Skip to main content

University of South Carolina

Southern Appalachian English
Skip Navigation
A-Z Index | Make a Gift
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • THE LATEST
  • GENERAL INTEREST
  • SMOKY MOUNTAIN SUITE
  • LINGUISTIC SUITE
  • PERMISSIONS, CREDITS, AND CONTACTS

eat

[A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] [H] [I] [J] [K] [L] [M] [N] [O] [P] [Q] [R] [S] [T] [U] [V] [W] [X] [Y] [Z] [FULL LIST]


eat1 verb Past tense and past participle of eat. [OED dates this usage from the 15th century; DARE labels the past participle "chiefly South, South Midland" in the U.S.]

1834 Crockett Narrative 175 We had just eat our breakfast, when a company of hunters came to our camp. 1922 Tenn Civil War Ques 867 We slept in the open, had no tents, eat when we had anything to eat. 1940 Haun Hawk's Done 11 I didn't ask Tiny if she eat breakfast before she left home. 1953 Atwood Verbs East US 12-13 Eat ... covers a large area in c. Pa., part of e. W.Va., most of Va. except the Tidewater area, and nearly all of N.C. 1973 GSMNP-4:2:3 Back when I was a kid they was a lot of families that eat corn bread three times a day. 1984 GSMNP-153:38 I thought that was the best stuff that I've ever eat, you know.


eat2 To be appetizing or suitable for consumption (especially in phrase eat good = to be tasty or appetizing). [DARE labels this usage “chiefly South, South Midland”]

1862 Epperly CW Letters (July 20) wee can get Blackberrys Somtimes to bake pies they eat verry well. 1895 Edson and Fairchild TN Mts 371 [A woodchuck] eats like bar [=bear]. 1939 Hall Coll (Hartford TN) He said, “I’ll guarantee you in the morning, it’ll eat just as good as it is now.” 1974 Fink Bits Mt Speech 8 Bear meat eats good. 1985 Irwin Alex Stewart 205 Didn’t you ever eat dried blackberries? They eat good.

  • Safety/Emergency Information
  • Directory: Find People
  • Map: Find Places
  • Calendar: Find Events
  • VIP
  • Contact and Site Information
  • Columbia, SC 29208
  • Privacy Policy
  • © University of South Carolina Board of Trustees