Date:  Tue, 13 Dec 1994 10:51:10 CST

From:  salikoko mufwene <mufw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MIDWAY.UCHICAGO.EDU>

Subject: Re: Get Over It



In Message Mon, 12 Dec 1994 18:17:01 LCL, Lisa Gray <lgray[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]washcp.com> writes:



>   I'm a reporter for the Washington City Paper, and am working on a

>   story about how a phrase can temporarily take on an added meaning.

>   Specifically, I'm writing about Marion Barry's advice to white voters

>   upset that he'd won the Democratic mayoral primary: "Get over it."

>

>   Local politicians and the Washington media buzzed with the phrase for

>   a few weeks, turning it to whatever subject was at hand. Nervous about

>   voting for a Republican? Get over it. Do you believe Congress will

>   allow the District both a commuter tax and an increased federal

>   payment? Get over it. And so on.



  Chances are that this phrase has carried with it some of the

interpretations it receives in African-American English. In Clarence Major's

JUBA TO JIVE (1994), one of the meanings of GET OVER (SOMETHING) is

'overcome difficulty; to survive hardship.' E.g., "I can get over it without

working too hard." In Geneva Smitherman's BLACK TALK (1994), GIT OVAH is

explained as follows:

  1) A Traditional Black Church term referring to making it over to the

  spiritual side of life, having struggled and overcome sin. "My soul look

  back and wonder how I got ovah." 2) By extension, to overcome racism,

  oppression, or any obstacle in the way to your goal.

Professor Smitherman may be reached at the following office number:

517-353-9252.

  I hope this helps you,

Salikoko S. Mufwene

University of Chicago

Dept. of Linguistics

1010 East 59th Street

Chicago, IL 60637

s-mufwene[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uchicago.edu

312-702-8531; fax: 312-702-9861