"You want punched out?"

[Douglas G. Wilson]

On 5/25/2011 8:05 PM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
> ....
>> Ordinary (I think):
>>
>> He needs [to get] some whiskey.
>> I want [to get] more exercise.
>>
>> Ordinary (I think) but sometimes said to be regional:
>>
>> The dog wants [to get] out.
>> I want [to get] in.
>>
>> Less ordinary, dialectal/regional(?):
>>
>> Excuse me, I need [to get] past.
>> I need [to get] out of Ohio.
> But the above don't have past participles?
--

Right.

--
> And I would say that some of them are more than regional -- esp. "I
> want in" (or "out").
--

These seem (to me) widespread. But see the comments (and map) under Ben
Zimmer's piece at LanguageLog. "Wants in" etc. have been cited in the
past as characteristic of Indiana (I don't necessarily endorse this).

--
> And does the regionality apply only, or mainly, to those that *do*
> omit a part particple -- e.g., the ones below?
--

Maybe to "need in", "need past", etc., also. At least that's my
unsubstantiated impression.

-- Doug Wilson

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