Did with/did to (heard on NPR)

[Victor Steinbok]

  What I meant is that for some people I know, they could use 2. in the
context that you give for 1.

     VS-)

On 10/21/2010 5:16 AM, Barbara Need wrote:
> Contexts in which the following work for me.
>
> On 20 Oct 2010, at 11:02 AM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>
>> Compare:
>>
>> 1. "What did you do to my car?!"
> There is a dent in it! I lent you the car yesterday, and there was no
> dent. How did the dent get there!
>
>> 2. "What did you do with my car?!"
> Where did you park it? I can't find it!
>
> or, maybe
>
> Did you run over someone with it? I hear there was a hit-and-run
> accident and they are looking for a car that looks like mine.
>
>> 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).
> Barbara
>

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