"Jeet jet?" / "No, jew?" (1925)

Wed Nov 16 18:38:03 UTC 2005

I bet Jeff Foxworthy thought he invented this one.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 12:11 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: "Jeet jet?" / "No, jew?" (1925)
>
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      "Jeet jet?" / "No, jew?" (1925)
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
> It's from the jazz age, it turns out. Not Woody Allen or J.
> D. Salinger in =20 THE NEW YORKER!
> --Barry Popik
> "World renowned NYC administrative law judge"--WONKSTER, 11-16-05 ...
> ...
> ...
> _http://www.barrypopik.com/article/1247/jeet-jet--no-jew_=20
> (http://www.barrypopik.com/article/1247/jeet-jet--no-jew)=20
> Jeet jet?" / "No, jew?" =20
> =E2=80=9CJeet jet?=E2=80=9D is New Yorkese for =E2=80=9CDid
> you eat yet?=E2= =80=9D An appropriate response =20 might be
> =E2=80=9CNo, jew?=E2=80=9D (No, did you?)=20 Rhode Island and
> other places claim =E2=80=9CJeet jet?=E2=80=9D as a local p=
> ronunciation. =20 Woody Allen included =E2=80=9CJew?=E2=80=9D
> (D=E2=80=99you?) in one of his 1= 970s  movies.
> ...
> ...
> ...
> ...
> 26 April 1925, Washington Post,  =E2=80=9CHard on the
> Ears=E2=80=9D by Doris=  Blake, pg. SM2:
> Do you say any of the following,  which are typical of the
> errors commonly=20 heard and reported by the two teachers  of
> the New York university clinic?=20 Chanct for chance.
> Wisht for wish.
> Henery for Henry.
> Detecative for  detective.
> Hisn for his.
> Municipal for municipal (accent on the third  syllable
> instead of the second= ).
> Cuz for because.
> Breds for  breadths.
> Deps for depths.
> Wid for width.
> Hoozis for who is  this.
> Smatter for what=E2=80=99s the matter.
> Jeet for did you eat.
> Partikly for  particularly.
> ...
> ...
> 20 December 1925, Washington Post, pg.  SM1:
> So many couples courting nowadays instead of taking a
> pleasant, =20 companionable walk into the countryside hunt
> the nearest jazz dance. Big boy=
>   takes his =E2=80=9C
> booful baby=E2=80=9D out =E2=80=9Choofing.=E2=80=9D They
> dance every number=20= without speaking  once to=20 each
> other. After the hoofing he asks her, =E2=80=9CJeet?=E2=80=9D
> meaning=20= =E2=80=9CDid you  eat?=E2=80=9D=20 and she
> replies, =E2=80=9CJew?=E2=80=9D meaning =E2=80=9CDid
> you?=E2=80=9D H= e says, =E2=80=9CNo,=E2=80=9D and she
> suggests =20 an =E2=80=9Citty bitty supper,=E2=80=9D meaning
> a =E2=80=9Clittle bit of sup= per.=E2=80=9D ...
> ...
> 5  June 1948, The New Yorker, pg. 38:
> [Reprinted in Nine Stories  by J.D. Salinger (Boston: Little,
> Brown and=20 Company, April 1953, paperback  edition January
> 2001), =E2=80=9CJust Before=20= the War with=20 the
> Eskimos,=E2=80=9D pg. 67]=20 =E2=80=9CJeat jet?=E2=80=9D he asked.
> =E2=80=9CWhat?=E2=80=9D
> =E2=80=9CJeat lunch yet?=E2=80=9D
> Ginnie shook her  head. =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99ll eat when I get
> home,=E2=80=9D=20= she said.
> ...
> ...
> ...
> 15 September  1948, Los Angeles Times, =E2=80=9CPet Speech
> Peeve=E2=80=9D by=  Frank Colby,=20 pg.  A5:
> Overheard in an office building lobby:
> =E2=80=9CJeet, jet?=E2=80=9D
> =E2=80=9CNo,  jew?=E2=80=9D
> =E2=80=9CNo. Seat.=E2=80=9D
> Translation:
> =E2=80=9CDid you eat yet?=E2=80=9D
> =E2=80=9CNo. Did  you?=E2=80=9D
> =E2=80=9CNo. Let=E2=80=99s eat.=E2=80=9D ...
> ...
> ...
