"Who-shot-John"

[Margaret Lee]

When I was growing up (western VA), "Who shot John" meant what is today referred to as "drama."  In a situation where there was  physical or verbal confrontation,  hyped emotions, etc., elders would say that there was a lot of "Who shot John."  

 

________________________________
 From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 8:00 PM
Subject: "Who-shot-John"
  
Among black East Texans, if it appeared that you had showered with
your clothes on and then rolled on the ground to get dry, someone
might exclaim, upon seeing you,

"You look like who-shot-John!"

--
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint
to come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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

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