Date:  Mon, 18 Dec 1995 08:00:19 -0500

From:  "Dennis R. Preston" <preston[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PILOT.MSU.EDU>

Subject: Re: het/heated



Rudy,



I had 'het up' as a kid (Louisville 1940's) with no realization that it was

related to 'heat.' My use of it was imitative, however; speakers who

'really' used it were older and/or 'rustic' (whatever that is). I noticed

that after I went north of Louisville people thought I was rustic. The very

idea!



Dennis

<preton[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]pilot.msu.edu>



>    In response to a posting a while back by Jeutonne Brewer re her

>mother-in-law's use of <het> as the past tense of <heat, vb> (clearly different

>from the Pennsylvania usage of <het in the present tense reported by Molly

>Dickmeyer), I recall what seemingly was once a common South Midland (and

>Southern?) expression "Don't get all het [=heated] up about it." I don't

>know if this was included in the LAGS survey. Clearly we've lost a good

>strong verb form.

>    Rudy

>    --Rudy Troike (rtroike[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ccit.arizona.edu)