> (WorldCat record)
> Title:  =E2=80=9CJug=E2=80=9D sessions
> Author(s): Ammons, Gene. prf; Ammons, Albert,; 1907-1949. ;
> prf; Mance,=20 Junior,; 1928- ; prf; Wright, Eugene,; 1923- ; prf
> Publication:  Chicago :; Mercury,
> Year: 1976, 1947
> Description: 2 sound discs (79 min.)  :; analog, 33 1/3 rpm ;; 12 in.
> Language: N/A
> Series: EmArcy jazz  series
> Music Type: Jazz
> Standard No: Publisher: EMS 20400;  Mercury
> Contents: Concentration=E2=80=94Red
> Top=E2=80=94Idaho=E2=80=94St. Louis blue=
> s=E2=80=94Shufflin=E2=80=99 the  boogie=E2=80=94 S.P.
> blues=E2=80=94Hiroshima=E2=80=94McDougal=E2=80=99s
> sprout=E2=80=94Hold=20= that
> money=E2=80=94Shermanski=E2=80=94Harold =20 the
> Fox=E2=80=94Jeet jet=E2=80=94Odd-en-dow=E2=80=94Going for the
> okey doak= =E2=80=94E.A.A.K. blues=E2=80=94Blowing=20 the
> family jewels=E2=80=94Sugar coated=E2=80=94Dues in
> blues=E2=80=94Jay, J= ay=E2=80=94Daddy Sauce=E2=80=99s
> airline=E2=80=94 Little  Irv=E2=80=94Abdullah=E2=80=99s
> fiesta=E2=80=94Brother Jug=E2=80=99s=20=
> sermon=E2=80=94Everything depends on you =E2=80=94Hot
> springs=E2=80=94When you=E2=80=99re gone=E2=80=94Little slam.
> SUBJECT
> Descriptor: Jazz=E2=80=941941-1950.
> Note(s): All  selections previously released on Mercury
> albums./ Notes by Da= n=20 Morgenstern on  container./
> Participants: Jazz; Gene Ammons, saxophone ;=20 Albert
> Ammons, Junior  Mance, pianos ; Gene Wright, bass; with
> others./ Reco= rded=20 in Chicago between  June 17, 1947 and
> October 4, 1949.
> Other Titles: Concentration.; Red Top.;  Idaho.; St. Louis
> blues.; Shufflin= =E2=80=99=20 the boogie.; S.P. blues.;
> Hiroshima.;  McDougal=E2=80=99s sprout.; Hold that=
> money.;=20 Shermanski.; Harold the Fox.; Jeet jet.;
> Odd-en-dow.; Going for the okey=20 doak.; E.A.A.K. blues.;
> Blowing the family  jewels.; Sugar coated.; Dues in=20=
> blues.;=20 Jay, Jay.; Daddy Sauce=E2=80=99s airline.;  Little
> Irv.; Abdullah=E2=80=99s=20= fiesta.; Brother=20
> Jug=E2=80=99s sermon.; Everything depends on  you.; Hot
> springs.; When you= =E2=80=99re gone.;=20 Little slam.
> Responsibility: Gene  Ammons.
> Material Type: Music (msr); LP (lps)
> Document Type: Sound  Recording
> Entry: 19840919
> Update: 20010122
> Accession No: OCLC:  11172118
> Database: WorldCat
> ...
> ...
> ...
> 14 May 1991, Providence  (RI) Journal, pg. E-01 To a youngsta
> in Utah, a pitcha of Rhode  Island by MARK PATINKIN
> (...)
> And speaking of language, we use it  in other novel ways,
> too. If you come=20 here and someone barks at you:
> =E2=80=9CJee-jet?=E2=80=9D  This simply means= , =E2=80=9CDid
> you eat yet?=E2=80=9D  Once they get to know you, they will
> be  more familiar and simply say, =E2= =80=9CJeet?
> =E2=80=9D
> ...
> ...
> ...
> The Rhode  Island Dictionary
> by Mark Patinkin
> illustrated by Don Bousquet
> not  paginated
> N. Attleboro, MA: Covered Bridge Press
> 1993=20
> JEET: A question among co-workers at lunchtime. Roughly: Have
> you eaten yet?=  =20 Long form is =E2=80=9CJeejet?=E2=80=9D
> =E2=80=9CJeet?
> (Cartoon has one person say =E2=80=9CJEET?=E2=80=9D and the
> other person an= swer =E2=80=9CNO, JOOZ?=E2=80=9D
>  =E2=80=93 ed.)
>