Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 21:26:31 -0600

From: Natalie Maynor maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]RA.MSSTATE.EDU

Subject: Re: 'swan' in TX, ARK



substitute for 'swear'. First citation is 1832. There's another slang verb,

also largely attested in 'exclamatory asseveration' (don't you just love

'em?), of the form 'swanny', derived by the OED from 'I shall warrant ye'.

Anybody ever heard that one? Prob'ly not, I swanny. (No relation to the

"Swanny" River, I don't guess.)



Heard of "I swanny"?? It was even more common than "I swan" in my

Mississippi childhood and beyond. I'm not sure when "I swanny" and "I

swan" started fading away.

--Natalie (maynor[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ra.msstate.edu)