Highly specific proton line-broadening and paramagnetic 13C shifts observed for N-butyl-N(4-methylo~l-2-yl)-2-methylpropionamide in the presence of fluorinated lanthanide shift reagents, are absent when non-fluorinated reagents are used. "his unusual behaviour is rationalized in terms of possible chelation of the N-butyl-N(4-methylo~l-2-yl)-2-methylpropiondde to the lanthanide reagent, causing transfer of the unpaired eleetron into the heterocyclic ring.