Gunnin' for bear...

[JaneDaniels]

If I am describing a situation where I have become very angry, I will say "I'll tell you what, she's smart to stay out of my way, because I'm gunnin' for bear!"

Does anyone else use this phrase? Know where it came from? I've lived all over the country (and currently reside near my hometown in western New York) and have never heard it used by anyone other than my family.

Also, when I was younger, I would "go over" to visit people -- as in "I'm gonna go over Kimmy's!" or "I'm gonna eat over Sara's!" And I've always wondered -- is it regional, or is it just lazy?

[Bailey]

If I am describing a situation where I have become very angry, I will say "I'll tell you what, she's smart to stay out of my way, because I'm gunnin' for bear!"

I've always used and heard loaded for Bear, but I'm sure the sentiment's the same.

Also, when I was younger, I would "go over" to visit people -- as in "I'm gonna go over Kimmy's!" or "I'm gonna eat over Sara's!" And I've always wondered -- is it regional, or is it just lazy?

Are you sure you don't add a t' to the phrase as in: "I'm gonna eat over t' Sara's!"???

mark

[sluggo]

Also, when I was younger, I would "go over" to visit people -- as in "I'm gonna go over Kimmy's!" or "I'm gonna eat over Sara's!" And I've always wondered -- is it regional, or is it just lazy?

Are you sure you don't add a t' to the phrase as in: "I'm gonna eat over t' Sara's!"???

mark

Around Philly we would also "go over Charlie's" or ask if you were "over Ricky's house", never a hint of "to". It's both regional and lazy I think.

[Perry]

I have always heard, "loaded for bear". The inference that always occurred to me is the idea that the caliber of ammo for bears would need to be more substantial than for many other cases. Hence someone loaded for bear was really angry, not just mildly peeved.

As for the 'dropped to', that seems like the missing 'the' in the British in hospital, or their missing 'to' in i'll give it you.

[tcward]

Re: "loaded for bear"

I've always heard the phrase as an indication that the subject is ready for action, etc. In fact, my mom likes to tell of a story when she took us boys to the pediatrician for a regular blood test, to make sure we had enough iron, and the doctor said to her, "They're loaded for bear!" This was simply in reference to our iron levels, not to our aptitude for anger...

-Tim

[Perry]

Now that Tim mentions it, ready for action does fit many of the cases in which I've heard the phrase. But I really like fulll of anger and vinegar for that usage. You would think that this is a pejorative, but I have usually heard this as a neutral phrase.

[Stargzer]

I've always used "loaded for bear" to mean ready and well-prepared for a fight or battle of some sort. Several years ago a local community association wanted me to testify against their county government who wanted to put a lighted roller-hockey rink in a local park that our astonomy club also used. I testified about light pollution, but the citizens were really loaded for bear. They not only had information on light pollution, but also info such as how the increased traffic would affect the rural area, given that the park was no where near the county's geographic center of population.

I sorta remember ". . . I'm goin' over Ed's house" as a usage, although I'd usually use a "to" or a "t'" with it. That pattern of speech reminds me of the "This needs cleanded" phrasing of the native Pittsburghers and Western Pennsylvanians, where I would say "This needs cleaning" or "This needs to be cleaned."