Is there anywhere in Britain where they say certain verbs without the 's' like inn't for isn't, etc.

Question

Also, han't for hasn't and wan't for wasn't, etc. The reason why I'm asking is because most American Southerners seem to do this although most Yankees don't so I'm wondering if there's a possibility it could be something old that was passed down.

Please understand that I'm not talking about some kind of Hinglish thing with "innit" where the BBC and others seem to suggest the British do it nowadays because it's a new tag thing stuck on the end of a sentence to mean almost anything. (I have nothing against all that but my ancestors were plain British types from the 1600's/1700's and don't think they would have known Hindu speakers back then?) Where I'm from this is just a pronunciation for "isn't it" and that's it. I'm especially curious to know if any place says wan't or han't - where the 's' is omitted there too.

P.S. There's no need to tease us if you don't like the way we talk but I'm just asking this one question. Thanks!

Answer 1

I grew up around the East Midlands of England and there it's quite common to miss the "s" out of "isn't" ("Int it" rather than "ain't it" or "innit"). They also occasionally drop the s from "hasn't" but usually drop the h too (so "ant it?" - rather than "han't it?") - so possibly there is a connection.

Answer 2

London is the worst for 'innit'. Loads of people say that, stuff like 'We're goin dan the shops, innit' (whatever the hell that means)

I live in Kent, just south of London and most people here are like that as well. You will hear "I ain't got none" a lot more than "I don't have any", and "Alright mate" more than "Good morning"

It's certainly not the 'Queen's English' or whatever that particular brand of posh upper-class accent the BBC seems keen to import to the US is. We don't all talk like that, I don't know a lot of people who are the 'stiff upper-lip' type anyway.

Answer 3

Isn't linguistic laziness wonderful? And so universal, too. You'd probably fall about laughing if you spoke to the average Australian. A man looks at you and drawls "Airgun".
You look blank, then realise he's just said "How are you going?" (A common enough greeting). I can't heap disrespect on my fellow countrymen, not after I met a girl in London who told me her ambition in life was to be a "Moddouww". Oh! A Model. Of course...
It's a funny old world, innit? (Incidentally, Innit's also a lower class London / Cockney thing. It tends to be Very Fashionable, Very Tough, a little like speaking as though you're from the 'hood, if you're a suburban white male).

Answer 4

Some people in the south west do, but it generally seems to vary on the person instead of the area.

Answer 5

The Black Country accent in the West Midlands.

Answer 6

Yorkshire

Answer 7

Yes,it happens in the north-some people say intit & wantit & hantit instead of isn't it,wasn't it & hasn't it for example-I hear it a lot in Manchester where I'm from.

Answer 8

they talk like that in the east end of London some of the older people still talk in rhyming slang try watching eastenders

Answer 9

Hasn`t- Hisnae
Wasn`t -Wisnae
Isn`t- Isnae
Glaswegian.

Answer 10

Yes, they definitely say that in parts of Lancashire.