try and and try to

[RonButters at AOL.COM]

The problem with such apparent-time studies is that age-grading and formality
considerations obscure the results. For example, a likely explanation for the
"increasing" use of "try and" is that when older people are interviewed about
usage (esp. by younger people) they tend to give more formal answers than do
younger people (when interviewed by younger people), and "try and"
In a message dated 7/19/00 2:25:44 PM, Dfcoye at AOL.COM writes:

<< I ask my students during one of their vacations to find 3 informants: one
from their own generation, one from their parents, and one from their
grandparents.  We have a common questionnaire and the results for "try
and/to"  always show a regular increase.  I haven't got percentages in front
of me (one of my things to do this summer), and of course this is a not a
random sample, but it's a pretty clear trend for NJ anyway.   The two
pronunciations of either show the same trend with /ai/ gaining on /i/. >>