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Might could

zyxwvut

By zyxwvut,
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zyxwvut

zyxwvut

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I replied in another thread and used "might could."  It sort of bothered me, but it also seemed to fit (as in, normal to my ear).  I've lived lots of places, and I don't know where I picked that up.  Any ideas?  Any opinions on the usage of "might could"?

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Tanaqui

Tanaqui

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The double modal "might could" is very regional - it's part of speech from the South, but not very common in the rest of America. It is nonstandard, and highly stigmatized, so you'll probably want to avoid it in formal speech or writing. And that is a pity, because it really is a very useful construction indeed!

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zyxwvut

zyxwvut

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So, you sitting around and someone throws out a theoretical question, "Do you think you could get a car to fly?"  And someone replies, "Yeah, you might could, if you could figure out how to get up enough speed."

 

It's like saying "yes, but maybe."    

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Scarlett

Scarlett

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I replied in another thread and used "might could." It sort of bothered me, but it also seemed to fit (as in, normal to my ear). I've lived lots of places, and I don't know where I picked that up. Any ideas? Any opinions on the usage of "might could"?

Do you mean to tell me that 'might could' isn't an easily understood phrase?

 

Smh.

 

Scarlett of the South

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Tanaqui

Tanaqui

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Do you mean to tell me that 'might could' isn't an easily understood phrase?

 

Smh.

 

Scarlett of the South

 

When presented utterly devoid of context, to somebody who hasn't heard it before? No, it isn't.

 

Now, if the OP had given a sample sentence, that might have been different.

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Garga

Garga

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It's a regional thing. I don't hear people around here using it. I've heard of it, but never actually heard anyone use it. Maybe I read it in a book written in the south or something, as a character's dialect.

 

Around here, they mix up sit and set.

 

I set on that chair and relaxed today.

Could you sit that bag on the counter, please?

 

And they also do this:

 

The door needs fixed.

 

Not "the door needs fixing."

Or "the door needs to be fixed."

Just "the door needs fixed." Or needs washed. Or needs looked at, etc.

 

It jars me every time I hear it, but I have learned that it's a dialect and originally came from Scotland a loooong time ago, so it's not going anywhere soon. Been around for a few hundred years. I don't bother correcting the locals and would probably confuse them if I tried. It's deeply entrenched in the speech patterns around here. My dh, who is a little bit vain about his grammar knowledge, has decided for some unknown reason that he likes this regional thing and sometimes will use it around me, just to watch me twitch. "This living room needs picked up!"

 

I've seen a few WTMers do the "needs fill-in-the-blank" thing and figure they must be from the PA/OH area.

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Garga

Garga

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I do the "needs thing", too. Guess I'm all sorts of messed up.

Eh. Just don't write it in a published paper and you're fine. It's ok to have a dialect. When you bump into someone else's then it's jarring, but if you're fitting in in your area, then speak your dialect with pride. :).

 

I get twitchy when DH does it because it's not his dialect and so it makes me twitchy when he says it. But everyone else is fine. It jumps out at me, but it's fine.

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zyxwvut

zyxwvut

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I can see why "might could' bothers people, but not "needs fixed".  I think I can usually clean up my act when I'm with people that require it, but now I'm not sure.  How many more things like "needs fixed" do I say?  Lol!

 

I'm not distraught, btw, just very, very curious.

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Guest

Guest

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That's bizarre and if I heard someone saying it my brain would mark it as poor grammar, but I've never lived in the south. I'm sure we have some strange regional vernacular up here as well.

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Tanaqui

Tanaqui

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I can see why "might could' bothers people, but not "needs fixed".  I think I can usually clean up my act when I'm with people that require it, but now I'm not sure.  How many more things like "needs fixed" do I say?  Lol!

 

I'm not distraught, btw, just very, very curious.

 

 

The "needs fixed" construction is so weird. Most people who have it have no idea that it's nonstandard. Like, none.

 

But it is nonstandard. The more usual way of phrasing it is "needs to be fixed".

 

There's nothing wrong or bad about nonstandard dialectical usages. You don't need to "clean up your act", because speaking differently isn't "dirty". You might find it's useful to codeswitch, though, if only to ease understanding and reduce the effect of other peoples' prejudices.

 

It's ok to have a dialect.

 

It's not simply okay, it's inevitable. Even if you speak 100% Standard American English (which... yeah, you don't), that's still just a dialect like any other. It's not even the only prestige dialect out there - every Anglophone country has its own dialect that it considers "standard". The only way you can honestly say you don't speak a dialect is if you speak some tiny language with only, like, six speakers. (And even then it's probably more honest to say that the other dialects are extinct.)

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Scarlett

Scarlett

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The "needs fixed" construction is so weird. Most people who have it have no idea that it's nonstandard. Like, none.

 

But it is nonstandard. The more usual way of phrasing it is "needs to be fixed".

 

There's nothing wrong or bad about nonstandard dialectical usages. You don't need to "clean up your act", because speaking differently isn't "dirty". You might find it's useful to codeswitch, though, if only to ease understanding and reduce the effect of other peoples' prejudices.

 

 

It's not simply okay, it's inevitable. Even if you speak 100% Standard American English (which... yeah, you don't), that's still just a dialect like any other. It's not even the only prestige dialect out there - every Anglophone country has its own dialect that it considers "standard". The only way you can honestly say you don't speak a dialect is if you speak some tiny language with only, like, six speakers. (And even then it's probably more honest to say that the other dialects are extinct.)

