Trait on, hate on, etc.

[Jonathan Lighter]

35 years ago the common verb "dig" (to like) was frequently augmented with "on" in white, semi-hippie student speech in N.Y.C. :

"I could tell she was diggin' on it!"

  It seemed like a novelty at the time.

  JL

Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Charles Doyle
Subject: Trait on, hate on, etc.
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Or, antonymically speaking, the venerable Southern "love
on," as when a mother says to a fussy infant, "Do you need
me to love on you?" (meaning 'cuddle, caress, show affection
for').

--Charlie
__________________________________

---- Original message ----

>Sender: American Dialect Society L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster: Margaret Lee
>Subject: Re: trait on
>------------------------------------------------------------
>
>"Mark A. Mandel" wrote: Sounds similar to hip hop's "to
hate on" --Ex, "Don't be hating on me."
>
> Margaret Lee

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