🚀 go-pugleaf

In <9208061830.AA19739@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>,
	dated 6 Aug 92 18:31:17 GMT,
	lucas@WATSON.IBM.COM ("Bruce Lucas") writes:

> Some time ago a character in the TV series "thirtysomething", which was
> set in Philadelphia, used this construction and was immediately asked by
> one of the other characters if she came from Pittsburgh.   This tends to
> support the view that it is used in Pennsylvania but not many other
> places.

> However, I live in Cumbria in North-west England, and the construction
> is very widely used there, particularly in West Cumbria.    It strikes me
> that Pittsburgh is historically a steel town, as is Workington, one of
> the two chief towns of West Cumbria, where there has long been a shortage
> of employment and hence emigration.   Could steelworkers from Workington
> have been among those who set up the steel industry in Pittsburgh, and
> have taken this particular mode of speech with them?
 
> Comments would be appreciated from knowledgeable Pennsylvanians in
> particular.

I'm originally from rural NW Pa.  I was interested to find out that this
expression is that regional.  It does sound "natural" to me, and I do tend
to use it.  I tend to use it in "needs doing", as well, although I would not
use it in writing.

Both of my parents grew up in a small town in central Pa. which was settled
mostly by German immigrants.  I expect that any such expressions I picked up
from them might have been influenced by native German speakers.  I DO know
that I picked up many colloquialisms (sic) from my mother, and they are very
German influenced.

The Cumbria connection doesn't sound right to me, but I have no real basis
for saying it isn't.