Slang "(be) ate up" (= be a bit of a dingbat)?

[paulzjoh]

13 years in Yellville Ar. ( just 30 miles from Mo. line) have never heard
that phrase
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cohen, Gerald Leonard" <gcohen at UMR.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 10:50 AM
Subject: Slang "(be) ate up" (= be a bit of a dingbat)?


> Yesterday I was asked if I'm familiar with the (possibly only
local/possibly only Ozark) expression "ate up" as an adjective.  The meaning
is roughly "be a bit of a dingbat (at least temporarily)." I asked for an
example in context, and was told, IIRC, "I'm ate up, done messed everything
up."
>
>  Anyway, I had never heard of it. I see it's not in HDAS and I don't have
DARE handy.  Is anyone else familiar with the expression? And would anyone
know what its original reference was?
>
> Gerald Cohen
> Rolla, Missouri
> (btw, pronounced RAHLuh, not ROHL-uh)
>