eaten in a "reshtaurant" and never will.

[CFrance]

sht is part of african american dialect I believe
The ones we have noticed with the impediment are Caucasian.

[Villager Joyce]

I haven't noticed the sht. My problem is not enunciating the "t" in button or important. A nasal sound is used in place of the "t". That and "axe" instead of "ask". Makes my ears bleed.

[pbkmaine]

Using a glottal stop instead of a "t" in button and mountain is a regional accent. I hear it all the time near Philadelphia. I was born there and had a terrible accent, including those Philadelphia "O"s, until my parents nagged it out of me.

[NotGolfer]

...then there's the phrase "I mean" interjected into a sentence and not in a correct way. For example...."I mean, that house over there is pink, I don't like pink why is it that color?" Just listen sometime to any t.v. show and you will hear it.

[Uptown Girl]

There is a trend, it seems, to show both upper and lower teeth while broadcasting.

Wow- how observant you are! :eclipsee_gold_cup:
I just tried it. Bingo!

[Challenger]

I saw a speech pathologist commenting onTV about these very issues . Many of these issues are culural as in AXE for ASK. She commented that the issues were learned before 5 yrs old in the family and neighborhood and were almost impossible to correct later without theraputic intervention.

Can someone who has some facts comment?

[Sandtrap328]

I have seen the comic strip in the paper called "Mutts" about two little talking dogs. One of them has that same "speech" impediment.

Something that irks me are the highly paid news commentators shortning words such as "going to" to "gonna" or "coming" to " comin". These people were hired for their clear speaking ability. Pronounce words correctly, please.

One more thing, if I may. Chevrolet has the model called CRUZE. No, Chevy, it is CRUISE! Stop using the Z as an S!

Rant over!

[tomwed]

My hearing is getting worse. If I can make out the sentence at all, it's good enough for me.

The phrase that I have heard all too often over the last few years is "having said that".

For example in the old days we would say: I use to be a good putter but now I'm better at chipping.
Today it may sound like this: I use to be a good putter but having said that now I'm better at chipping.

Does the new way sound smarter? Not to me, having said that................

[Villages PL]

Let's just shtop it!