a construction that could use (to be) studied

[Laurence Horn]

Just noticed this exchange from an audiobook of _One for the Money_ (1994) by Janet Evanovich, between a cop named Crazy Carl Constanza and protagonist Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter, who has just shown up at police headquarters with an FTA (fail-to-appear) who is (at best) drunk, asleep, and generally in pretty bad shape.  The characters are from Trenton, NJ, the author from nearby South River.

"Is he dead?"
"I don't think so."
"He looks dead."
I agreed. "He could use to be hosed down."

Stephanie's construction in the last utterance reminded me of the "needs washed" construction, in part because I don't have it.  I could say "He could use hosing down" (just as I could say "He needs hosing down" *or* "He needs to be hosed down"), but I can't say "He could use to be hosed down".  And needless to say, I can't say "He could use hosed down".  I'm not sure Stephanie (or her creator) could say the latter, but a fairly substantial number of web contributors can say both.  It's especially frequent (with "to be" or not "to be") in Craigslist postings.

This is not terribly surprising, given how close "could use" in these contexts is semantically to "needs", but I've just never heard or read examples before and never seen it discussed.  Here's a sampling of both versions, with just "cleaned" and "washed" as the relevant participles (not surprisingly, the only "could use to be hosed off" that comes up is the one from the exchange above):

[+ TO BE}
Couple of white artifacts could use to be cleaned up as well.
Well I am having a party this weekend and noticed my windows could use to be cleaned.
couches are microfiber, not damaged just could use to be cleaned
My white coat shows every teeny tiny bit of dirt and I was pretty sure the kids' coats could use to be washed too.
My hair is a mess & could use to be washed
There are a few stains on the ottoman and the arm covers could use to be washed

[- TO BE]
There are a lot of things on this site that could use cleaned up, but it won't happen.
It's got a little corrosion on the outside of it, and could use cleaned up.
This house is livable right now but could use cleaned and a few minor things depending on preference.
Condition: Very Good, collar could use washed a bit.
The cover could use washed.
the hair [on a Barbie] is a bit gunky and could use washed


We know from work (a significant amount of it by Tom Murray and Beth Lee Simon) that Midlands speakers from Pittsburgh west and south can, to varying degrees, get "needs Ved", "wants Ved", "likes Ved", and so on.  Has "could use Ved" been discussed anywhere?  Is "could use to be Ved" possible across a wider expanse of territory, evidently extending to central NJ, but not NY or New England?  (Is it described in the last volume of DARE under _use_, v., Joan?  Are you currently on the list, Beth?)

LH

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