Gone and V-ed

[Dennis R. Preston]

"Haul off an love me" plays, I think, on the usually physically active
status of what follows "haul off and" and is what makes "haul off and love
me" cute since "love me" is, by virture of this context, given a more
active or "physical" interpretation.

dInIs

>>Here's my attempt, solely as a native Alabamian (b. 1962,
>>Montgomery), at this:
>>
>>
>>Now, if she were really outraged, she might have said, "But he's
>>hauled off and drowned . . .," implying that Walter flagrantly,
>>defiantly poured syrup all over his food. But really this is
>>something I believe I've heard only men and boys say.
>>
>And if she were in a singin' mood, she could have (grown up and)
>topped off Shenia's "gone an' done it" with the classic string band
>sound of Wayne Raney's "Why Don't You Haul Off and Love Me?"
>(recorded by several artists and groups in 1949, covered by Dolly
>Parton 20 years later).    So Dolly  says "haul off and" at least
>once, and she ain't no man nor boy, I don't reckon.
>
>larry


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