"briggity"?

Beverly Flanigan flanigan at OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU
Mon Mar 20 20:23:13 UTC 2000


A former student of mine from southern Ohio spelled it "brigady"--is this a
common variant?  Then again, users of the term probably don't often read or
write it.  Her definition of it was "wild or rowdy,"  as used about a
child.  The Ohio River Valley must be the northernmost area of its use;
I've had students at Ohio University attest to it only once or twice in the
five years since I first heard it.

At 12:02 PM 3/16/00 -0500, you wrote:
>DARE has "briggity" and calls it an alteration of "biggity."  The superlative
>(I love this) is "bricketyest."
>
>Joan Houston Hall wrote:
>
> > "Briggity" is a wonderful word found chiefly in the southern Appalachians,
> > meaning (according to DARE) "Self-assertive, conceited, headstrong."
> >
> > At 01:43 PM 3/13/2000 -0500, you wrote:
> > >        Is anyone on this list familiar with the term "briggity"? I came
> > >across it in some material on the late Joseph Pulitzer, who said, in
> > >launching his New York World in the late 1800s, he wanted to content to be
> > >"brief, breezy and briggity."
> > >        Anyone have an idea of what he meant? I'm sure at least one of my
> > >Media History students is going to ask.
> > >
> > >        Jerry Miller
> > >        Franklin College of Indiana
> > >



More information about the Ads-l mailing list