Date:  Sun, 11 Jun 1995 21:43:54 -0400

From:  James C Stalker <stalker[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]PILOT.MSU.EDU>

Subject: Re: meddle



the OED under meddle, sense 5 (in my 1971 edition) has meddle as having sexual

intercourse from 1340. Certainly in the South, messing with someone has the

same semantic range as meddling seems to have. Don't mess with me can mean:

Leave me alone unless you want a fight, and Don't make sexual advances

unless you are serious. You might also consider the possible phonological

relationship of /bIdIs/ and /bIzdIz/, keeping in mind the

voiced/voiceless alternation in /wI_O/ and /wId/, that is voiceless sometimes

voices when going from interdental fricative to stop. On the other hand, the

OED says that the /d/ is intrusive as in thunor/thunder, but in this case

before liquids rather than nasals. Hey, why not!