"Babysit" as transitive

[Dennis R. Preston]

Still transitive for me; I first noticed it in the early 1960's, but
that's when I left Louisville KY for Madison WI so dates may be less
important than places. (I am also so old or from such a strange place
that I have to "graduate from" something.)

dInIs

>Just when did "babysit" become a transitive verb? When I grew up in the
>50s and when we had our own children in the 70s, you would have someone
>babysit FOR your children. Now you babysit children. Where and when did
>this start?
>
>D

--
Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics and Languages
740 Wells Hall A
Michigan State University
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