Upstate New York stamp vs. stomp

David Bowie db.list at PMPKN.NET
Wed Apr 25 15:35:26 UTC 2007


With the memory of the discussion of stamp vs. stomp[1], it's worth
looking at yesterday's Doonesbury, where Garry Trudeau (raised in
Saranac NY, if Wikipedia's correct) uses "stomp" in a situation where it
sounded (if i followed the claims correctly, which i may well not have)
like some people were saying Northerners would use "stamp". See:

http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html?uc_full_date=20070424

[1] My Upper Southern self has a distinction between them where i'd
stamp *or* stomp out a fire, but i could only stomp (never stamp) out
something, unless it's something abstract and huge (like a disease of
something), in which case i could only stamp it out.

I've now completely confused myself.

--
David Bowie                               University of Central Florida
     Jeanne's Two Laws of Chocolate: If there is no chocolate in the
     house, there is too little; some must be purchased. If there is
     chocolate in the house, there is too much; it must be consumed.

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