Is there such a phenomenon as "undercorrection/hypocorrection?

[Wilson Gray]

Some of you may be familiar with the phrase, "Shuckin' 'n' jivin'."
The first time that I heard this was on a record by the St. Louis
bluesman, Jimmy McCracklin (and yes, his name is pronounced "Jimmy
Mack Cracklin), some time in the '50's. He spoke the phrase as, "jes'
a-shuckin' an' a-jivin'." Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of
the song, so I can't track down the exact date of publication.

I also once heard someone say, "She was hidin' in the closet, jes' a-gigglin'!"

-Wilson Gray

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       "Mullins, Bill" <Bill.Mullins at US.ARMY.MIL>
>Subject:      Re: Is there such a phenomenon as
>               "undercorrection/hypocorrection?
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>>From Hee-Haw
>Roy Clark:  "I'm a-pickin' . . ."
>Buck Owens: ". . . and I'm a-grinnin'".
>
>Also heard:  Hootin' and a-hollerin'.
>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: American Dialect Society
>>  [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
>>  Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 7:00 PM
>>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>  Subject: Re: Is there such a phenomenon as
>>  "undercorrection/hypocorrection?
>>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
>>  Subject:      Re: Is there such a phenomenon as
>>                "undercorrection/hypocorrection?
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  -----------------
>>
>>  I can't speak for Ohio, but I hear "a-" prefixin' almost
>>  daily here in East Tennessee.  Hardly ever from college
>>  students, though.  And I don't believ I've ever seen it in a
>>  freshman theme.
>>
>>  JL
>>
>>  Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM> wrote:
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender: American Dialect Society
>>  Poster: Benjamin Barrett
>>  Subject: Re: Is there such a phenomenon as
>>  "undercorrection/hypocorrection?
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  -----------------
>>
>>  Isn't "a-screamin and a-hollerin" just a set phrase? The
>>  interviewee then just reversed the internal order of this
>>  phrase for emphasis.
>>
>>  Benjamin Barrett
>>  Questioning in Seattle
>>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From: American Dialect Society
>>  [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Beverly Flanigan
>>  --------------------------------------------------------------
>>  --------------
>>  ---
>>
>>  By the way, for those of you who think a-prefixing is dead,
>>  or at least isn't used in Ohio, I heard a great example on
>>  local radio this morning.
>>  Concerning a murder about 30 miles from here, in southeastern
>>  Ohio, the interviewee said "They were a-screamin' and
>>  a-hollerin', and a-hollerin' and a-screamin'"--four attestations!
>>
>>
>>  ---------------------------------
>>  Do you Yahoo!?
>>   Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site!
>>