Only in East Texas? More widespread?

[J. Eulenberg]

Well, I don't know if this is limited to black people.  I'm white, from
Dallas, and have white friends from E. Texas.  I think this has a solid
resonance with what we do -- as long as [hu] is pronounced "huh?"  I've
sort of toned it down to "What" after 40 yrs in the Pacific NW.

Julia Niebuhr Eulenberg <eulenbrg at u.washington.edu>

On Wed, 8 Sep 2004, Wilson Gray wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM>
> Subject:      Only in East Texas? More widespread?
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Down home, among black people, when a person is called to by someone
> who is out of that person's sight, the person called to responds by
> hollering back "[hu:]?!" The caller then hollers back whatever is
> relevant: "Where you (at)?" Bring me my tobacco!" "Get in this house!"
> "Hand me down my walking cane!"
>
> Is anything like this customary anywhere else?
>
> -Wilson Gray
>