Grammar Girl's "needs done" survey

[Douglas G. Wilson]

On 9/7/2011 12:18 PM, Ben Zimmer wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society<ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Ben Zimmer<bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Grammar Girl's "needs done" survey
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 12:11 PM, Ben Zimmer wrote:
>> On Wed, Sep 7, 2011 at 11:51 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>>> In his speech yesterday, the President of the United States observed that
>>> much of America's infrastructure "needs rebuilt."
>>>
>>> A Presidential first?
>> Not sure about that. I think he said "We’ve got roads and bridges
>> across this country that need rebuildin'." The final syllable (with
>> folksy dropped g) is quite reduced, so I can see how JL could have
>> heard it as "rebuilt."
>>
>> It's at 10:50 in the video:
>>
>> http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2011/09/05/president-obamas-labor-day-message-weve-got-fully-restore-middle-c
>>
>> Official transcript says "need rebuilding":
>>
>> http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/09/05/remarks-president-detroit-labor-day-event
> Interestingly, though, the Wall Street Journal heard it as "need to be
> rebuilt." Hmmm.
>
> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904900904576552820082030698.html
--

I hear it as "need rebuildin'", FWIW.

-- Doug Wilson

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