jeet chet

[Bethany K. Dumas]

On Fri, 7 Dec 2001, Ellen Johnson wrote:

>Also, something that people around here think is a "southernism" but I
>suspect it is widespread.  I heard it commented on this week and saw it
>on a sign at a Taco Bell:
>
>Jeet chet?
>Yont to?

I first heard <jeet chet> used as an example of general informal
speech (not regional in distribution) when I was a doctoral student Fall
1961. I have used it in class lectures for many years. I think I heard it
first in a class in Old English.

Bethany