PASSED (AWAY) (was 'disappearing prepositions')

[Wilson Gray]

On Oct 24, 2004, at 2:42 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: PASSED (AWAY) (was 'disappearing prepositions')
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>
> Though I've already observed that Phil Donahue used to say "passed"
> all the time on his old TV series, it's also true that mostly African
> Americans seem to use it - on TV, at least.
>
> JL
>

In real life, too. For example, my own father passed this year at the
age of 97. So, I've had occasion to hear current usage. Sometimes, folk
say "passed on," instead. But "passed away" is so rare as to have a
literary air about it.

-Wilson Gray

> Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM> wrote:
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> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Sam Clements
> Subject: Re: PASSED (AWAY) (was 'disappearing prepositions')
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> ----- Original Message -----
> From:
> To:
> Sent: Sunday, October 24, 2004 2:18 PM
> Subject: PASSED (AWAY) (was 'disappearing prepositions')
>
>
>> I never heard PASSED for PASSED AWAY until >1967, when I moved from
>> Iowa to
>> North Carolina, where I began to hear it in the speech >of African
> Americans of
>> all social classes. I also have a sense that it was found >then in
>> folk
> speech
>> among whites as well. I don't know what the DARE files >might tell us
>> about
>> this, but my guess is that it is (or at least was) a >Southernism.
>
> White, born in Danville VA in 1944, lived in Arlington Va until 1966.
> Had
> dozens of Southern Virginia relatives.
>
> Never heard "passed" until I taught in an all-Black High School in NC,
> 1967-70.
>
> Sam Clements
>
>
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