End of ADS-L Digest - 16 Feb 1998 to 17 Feb 1998
<br>************************************************
<br>
<br>======================================================================
<br>
<br>From: Automatic digest processor (2/17/98)
<br>To: Recipients of ADS-L digests
<br>
<br>         ADS-L Digest - 15 Feb 1998 to 16 Feb 1998             98-02-17 00:01:47
<br>There are 8 messages totalling 252 lines in this issue.
<br>
<br>Topics of the day:
<br>
<br>  1. John's = John's family=John's folks
<br>  2. Online Dictionary of Street Drug Slang
<br>  3. civil disobedience (2)
<br>  4. new phrases?
<br>  5. internet language
<br>  6. E-0ops:     ADS newsletter on the web
<br>  7. Magic City (Miami? Orlando? Fort Worth?)
<br>
<br>----------------------------------------------------------------------
<br>
<br>Date:    Mon, 16 Feb 1998 09:32:52 +0000
<br>From:    Peter McGraw  pmcgraw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]LINFIELD.EDU 
<br>Subject: Re: John's = John's family=John's folks
<br>
<br>The usage was alive in rural Iowa at least as late as my grandparents'
<br>generation.  On a visit there in the late 60s I noticed my great aunt
<br>(wife of a hog farmer by then retired to Knoxville) referring to her
<br>sons and their families as "Verlin's" and "Dale's." My father (who grew
<br>up in Des Moines) confirms that the usage was not idiosyncratic, but
<br>fairly widespread, though mostly rural.
<br>
<br>I happened to mention this to a colleague in Dayton, Ohio, one time,
<br>and she said, "Yes--I hate that!"  I didn't follow up and ask where she
<br>had heard it, but since she had no connection with Iowa, I assume it
<br>is, or was, more generally Midwestern.
<br>
<br>Peter
<br>
<br>On Sun, 15 Feb 1998 14:56:57 EST "(Dale F. Coye)"  Dfcoye[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM 
<br>wrote:
<br>
<br>  My Pennsylvania Dutch inlaws refer to their respective families by the
<br>  genitive alone:  "When John's come to visit..." meaning John, his wife
<br>  and children.  I don't know how widespread this is and don't even know
<br>  how to look it up in DARE.  Is it there?   Where I come from (Central
<br>  New York) the old- timers would say "John's folks" which is listed in
<br>  DARE, but there is a nuance to it I noted recently: it can also refer
<br>  to just the husband and wife:  "We went over to John's folks" -- but
<br>  John and his wife live alone.
<br> 
<br>  Dale Coye
<br>  The College of NJ
<br>
<br>----------------------
<br>Peter A. McGraw
<br>Linfield College
<br>McMinnville, Oregon
<br>pmcgraw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]linfield.edu
<br>