Query: Please from Bitte in Ohio?

[Barnhart]

Is this what in DARE is described as an interrogative exclamation...
Chifly  N Central,  esp OH.  No ety is given.  However, consult Prof. John
R. Costello (NYU) about its "calkedness."

Regards,
David K. Barnhart, Editor/Publisher
The Barnhart DICTIONARY COMPANION
Lexik at highlands.com

American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on Thursday, January 06,
2005 at 8:30 PM -0500 wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Grant Barrett <gbarrett at WORLDNEWYORK.ORG>
>Subject:      Query: Please from Bitte in Ohio?
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I just got this query from a reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer.
>Basically, he wants information about "please" being  a calque for
>"bitte" in Ohio, a carryover, he says, from the German heritage of the
>area. It is used in place of "excuse me" or "I beg your pardon."
>
>The reporter's information is:
>
>Chuck Martin
>Cincinatti Enquirer
>cmartin at enquirer.com
>513 768 8507
>
>Thanks,
>
>Grant Barrett
>gbarrett at worldnewyork.org