Heard in Missouri: "but good!"

[Dennis Preston]

Yep; heard it everywhere I've been; all over the country.



>--------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       David Donnell <David.Donnell at EARTHLINK.NET>
>Subject:      Re: Heard in Missouri: "but good!"
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>The obvious question: when you say you never thought of it as
>regional, have you heard it 'up' in Michigan?
>
>DD
>
>At 12:30 PM -0500 12/19/07, Dennis Preston wrote:
>>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
>>>-----------------------
>>>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
>>>
>>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>>
>>--
>>Dennis R. Preston
>>University Distinguished Professor
>>Department of English
>>Morrill Hall 15-C
>>Michigan State University
>>East Lansing, MI 48864 USA
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48864 USA

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org