We say "Chaaaahps", Dahling!

My half brothers' Grandparents were cattle ranchers, a place where these kind of things had an actual purpose once upon a time. We spent a good deal of time there when I was a kid. I've heard it as shaps in North Texas and Oklahoma all my life.
It was only in the mid seventies, when people from the northeast US started to emigrate here did I first overhear it pronounced as CHaps. At the time, I assumed it was more of their imported yankee bullsh*t. Like referring to getting a 'soda' (as opposed to a pop or a Coke).

Surprising, no pix. What Tmats said is the answer.

Yes, I never heard the CH sound regarding pronunciation until recently.
In fact, as mentioned the word comes from the Spanish word chaperreras and was gringoized to chaps. Spanish speakers pronounce CH as SH, but more importantly at least in the West, you would just sound silly with the eastern pronunciation.
TMats has it right.
Maybe that's why some people have always just called them leggins.
No,not those goofy things that girls wore in the 80's,lol.

Having owned 1 custom made set of SHaps for riding and an off-the-shelf set of shoeing SHaps here in the Big Sky State of Montana, I only heard 'dudes' call them chaps as in chapstick.
Mike

The farther west you go, the more likely you are to hear it said "shaps." Here in Gulf Coast Texas, I mostly hear "chaps" with a hard ch, but not always.

What about chinks (the short chaps, not the ethnic slur)? I've always heard that said with a hard ch.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
The farther west you go, the more likely you are to hear it said "shaps." Here in Gulf Coast Texas, I mostly hear "chaps" with a hard ch, but not always.

What about chinks (the short chaps, not the ethnic slur)? I've always heard that said with a hard ch.

Here in NM and Central Texas it is Shaps and Chinks. Don't know why the two are different.

I believe the ch-sound comes from assless chaps so as not to confuse them with real shaps.

Slight thead drift... Anyone know a good chap/shap maker who could restore a set of full length, custom chaps? These were originally made in Canada, and fit tight for English riding, but the maker is long since passed away.

Don't matter how you pronounce them as long as you wear something underneath them.

quote:

Originally posted by Shaql:
I believe the ch-sound comes from assless chaps so as not to confuse them with real shaps.

Chaps with asses in them are either pronounced "pants", or in some cases "Texans"

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:
They call them "shaps" at the saddle shop here in Jerkwater, but they know what you mean if you say "chaps".

I always say "assless shaps". They always say they're all assless.

I'm going to Biketoberfest next week. Thank god they're assless. (otherwise they'd be pants)

Yeah, no such thing as assfull chaps. Gotta be assless to be chaps. I blame liberals for the whole "assless" designation.
I guess it would be like saying toeless sandals or something.

quote:

Originally posted by Chance:
Here in NM and Central Texas it is Shaps and Chinks. Don't know why the two are different.

Yeah, should be shaps and shinks.
 
I just heard "shaps" the other day from a welder, who works for a local fencing company. He's a long time dear friend, and not a horse person himself, but most of what he does is for horses. He does stick welding outside for pipe corrals, arenas, welded fencing, and the like, and also TIG for aluminum horse trailer repair. He mentioned that he has just had a pair of shaps made at Ben's Saddlery, specially cut to the fit and length he needed for his job.
 

ALways perplexed me, chain was pronounced shain but Chevrolet instead of Shev it was pronounced Chev.

quote:

Originally posted by feersum dreadnaught:

quote:

Originally posted by Shaql:
I believe the ch-sound comes from assless chaps so as not to confuse them with real shaps.

Chaps with asses in them are either pronounced "pants", or in some cases "Texans"

Despite being a potential target of this joke I got a good chuckle from it

My my, i feel so ignorant, all this time, and i never knew any better. Even was back East for a time. Never said, nor heard anything but shaps. Even at an Ivy League school. Guess we never ever talked about shaps. Went to a lot of cowboy movies when i was a kid. Seems like they must have talked about shaps in the movies some movie? Geez i went to a lot of cowboy movies on Saturday. Dad gave us each a quarter. Movie cost 14¢, popcorn cost 10¢, and we had a penney left for candy. Wonder if i was already deaf then?

How do they say shaps in the movies? What do they call shaps in the movies?

quote:

Originally posted by rh:
They are CH-aps in Texas.

They are in Okla. and Az. also.

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
If you're Ralph Lauren, or ride a Harley, it's chaps with the "ch" like chair.

If you're a cowboy, it's chaps with the soft "sh" sound.

That 'soft "sh"' sounds like it came straight off of Brokeback Mountain!!

Lou Holtz is a cowboy????

The cowhands from the 06 call them "leggins".