Forum: Story Discussion and Feedback

I was re-reading Building a Better Past (by tendertouch), Chap 3, when I came across this: "With a glass of ice tea at hand?...
That reminded me that I once met a man who wrote a book about tea. He was from somewhere in the Carolinas, I think, and he intended to call his book "Ice Tea," which is what people where he lived called the drink. His publisher, however, would not allow that title, and insisted on "Iced Tea," which is the name on the cover when the book came out several years ago now.
The book was not a novel - but a food/recipe book.
what's your experience - ice tea or iced tea?

I lean towards Ice Tea but have heard it both ways. If the publisher wanted to be pedantic about it, it should have been titled 'Chilled Infusion of Tea Leaves.'

On the menu it's Iced tea.
Verbally, it's Ice tea.
In the South, Sweet tea. 'Cause tea always has ice.

I'd put this in the same category as "would of": it's a transliteration mistake based on pronunciation. Many modern English accents, especially in America, deemphasise the "d" sound in words ending in "-ed".

So, "iced tea" become "ice tea" in spoken English, then gets transcribed as "ice tea" which is grammatically incorrect, since "iced" is being used as an adjective. Over time, "iced" (adj.) tea" (noun)" becomes understood by most people as "ice tea (compound noun)".

So the publisher (if the story is not apocryphal) is correct, but the author's usage fits most non-academics' understanding.

The"d" also gets dropped by many speakers because it and the following "t" are made with the tongue in the same position in the mouth. The difference in the two sounds is that the "d" is"voiced" -- vocal chords are positioned to vibrate for the"d" but not the "t."

Edited for clarity.

Mark Twain was highly criticized for the grammar of his characters, but as he pointed out, the proper grammar is what fits in the situation. If Ice Tea is the language of the culture being addressed, then the incorrect grammar is actually the proper one to use.

I've always called it iced tea, not ice tea.

It reminds me of that pot from Thailand that everyone called Tied Stix.

Ah... I cannot stomach sweet tea as served here in NC, so half-n-half for me please!