Date:  Wed, 25 May 1994 18:26:02 CDT

From:  Mike Picone <MPICONE[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UA1VM.BITNET>

Subject: say-so



I need help with the origin of an obscure usage in Cajun

French. It seems that some years ago the English loan (or switch)

"say-so" had currency in Cajun French. In _Louisiana-French_ (1931), Wm

Reed says: Used in various ways, "un say-so de creme," for example,

is the equivalent of `a cone of ice cream'. Daigle's _Dictionary of

the Cajun Language_ (1984, not reliable but is one of the very few tools

that exist to work with) has: say-so (Engl.), n.m., Ice cream (in cone).

Smith & Phillips (1939, Am. Speech, 14:200) has: SAY SO |seso| An ice-

cream cone.



Does anybody have any idea of what English usage could have given rise

to this? To begin with, maybe somebody has a DARE at hand...



Thanks.

Mike Picone

University of Alabama