GREAZY and GREASY

[James C Stalker]

This is indeed an interesting thread.  There are rare differences between
Dennis and me, in language at any rate.  But occasionally, the rather minor
geographical difference of a few miles does make a language difference.
Dennis is from southern IN, north of the Ohio River.  I’m from a working
class neighborhood in southern Jefferson County, outside of Louisville.  I
didn’t even know or notice that <s> was a possibility in “greasy” and
the verb “grease” until I began my grad study in Wisconsin, and that was
after spending some time in New York City!  I was further not aware of the
qualitative difference until I read Roger Shuy’s attitude studies of the
AA dialect in Detroit.  I became aware of the phonological significance of
the s/z distinction when my sister-in-law, from So IN, same neighborhood as
Dennis more or less, but later a long time resident of So KY and AL didn’t
even hear the difference when I was explaining (unsuccessfully it seems)
what dialects are all about.  I was telling her about the greasy/greazy
line, and she responded, “What greazy/greazy line?”  I have inquired
about the greasy = more positive/greazy = less positive in my classes at MSU
with mixed results.  Most of my students, mostly Michiganians/Michiganders,
can hear the phonological difference, but it means nothing in terms of
positive or negative.  Greasy is greasy and it will kill you.  Greazy is no
worse or better.
        Now, in my world, a very confused one I admit, greazy is nuanced.  George
Foreman’s grill does not make decent pork chops.  There isn’t enough
grease.  On the other hand, it is possible to have greazy pork chops, i. e.,
too much grease.
        So, bottom lining it here.  Dennis (So IN) seems to have a distinction that
I (No KY) do not have.

JCS

Beverly Flanigan writes:

> I haven't heard any, but I'm not in "deep" Appalachia.
>
> At 04:32 PM 3/11/2005, you wrote:
>> [gri:z] as a noun is usual in Scots, along with the same as a verb and
>> [gri:zi] as an adjective.  No Appalachian attestations?
>>
>> Paul Johnston
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Laurence Horn" <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Sent: Friday, March 11, 2005 4:00 PM
>> Subject: Re: GREAZY and GREA SY
>>
>>
>> > ---------------------- Information from the mail
>> header -----------------------
>> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>> > Subject:      Re: GREAZY and GREA               SY
>> >
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> -
>> -----
>> >
>> > >The only distinction as I remember it was/is in the verb and
>> adjective,
>> > >right?  No one, to my knowledge, pronounces the noun with /z/.  I
>> wasn't
>> > >aware of an added semantic distinction in the adjective, but then, I'm
>> not
>> > >a native in these here parts.  I'll now ask though.
>> > >
>> > >At 02:41 PM 3/11/2005, you wrote:
>> > >>E. Bagby Atwood, but I don't recall a "greaze" there (except as a
>> > >>verb of course).
>> > >>
>> > >>dInIs
>> > >>
>> >
>> > Yes, I'm sure it was the verb and the adjective that were under
>> > discussion in Atwood's paper.  It's all exotic to me, but I'm sure
>> > [gri:z] for the noun would have struck me as even more exotic.
>> >
>> > Larry
>



James C. Stalker
Department of English
Michigan State University