NR- The tt thing is me, it is not Illinois. I can't explain it except to say that when I was young I slurred a lot of letters and my teachers and folks got on me and made me do a bunch of stuff so I would pronounce things more clearly. I tended to think, read, write and speak to quickly and would get tangled up.. I think this tt is a result of the exercises to slow me down. My mother, father and brother do not talk this way, it is just me, lol.. Button is the most obvious one for me. Ialmost say it as if I was saying two words.. But half a second ton
Hmm, depending on where in Illinois you are Hanta (Guessing your name is Kathy) but south Chicago the Ka would be drawn out.. I think you were from northern Illinois (Trying to remember right but I think you had family near Hampshire or something like that?).. I wouldn't pronounce it that way but my cousin Kathy who is from down near Joliet would have her brothers and sisters cal her that. Yeah, there is a bit of a nasal sound to it sometimes... Kind of like my name, Anthony. You get far enough into Chicago (Melrose Park area)and the h disappears as the Italian population increases and it becomes Ant-nee bacially.. ant-o-nee.
Of course you end up down in little eqypt area of Illinois and the southern twang starts picking up, not like deep south but it is there. Even over here there is a bit of a drawl that is noticable by outsiders.. I don't hear it so much anymore but when I moved here I sure noticed it and my folks and brother really notice it when tehy come out and someone stops by.
I didin't notice a HUGE difference in Montana from what I was coming from except a few things, Coyote and creek but I had already heard those before so it wasn't culture shock. I guess my "Chicago accent" came through to folks out there but to me the only real difference in talk between Montana and Northeastern Illinois was the pace of talk.. Everything was a bit slower in Montana but I was coming off working at the board of trade so I was used to screaming at a mile a minute so I found it a nice change of pace, lol.