a lexicographical exploration

[earendel]

Last night a friend and I were talking, and during the conversation she said something like, "My daughter called and while she was telling me something she started tuning up on me." I had no idea what that expression meant, so I asked, and she told me. It was an expression I'd never heard before, but later, when I asked elwing about it, she said she knew what it meant. I wondered if it was something she had learned since we came to Kentucky or if she had always known it (we grew up in Oklahoma, within a mile of each other). She didn't know the answer. That got me to wondering:

1. What is the derivation of the expression?
2. Is it a regional expression and if so, what region?

BTW, "tuning up" means to start crying.

So help me out here - have you heard this term? Was it something you grew up with, and if so, where did you grow up? I'm trying to track this down.

[christie1111]

Last night a friend and I were talking, and during the conversation she said something like, "My daughter called and while she was telling me something she started tuning up on me." I had no idea what that expression meant, so I asked, and she told me. It was an expression I'd never heard before, but later, when I asked elwing about it, she said she knew what it meant. I wondered if it was something she had learned since we came to Kentucky or if she had always known it (we grew up in Oklahoma, within a mile of each other). She didn't know the answer. That got me to wondering:

1. What is the derivation of the expression?
2. Is it a regional expression and if so, what region?

BTW, "tuning up" means to start crying.

So help me out here - have you heard this term? Was it something you grew up with, and if so, where did you grow up? I'm trying to track this down.

Never heard of it. Tearing up, yes, tuning up, no.

I will ask my 16 yo daughter1111 if she ever heard of it after school.

I've lived mostly in Newport, RI; Kauai, Hawaii; Stratford, CT

[earendel]

Never heard of it. Tearing up, yes, tuning up, no.

I will ask my 16 yo daughter1111 if she ever heard of it after school.

I've lived mostly in Newport, RI; Kauai, Hawaii; Stratford, CT

I've heard "tearing up" also and my first thought was that "tuning" was a mispronunciation of "tearing", but it would take a fair amount of linguistic torture to make that change.

[VAdame]

It's a Southernism:

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles ... rnese.html

I'm not 100% sure of the origin, but here's my guess: Imagine the squawking, squealing sound of someone "tuning up" a guitar or a fiddle

[earendel]

It's a Southernism:

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles ... rnese.html

I'm not 100% sure of the origin, but here's my guess: Imagine the squawking, squealing sound of someone "tuning up" a guitar or a fiddle

Thanks, VADame - I figured it was probably "suthren" (meaning that elwing learned it after we moved to Kentucky) and this Web site confirms it.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

So help me out here - have you heard this term? Was it something you grew up with, and if so, where did you grow up? I'm trying to track this down.

I never heard the phrase. I grew up in Southern California.

I never heard the phrase kitty corner either.

[kayrharris]

Well, I grew up in Louisville and guess what? I knew right away what "tuning up" meant.

[wintergreen48]

It's a Southernism:

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles ... rnese.html

I'm not 100% sure of the origin, but here's my guess: Imagine the squawking, squealing sound of someone "tuning up" a guitar or a fiddle

But the suthrenese dictionary is wrong: it describes 'yall' as the plural of 'you,' but actually, 'yall' is the singular of you. The dictionary was no doubt written by some damyankees.

[silvercamaro]

But the suthrenese dictionary is wrong: it describes 'yall' as the plural of 'you,' but actually, 'yall' is the singular of you. The dictionary was no doubt written by some damyankees.

I must disagree, wintergreen. In these here parts, I do hear a clear grammatical differentiation for the use of y'all. On occasion, some speakers may use "y'all" in the singular, but Suthreners (or Okies, whatever they are) are so darn polite that they would never correct the grammar (or whatever it is) of the less edjumacated ones.

There is an exception. Sometimes, of course, "y'all" might be used in the singular for emphasis, to convey the meaning that the message is intended for the listener, all of his or her brain voices and alternate schizophrenic personalities, and all buns currently in the oven, as well as future offspring yet to be conceived.

[Jeemie]

It's a Southernism:

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles ... rnese.html

I'm not 100% sure of the origin, but here's my guess: Imagine the squawking, squealing sound of someone "tuning up" a guitar or a fiddle

But the suthrenese dictionary is wrong: it describes 'yall' as the plural of 'you,' but actually, 'yall' is the singular of you. The dictionary was no doubt written by some damyankees.

The plural is "all y'all", correct?

[silvercamaro]

The plural is "all y'all", correct?

That would be the way to provide emphasis in the plural form, without necessarily providing implications of mental illness and unchecked breeding.

[VAdame]

The plural is "all y'all", correct?

That would be the way to provide emphasis in the plural form, without necessarily providing implications of mental illness and unchecked breeding.

I always thought the plural of "you" was "YINZ!"

[kayrharris]

Are ya'll making fun of me? I'm just askin'......

[Appa23]

So help me out here - have you heard this term? Was it something you grew up with, and if so, where did you grow up? I'm trying to track this down.

I never heard the phrase. I grew up in Southern California.

