Have you ever seen this construction?

[brogine]

Have you ever seen this construction? Just came across this in a novel by Christopher Brookmyre, a Scot: “ . . . at how many people end up needing rescued . . . . “
I’ve only heard this from people from Pittsburgh (“My hair needs washed,” e.g.) and I’ve always thought it was a local idiosyncrasy.

[Slava]

I can't quote any specifics, but, yes, I believe I have come across it in my literary meanderings.

[Slava]

Here's another one, found on IMDb: "... they soon realize that that everything is not as it seems." That would be really, really hard to survive. Not the double-that, but having everythingbeing wrong. I expect it should be thought of as "not everything is as it seems".

[brogine]

Maybe it’s some super-sized nihilism. (If that’s what I mean.) Nothing is real.
You seem (if you will) to be among very few here interested in anything but etymology. Yet no one has accepted the brogine challenge:
Can you find the route from the erudite quill of Washington Irving to "Don't get your knickers in a twist"?

[Slava]

Afraid I know next to nothing of Irving, but for those interested in the phrase, check here.

[brogine]

Well, that’s a good history of the phrase, but it stops at ‘knickerbockers’ qua ‘panties’. There are a few steps leading up to that.

Another tortuous history I’ve mentioned is ‘tabby’ for ‘cat’.

I do repeat myself, but ideas of this quality are not so common.
And by ‘quality’ I refer to their nature. No inference should be made as to my assessment regarding merit.

Edit: My bad! (But who’s counting?) ‘Tortuous’ is not really the right word. It’s a long, but not particularly winding, road.