English grammar/usage question

[firecat]

Lately 've been seeing a conjugation of the verb "to pet" that sounds unfamiliar to me. I'm curious what others think.
[Poll #1119227]

Comments

[gramina.livejournal.com]

I would also not be shocked to see -- very colloquially -- "I like pettin's." (Note, however, that the apostrophe is the one from "don't" not the one from "Firecat's"! -- the root word is "pettings.")

Gabriel says . . .

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

"I like to be petted until I suddenly don't enjoy it any more. Then I like to bite the hands that pet me."

Re: Gabriel says . . .

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

Brat says, "Bro!!"

[abostick59.livejournal.com]

"I like to be scratched" (or "scritched") "behind the ears."

("petted" sounds correct to me, not "pet")

[elainegrey.livejournal.com]

Yes, i was thinking scritched, as well.

[dandelion-diva.livejournal.com]

Me too. For some reason, both "pets" sound wrong to me in this context.

[brooksmoses]

I'm not entirely sure that "be pet" is wrong; in some tones of voice in my head it sounds okay, and some it sounds incorrect.

Mostly I think it's wrong, though, so that's what I checked. I certainly wouldn't use it myself.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

Wrongity wrong, with a side of wtf. Never heard of that one before.

[pameladean]

This has been bugging me for years. Otherwise perfectly articulate and literate people use "pet" as the past tense and as the participle. I have no idea where that comes from. It always makes me think that there must be a lost verb, "peet," that's some specialized form of scritching.

P.

[firecat]

a lost verb, "peet," that's some specialized form of scritching.

*snrch*

"to stroke with a cup of very strong coffee"?

[pameladean]

Hee. I must use that on my sweetie who is a Peet's fan.

P.

[mistdog.livejournal.com]

I think it probably comes from a wild guess that pet works like put.

[firecat]

Or set?

[pameladean]

Probably.

But why not "get," then? I like to be potten behind the ears.

You know, I'm not at all sure that I do.

P.

[porcinea.livejournal.com]

It is, after all, the biography *of a companion animal*. I'm not sure I'd expect perfect English from such.

[clawfoot.livejournal.com]

That was pretty much my take on it, too. Anything written in the first person can get away, grammatically, with just about anything, especially if the narrator isn't expected to be a master of the language.

That said, I think "be petted" is correct, and "be pet" is acceptable in colloquial speech.

[pyrzqxgl.livejournal.com]

I would only expect to see the first if it was either some sort of dialect or else some kind of tiny magical animal that would ride around curled behind/around your ear keeping a running commentary going.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

New Zealanders don't use "pet" that way at all. We "pat" animals, and use more specific words for humans.

[beaq.livejournal.com]

When you stroke an animal, as opposed to light tapping with the hand, what is that called? Patting here would be the latter.

[micheinnz.livejournal.com]

Stroking. We don't use "pet" regarding touching an animal at all (unless it's to refer to the animal itself -- we don't pet our pets).

[nolly.livejournal.com]

"Pet" is active; "be petted" is passive. "Be pet" makes me itch.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

Yup. This.

[snippy]

She petted me --- I like to be petted.
She massaged me --- I like to be massaged.
She scratched me --- I like to be scratched.

Seems like "petted" is the correct form for this tense.

[innerdoggie.livejournal.com]

I've never heard anybody use "pet" that way. Are they like my cow-orkers (of multiple ethnic groups) who refuse to use past participles of irregular verbs?

"I had went to the store yesterday, as I have did every day after work for the last week. I had saw that the store had a different item on sale each day. On Friday, they were out of the advertised item, and I have sang the blues ever since."

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

"to be pet" is easier to say than "to be petted"; that's why the -ted is being dropped.

kthxbye.

Re: English grammar/usage question

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

at least it's not "i can likes pet behind the ears", though i suppose i'd deserve bad grammar if i read the "autobiography" of a companion animal.

actually "pet" sounds wrong even with the correct grammar; that's not the verb i'd expect behind the ears. :) "scritched", "rubbed" would work better.

i seem to recall that some people in minnesota used "pet" instead of "petted" when i lived there. i don't think i heard it anywhere else.

[beaq.livejournal.com]

I like petting behind my ears.

I don't like to be pet. I like to be master.

Hi, I just added you to my LJ friends list.

[7patches.livejournal.com]

I searched for a posting that I could comment on, for this purpose.
I may have heard 'pet' in Western PA, but not elsewhere.

Re: Hi, I just added you to my LJ friends list.

[firecat]

Hi there! I added you back. :)