I never heard the phrase kitty corner either.

Let it go.

[TheConfessor]

I also grew up in Louisville and I've never heard the term "tuning up" used with any lachrymose connotations. It was always a musical or automotive term.

Of course, I'd never seen stuff like "suthren" and "dint" until I started reading this board. I don't get why some intelligent people prefer to appear otherwise.

[tlynn78]

Never heard of it. I've lived in, let's see...

North Dakota
Alaska
So.Cal
Wyoming
Montana
Atlanta
Philippines

Maybe I just don't listen. Ya'll.


t.

[Rexer25]

I also grew up in Louisville and I've never heard the term "tuning up" used with any lachrymose connotations. It was always a musical or automotive term.

Of course, I'd never seen stuff like "suthren" and "dint" until I started reading this board. I don't get why some intelligent people prefer to appear otherwise.

Prolly cuz we's lazy, dint ya know?

Later.

[Jeemie]

The plural is "all y'all", correct?

That would be the way to provide emphasis in the plural form, without necessarily providing implications of mental illness and unchecked breeding.

I always thought the plural of "you" was "YINZ!"

Yinz is singular AND plural.

Although you can also say "Yinz guys" as in "Are yinz guys all goin' dahntahn after the Stillers game?"

[Jeemie]

I also grew up in Louisville and I've never heard the term "tuning up" used with any lachrymose connotations. It was always a musical or automotive term.

Of course, I'd never seen stuff like "suthren" and "dint" until I started reading this board. I don't get why some intelligent people prefer to appear otherwise.

For the same reason people try and appear overly-intelligent by using words like "lachrymose"?

[mrkelley23]

Yinz is interesting, because it seems to be less of a suthren thing, and more of a scattered regional thing. They say "Yunz" in southern Illinois, which is just west of me, but you never hear anyone in my town say it. We say "y'all." I KNOW from places other than this Bored that Yinz is also a Pittsburgh expression, and it most likely includes much of Pennsylvania, as well.

All points south of Evansville that I am familiar with use "y'all." It's also worth pointing out that Louisville is several miles NORTH of Evansville, even though Kentucky is often considered a more southern state than Indiana.

[ne1410s]

For the same reason people try and appear overly-intelligent by using words like "lachrymose"?

This is just too funny...

[TheConfessor]

For the same reason people try and appear overly-intelligent by using words like "lachrymose"?

Define "overly-intelligent." I didn't know there was such a thing. I certainly aspire to be a lot smarter in the future than I am today, which isn't all that smart. Is there an acceptably dumb word that I should have used to refer to tears on this board? If so, I guess I'm not smart enough to think of it. If we're not supposed to use the words we learned in school, why did we attend in the first place? My vocabulary is probably only average for this board, and I definitely wasn't trying to put on airs, since I think I learned "lachrymose" somewhere around the fourth grade. I was just trying to use the most apt word for Earendel's "lexicographical exploration." Sorry if you felt otherwise.

I also didn't get your logic. People try to look extra-smart for the same reason that they try to look extra-stupid? What reason is that?

[Jeemie]

For the same reason people try and appear overly-intelligent by using words like "lachrymose"?

Define "overly-intelligent." I didn't know there was such a thing. I certainly aspire to be a lot smarter in the future than I am today, which isn't all that smart. Is there an acceptably dumb word that I should have used to refer to tears on this board? If so, I guess I'm not smart enough to think of it. If we're not supposed to use the words we learned in school, why did we attend in the first place? My vocabulary is probably only average for this board, and I definitely wasn't trying to put on airs, since I think I learned "lachrymose" somewhere around the fourth grade. I was just trying to use the most apt word for Earendel's "lexicographical exploration." Sorry if you felt otherwise.

I also didn't get your logic. People try to look extra-smart for the same reason that they try to look extra-stupid? What reason is that?

Style, my man, style!

You obviously missed the smileys as well...

[fantine33]

Never heard of it. Tearing up, yes, tuning up, no.

I will ask my 16 yo daughter1111 if she ever heard of it after school.

I've lived mostly in Newport, RI; Kauai, Hawaii; Stratford, CT

I've heard "tearing up" also and my first thought was that "tuning" was a mispronunciation of "tearing", but it would take a fair amount of linguistic torture to make that change.

Tuning up refers to getting prepared for your "performance". Like, 'oh crap, here we go. She's tuning up.' Like how little kids open their mouth like a guppy and take a huge breath in order to have plenty of oxygen to throw a screaming fit.

This answer is from my personal history (from my dad, he grew up in Rock Island, my grandma was from Peoria. I don't know which side of the family he got it from).

[earendel]

Tuning up refers to getting prepared for your "performance". Like, 'oh crap, here we go. She's tuning up.' Like how little kids open their mouth like a guppy and take a huge breath in order to have plenty of oxygen to throw a screaming fit.

This answer is from my personal history (from my dad, he grew up in Rock Island, my grandma was from Peoria. I don't know which side of the family he got it from).

Makes sense - like an orchestra getting ready to play.