Date: Fri, 31 May 1996 16:44:38 -0600

From: "Gregory J. Pulliam" gpulliam[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CHARLIE.CNS.IIT.EDU

Subject: swooft/rustin



Growing up in Mississippi, I used (and still use) "swooft" (_oo_ rhymes

with the "oo" in "book") in negative sentences to describe a person or

action that failed to display a lot of intelligence, as in "he's not too

swooft" or "that wasn't very swooft." Of course the usage parallels

precisely (as far as I can gather) the more standard use of "swift."

Is there regional variation in usage for "swooft"?



In the Ms delta, the term "rustin" was used (1975-77) to refer to a person

considered to be more or less of a bumpkin. It was college-age folks using

the term, and I have never heard it anywhere (or anytime) else.

Anybody else heard it?

Greg Pulliam



Gregory Pulliam

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL

gpulliam[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]charlie.acc.iit.edu