"drug" and irregulation

[Laurence Horn]

At 2:16 PM -0500 11/12/10, Joel S. Berson wrote:
>I thought the tendency was for irregular verbs to become
>regular?

the opposite tendency exists too; cf. "dove", an innovative past
tense form.  usually analogy is brought in to explain (or at least
catalogue) such developments.

>   Here Bush seems to be drugging in the irregular.

Why?  "Drug" as a strong past tense (or participle) of "drag" has
been around a lot longer than either Bush.  I'd think this is just
standard (or standard non-standard) Texas usage GWB picked up, not a
case of a regular verb becoming irregular.  (Cf. snuck, clumb,...)  I
have it, at least passively, in at least one context:  "Look what the
cat drug in."

LH

>
>At 11/12/2010 01:26 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>>>From Mediaite commentary on Bill O'Reilly interview of W:
>>
>>>But when O'Reilly pressed Bush to answer questions about the current
>>>policies that are extensions of his past policies, Bush relented. "Ask
>>>him, I'm the retired guy," he said. "You're trying to drag me into the
>>>current affairs, and I don't want to be drug in to the current
>>>affairs." (And to all you Bush haters, it looks like "drug" is
>>>colloquial, and although it should be dragged, could be acceptable.)
>>
>>Steve Krakauer's source for acceptance of "drug" is here
>>http://bit.ly/c0voDE
>>
>>     VS-)
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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