I think it is almost impossible to know all of our language quirks. After all we have spoken a certain way our entire lives....how do we recognize the crazy?

 

I have friends from MI who say and that....ALL the time. Drives me nuts. And ' do you want to come with?'

 

I saw this news guy on CNN.....his name and appearance appeared to be middle eastern....of some sort.....but his accent was MI. Yes, I googled him...and yes is American born, raised up in MI.

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Scarlett

Scarlett

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The "needs fixed" construction is so weird. Most people who have it have no idea that it's nonstandard. Like, none.

 

But it is nonstandard. The more usual way of phrasing it is "needs to be fixed".

 

There's nothing wrong or bad about nonstandard dialectical usages. You don't need to "clean up your act", because speaking differently isn't "dirty". You might find it's useful to codeswitch, though, if only to ease understanding and reduce the effect of other peoples' prejudices.

 

 

It's not simply okay, it's inevitable. Even if you speak 100% Standard American English (which... yeah, you don't), that's still just a dialect like any other. It's not even the only prestige dialect out there - every Anglophone country has its own dialect that it considers "standard". The only way you can honestly say you don't speak a dialect is if you speak some tiny language with only, like, six speakers. (And even then it's probably more honest to say that the other dialects are extinct.)

In my defense....I am aware that 'needs fixed' is non standard. Aka grammatically incorrect. I can say it correctly. But the non standard way does not sound 'wrong' to me.

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klmama

klmama

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The "needs fixed" construction is so weird. Most people who have it have no idea that it's nonstandard. Like, none.

 

But it is nonstandard. The more usual way of phrasing it is "needs to be fixed".

 

Yes, until dh pointed it out (and even after he did), I couldn't understand what could possibly be wrong with "needs fixed."  I finally realized why he was right when I tried to translate it and it didn't work without "to be."  Knowing that doesn't make me remember to say it that way, though.  :001_rolleyes:

 

Now I'm wondering if I learned it growing up or if I picked it up later and just don't remember it.  I'll have to ask at Christmas if others in the family say it my way. 

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Guest

Guest

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So, you sitting around and someone throws out a theoretical question, "Do you think you could get a car to fly?" And someone replies, "Yeah, you might could, if you could figure out how to get up enough speed."

 

It's like saying "yes, but maybe."

Where I live, it would be, "might be able to." People who say, "might could" are viewed about the same as someone saying, "I ain't got no..."

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zyxwvut

zyxwvut

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Might could is a little dubious.  It means everything about this is a little out of my control.  If I say, "I might," then it sounds that if I want to I will.  And if I say, "I could," then it sounds that nothing prevents me.  But if I say, "Might could," well, then a lot could go wrong and I just might not.  It is a possibility, within a realm of possibilities, and I just can't be held accountable.  

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Slartibartfast

Slartibartfast

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Might could is a little dubious.  It means everything about this is a little out of my control.  If I say, "I might," then it sounds that if I want to I will.  And if I say, "I could," then it sounds that nothing prevents me.  But if I say, "Might could," well, then a lot could go wrong and I just might not.  It is a possibility, within a realm of possibilities, and I just can't be held accountable.  

 

 

That is how I understand it as well. :lol:

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Guest

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I can see why "might could' bothers people, but not "needs fixed". I think I can usually clean up my act when I'm with people that require it, but now I'm not sure. How many more things like "needs fixed" do I say? Lol!

 

I'm not distraught, btw, just very, very curious.

This construction is very common amongst my friends with PA heritage. I really dislike it a lot. I mean, I can live with it and, due to my proximity to PA, I do have friends and relatives who habitually use this construction, extending it to other verb phrases where "to be" should exist, but it is quite noticeable to me. My SIL says: needs fixed, needs cleaned, needs washed, needs made, and so on. In my head I yell, "...TO BE! It needs TO BE fixed!" But outside, I just smile and nod.

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Cinder

Cinder

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First time I heard "might could" was in MS. Grew up in HI and went to college in NY then worked in NJ a bit before moving to MS; never heard it in any of those places. That was in the 80s.

 

First time I heard the "needs" thing was in college--my roommate from MD said it all the time.

 

 

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HollyDay

HollyDay

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my mother used to say, "I think I might could (or try)" 

Often wondered what that meant.

 

I've started saying "do" quite a bit.  "Check if we have milk, do I'll have to go to the store."  "I need to finish this project, do I'll be late."  I think I've lived in this part of the country for a while now :)

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8circles

8circles

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I hear "might could" and I *feel* like there's a verb missing.  I understand it and it doesn't bother me anymore - when I first heard it I didn't understand it. Like I literally was not sure if I heard it correctly because it made no sense.  I understand it now & I'm not judging anyone for it but it still doesn't sound right to me.  I don't hear it often because it isn't common around here.

 

I have started to say things like "needs fixed" but I have no idea where I picked it up from because it is definitely not standard around here.

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zyxwvut

zyxwvut

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my mother used to say, "I think I might could (or try)" 

Often wondered what that meant.

 

I've started saying "do" quite a bit.  "Check if we have milk, do I'll have to go to the store."  "I need to finish this project, do I'll be late."  I think I've lived in this part of the country for a while now :)

 

Do instead of or?  Where are you?

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