Date:  Thu, 27 Oct 1994 21:14:40 -0400

From:  Claudio Salvucci <CSALVUCCI[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]DELPHI.COM>

Subject: Things are getting complicated anymore...



    My college linguistics teacher asked the class if anyone had

ever heard the usage of positive "anymore". I was the only one who

had, and she informed us that it was a local (Philadelphia) usage.

I have seen the usage described in books (although not scholarly

ones, I must admit) as a SE Pennsylvania usage. This was not a recent

book, either. And as a lifelong resident of Phila., I have heard it

used, and am hearing it used with greater frequency. (or perhaps I'm

more sensitive to it)

    Secondly, I have also heard the "wanna come with?" usage

described earlier. Whether it's a common local usage or an

aberration, I don't know.



    (Sigh) Here I am, trying to establish a linguistic identity

for Philadelphia, and I find out these usages are about as scattered

in the country as hydrogen is in the universe.



    You can try all you want, but there's no way in the world

I'm giving up "Yo". Next thing you know, somebody'll tell me that

a "hoagie" is a Los Angeles sandwich.



Claudio "Data? Ah, who cares about data?" Salvucci

csalvucci[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]delphi.com