My bad do nothing day…
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Slept in till 8:15. I toasted some waffles I made the other day for Fin and I. Drank coffee and perused the forum while Finley did some picture puzzles. Had 2 cats on my lap throughout.
Karla got home, we took a walk about 10:30. Saw some dear up close and personal… Had a little scavenger hunt, came home and made a handful of emails and calls for work.
Cut up some cheese and veggies for a light lunch/snack. We played “Dino Ranchers” while Karla napped with the kitties. Drove her to her 2 afternoon visits. Finley and I played on the swings while watching people play golf and Karla took care of her visits.
We came home (with an ice cream stop on the way), Finley napped, Karla did some administrative tasks for her work, and I played video games for two hours (with the cats on my lap and a whiskey close by). Reached dinner time, so I made the easiest and quickest thing possible… Hotdogs with corn and broccolini on the grill. Now we’re watching a movie and I am deciding on getting a beer or having a second whiskey.
I accomplished absolutely nothing today. The grass needs mowed, Finley’s downstairs playroom needs painted, I need to finish setting up the media room. There is a ton of crap to do, and I did none of it. First day to just sit and chill in what feels like months, and it was great.
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Me:
Some people use phrases like ‘the grass needs mowed’ instead of ‘the grass needs to be mowed’. Is this a regional phenomenon in the US? If so where is it common?ChatGPT:
The phrase “the grass needs mowed” instead of “the grass needs to be mowed” is indeed a regional phenomenon in the United States. This construction is known as the “need + past participle” or “needs done” construction and is most commonly found in the Midland dialect region, which spans parts of the Midwest and the Upper South.Key areas where this usage is prevalent include:
1. Western Pennsylvania: This area is often cited as a core region for this grammatical structure. 2. Ohio: Especially in the central and southern parts of the state. 3. Indiana: Common throughout the state, particularly in the central and southern regions. 4. Illinois: Southern and central regions often use this construction. 5. Missouri: Particularly in the southern parts. 6. Kentucky: Widespread in various parts of the state. 7. West Virginia: Common throughout the state.Linguists believe that this construction might have its roots in Scots-Irish English, which heavily influenced the dialects in these regions due to historical settlement patterns. The structure is less common in other parts of the United States, where “needs to be mowed” or “needs mowing” are the preferred forms.
