hearing/spelling confusion

[James C Stalker]

I’m sorry Mr. Shoe, but there is no maturity or maternity benefit for
males in MT.  We are not sure just what a materity benefit is, but we are
checking on it and will get back to you.  However, we will remind you that
there are lovely mountain views, particularly around Missoula, but don’t
tell anybody.

We are not quite sure what your respondent meant by “do time.”
Generally this means that the person has had a disagreement with local law
enforcement, but sometimes it applies to pregnant women, as Ms Flanigan in
Ohio suggests.  Our friends in Michigan tell us that male retirees often get
Honey Do lists from their wives.  We are pretty sure that these are not
lists of melons. It is quite confusing.

We have heard that you are a person who knows about language, that you
worked for a school back east, in St Louis or Biloxi or Washington or
someplace like that.

Awaiting your reply on what “do” means.

Yours,
Missoula Jim



Roger Shuy writes:

> on 3/23/05 10:44 AM, Beverly Flanigan at flanigan at OHIO.EDU wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Beverly Flanigan <flanigan at OHIO.EDU>
>> Subject:      Fwd: Re: hearing/spelling confusion
>>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --> -
>>
>> Following on "pulling it taught," a note about local affairs:
>>
>>>
>>> -Good morning, Just so you know I'm in the process.  I
>>> e-mailed Kathy Kerr who is in charge of the community
>>> page in the Messenger and asked that we create a
>>> neighborhood column.  She said the decission comes
>>> from Monica Nieport, who is on materity leave and just
>>> had her baby on Saturday.   So I will follow up on
>>> this in do time.
>>> Delia
>>
>> Do tell!
>>
> And this also makes me wonder if "materity leave" is anything like maturity
> leave. My fond hope is that in my retirement I might get some possible
> maturity  benefits.
>



James C. Stalker
Department of English
Michigan State University