Did with/did to (heard on NPR)

[Victor Steinbok]

  I believe, it was a voicemail, which Hill took to Brandeis security
because of ambiguously threatening content, which, in turn, took it to
the FBI.

As for with/to, it might be an attempt to say "what you did with his
nomination", and then just replacing "his nomination" with "him". Or
something like that... But the rough meaning would have to be "mess
with" for this to work.

Compare:

1. "What did you do to my car?!"
2. "What did you do with my car?!"

The "normal" meaning of "did with" =="perform a trick" would not work
here. I would never say 2., but I can think of a number of people who
would (and not just in the Midwest).

     VS-)

On 10/20/2010 4:24 AM, Barbara Need wrote:
> A report on NPR this morning about the anniversary of the confirmation
> of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, said that Thomas' wife sent a
> message (e-mail?) to Anita hill asking her to apologize for what she
> "did with" Mr. Thomas.
>
> My first reaction was to wonder if Mrs. Thomas thought that Ms. Hill
> and Mr. Thomas had engaged in sex and was asking for an apology. If
> she were asking Ms. Hill to apologize for having accused her husband,
> I would have expected "did to." Are there dialects in which "did with"
> would refer to the accusation rather than the act?
>
> Barbara

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