Date:  Sun, 26 Oct 1997 22:02:48 -0500
From:  Gregory {Greg} Downing <downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]IS2.NYU.EDU>
Subject: Re: "Nary?"

At 09:39 PM 10/26/97 -0500, you wrote:
>I was just curious as to whether or not someone could tell me where the
>word 'nary' comes from. I heard it this weekend. I asked a friend a
>question and they told me that they ,'didn't care nary bit'. Is this
>common? I've never heard anything like it. It sounds like something
>that Foxworthy guy would joke about.
>
>Melissa S. Smith
>mssmit01[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]morehead-st.edu
>

>From OED2 "nary a.":

"[var. of ne'er a. The form is typically U.S., but app. occurs in some Eng.
dialects, and is now used more widely outside the U.S.]

Neither; no; not a; now almost always followed by the indef. article. Also
(U.S.)"

Usage citations run from 1746 to 1974....

Greg Downing/NYU, at greg.downing[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]nyu.edu or downingg[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]is2.nyu.edu