spendy

[Dennis R. Preston]

Anne,

I'm sure your family knows where "out here" is, but the rest of us don't.

dInIs (up here in MI)

>----- Original Message -----
>From: <AAllan at AOL.COM>
>To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Sent: Saturday, November 27, 1999 10:28 AM
>Subject: spendy
>
>
>> It's not in the dictionary; but people in Washington State, and Oregon,
>and
>> Idaho, and Montana, and maybe Minnesota know what "spendy" means =
>expensive.
>> Examples:
>>
>>    Faribault County, Minnesota: "I voted for Arne Carlson because he is a
>> good businessman and reigned in our spendy legislature for two terms and
>> turned up a surplus."
>>    Boise, Idaho: "Kempthorne Plan May Be Too Spendy, Some Critics Say."
>>    Seattle: "Ferry Ramp Proves Spendy Folly."
>>    Portland, Oregon: "Parking Overtime in Portland Gets Spendy."
>>
>> Is that the right limit of distribution? Anybody speak of "spendy" in the
>> south or east?
>
>I don't know about Minnesota, never having been there, but "spendy" is a
>perfectly good word out here, as in "I bought this coat, even though I know
>it's a spendy item".  It seems to be a relatively recent innovation.  AT
>least I've only heard "spendy" used this way recently.
>Anne Gilbert


Dennis R. Preston
Department of Linguistics and Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
preston at pilot.msu.edu
Office: (517)353-0740
Fax: (517)432-2736