LINGUIST List 2.555

Wed 25 Sep 1991

Disc: It needs washed

Editor for this issue: <>

Directory

1. Fan mail from some flounder?, Re: 2.552 Responses: macs, needs, being, roles
2. Gregory Grefenstette, Re: 2.552 Responses ... It needs washed
3. Richard Ogden, needs
4. "Bruce E. Nevin", it needs washed
5. Laurie Bauer, Response: needs washed
6. "ACAD3A::FFLDK", Response: needs washed
7. Joe Stemberger, Re: 2.552 Responses: macs, needs, being, roles

Message 1: Re: 2.552 Responses: macs, needs, being, roles

Re "needs washed," I remember Lisa Selkirk said she's from southwestern
New York (Jamestown??) and also has that dialect. I would have to say "needs
washing."
Re Macs vs. IBM's: Macs can draw trees more easily than IBMS too, I think.
The big problem with the Mac is the software. Some software *forces* you
to use the mouse, and that's the software I don't like, as I don't want to take
my hands off the keyboard, and prefer to use function keys. There is not
(oops, that was supposed to be _now_) some software, e.g., WordPerfect,
that lets you do that.
Susan Fischer

Message 2: Re: 2.552 Responses ... It needs washed

"Its needs washed" is certainly acceptable in Western Pennsylvania
(Pittsburgh).
--Gregory Grefenstette

'It needs washed' - someone commented that they'd have to say 'it needs
to be washed'. Can't you say 'it needs washing' in that dialect of American
English?
By the way, where I come from (NW England) we don't often say 'needs --ing',
we say 'could do with a...' --- 'the car could do with a wash/with being w
washed'.
Richard Ogden

Bob Yates <RYATESCMSUVMB.BITNET> asks about expressions of the form "It
needs washed," previously reported by Joe Stemberger for his Central
Pennsylvanian dialect, and which he (Bob) confirmed for Central
Pennsylvania in Sedley's _Anatomy of English_, for central Illinois
(Peoria) in the usage of his relations, and for his students in central
Missouri. (Hi, Bob.)
I have a 17-year-old relation in Washington near the Canadian boarder
(Anacortes) for whom this is normal. She did parts of her growing up in
Montana and northern California. Haven't noticed it elsewhere, but will
listen and ask.
	Bruce Nevin
	bnbbn.com

The construction 'needs washed' is standard Scottish English, and occurs
dialectally in New Zealand, no doubt because of the Scottish settlements.
Laurie Bauer

In response to Bob Yates's query about Joe Stemberger's report that construc-
tions like "it needs washed" are used in Central Pennsylvania, I hear that
sort of thing periodically here in Alaska. I was very surprised a few years
ago when my piano teacher told me "This piece needs played" (it did) and
found out that she was from Oregon somewhere. Then someone else told me
that "The Xerox machine needs fixed," and I began hearing this construction
regularly, although it is quite impossible in my own dialect. Seems to be
fairly widespread.
 Lawrence Kaplan
 University of Alaska Fairbanks

Message 7: Re: 2.552 Responses: macs, needs, being, roles

Bob Yates asks how widespread the construction "It needs washed" is.
I don't know the limits. However, it's one of the dialect features of
Pittsburgh that all old-comers immediately mention to all newcomers. In a
book on "errors" intended for the general public/beginning undergrads,
Arnold Zwicky says that it's a feature of Columbus, Ohio. I met someone
from West Virginia who used it. I'm surprised to hear that it's
found in Illinois and Missouri, though.
By the way, "It needs to be washed" is perfectly grammatical, too, just
a bit formal. What's completely ungrammatical is "It needs washing"
(though "It needs being washed" and "It needs some washing" are fine).
---joe stemberger