Heard in Missouri: "but good!"

[Dennis Preston]

I am a native speaker of it, as were my parents and pert night
everbody around me (Louisville area, early 1940s on). Never thought
of it as regional.

dInIs



>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       David Donnell <David.Donnell at EARTHLINK.NET>
>Subject:      Heard in Missouri: "but good!"
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Question about an expression I just heard: "but good!"
>
>I just returned from St Louis where I was visiting my 88 yr old
>mother. (Born & raised in southeast Missouri, near Cape Girardeau.)
>
>Addressing me and her friend/contemporary, my mom related a
>conversation about someone's 16 yr old daughter: the girl had stayed
>out until 3 a.m., sans permission, with her cell phone turned off...
>Very worrisome to the parents, natch.
>
>My mom's friend then asked if the girl would be punished. My mom
>responded, "I asked [the father] if she was grounded...he said BUT
>GOOD!"
>
>The expression never registered with me before, although it sounded
>familiar rolling off her tongue; it apparently means something like
>"and how!"
>
>Is anyone familiar with this critter?
>
>(Hard to Google such a ubiquitous 2-word combo.)
>
>DD
>Missouri-native in NYC
>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48864 USA

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