Thread: "He was some upset about it." Somewhat, very?

"...That's what the other fellow said, too. He was some upset about it. Practically read me out of the human race."

What does some mean here, exactly - to a great degree (very upset) or just to some, unspecified, degree. Context suggests the former, but I'm not sure.

Yes, I think "very upset" applies:

some - 3: remarkable , striking <that was some party>

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2009) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/some

some - 4. used for emphasis: used to emphasize that somebody or something is impressive or remarkable in some way ( informal )
- That was some performance you put on for us!

Encarta(R) World English Dictionary [North American Edition] (2009) http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/some.html

Thank you.

I knew that some can be used in that manner with nouns, but it was unusual to see it with an adjective. It is unusual, isn't it?

I've never heard or read it used that way. With an noun as in Ken's two examples, sure, it's a common expression, but never with an adjective.

Maybe this expression is peculiar to American English. I don't think it is in wide use but here are some recent examples:

"Law, that boy sure spoilt, ain't he? Going off to a big city like that."
"Miz Louisa, she was some upset. She don't want her boy to be away at Christmas . . ."

Board, Jeri Fitzgerald, The Bed She was Born In, 95 (2006) http://books.google.com/books?id=SWPjuI ... t#PPA96,M1

One morning Shannon broke a jar. There was glass everywhere and HM didn't have her slippers on or her glasses. Well, she stepped on a piece of glass and started bleeding, then she cut herself twice on fingers and she was bleeding from those cuts, also. She was some upset.

Wonka, Wilma, Cat Paws, The Cryer Online (June 200 http://tinyurl.com/an69r9

But the records are clear regarding the extensive rant of Norm Pearson, MCIP recorded in the January 1980 issue of the APCPS Newsletter. He was some upset about the comments on engineering and planning as an ‘unusual marriage of disciplines,’ that appeared in the July 1979, SW Ontario Chapter Newsletter.

Charrett, Doug, Association of Professional Community Planners of Saskatchewan, Planners and Planning 27 (March 2006) http://www.apcps.ca/Portals/0/Planners% ... 202006.doc

On one or two occasions, someone stole Hector's bike.
"I remember the first time he had one stolen, he was some upset," Terry remembers. For Hector, it was the same as having a car stolen.

Saltman, Jennifer, Staff Reporter, 'Everyone knew Hector' friend recalls, The Now (May 22, 2005) http://archive.thenownews.com/issues05/ ... 05nn4.html

So Private X worked especially hard to ensure he'd get one of those precious passes. But when the list came out, his name was not on it. He was some upset. This was totally unexpected, and contrary to what he new to be the values and procedures of the Army itself.

Runci, Ed, The Private and the General, (2004) http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/The_ ... neral.html

Possibly, but it would still have to be pretty unusual even in the US for me to have never once run into it, given all the Americana I've been exposed to in my lifetime.

Originally Posted by scotcher

Possibly, but it would still have to be pretty unusual even in the US for me to have never once run into it, given all the Americana I've been exposed to in my lifetime.

E-learner....
I'm going to side with scotcher on this on... I've mentioned before that I have lived in many places in the U.S. and I'll rattle them off again here (Washington DC area, Long Island New York, Santa Barbara & LA California areas, Chicago IL, a few places along the Palm Beach FL area, and a good number of summers in Winston Salem, North Carolina) and I have NEVER, heard "some upset."

Now, the sources that Ken so nicely produced I looked up and one was from Canada, so hey, toss that one out because those folks up there speak their own form of English. One was from New Orleans, and the book was an old book and the person speaking said, "Miz Louisa", which would also lead me to believe that the person speaking is from the "South."

So, not scientific in anyway... I would say that this could possibly be an old "Southern" expression.

I know... what about the one from Maine... I got nothing about that one. So, let's just say it's an old Southern expression until someone can come up with a better answer???

Hey Rooster, you every heard of this in your neck of the woods????

Originally Posted by rockzmom

every heard

OMG. I've made a quick search in my little electronic library and found only one example of this phrase, and it was in the book I was going to read next! You must be psychic. Although this one looks so strange that I wouldn't even ask about it because I would decide that it was either a misprint or a deliberate mistake that the author made his character to make.

Originally Posted by E-learner

Originally Posted by rockzmom

every heard

OMG. I've made a quick search in my little electronic library and found only one example of this phrase, and it was in the book I was going to read next! You must be psychic.

Oh, E-learner..... I am only psychic for you (and a few very other special people )

No, I confess! I was way too tired and mistyped or maybe my Southerness was trying to take over my brain in order to better telepathically channel Rooster so that he would read this thread?

I would think the author also made this same slip of the fingers!

BTW, If you don't mind sharing, what is the title of your next book?

rockzmom
"Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut.

Originally Posted by E-learner

rockzmom
"Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut.

E-learner,

Not knowing where or how you obtained your copy of your book, I checked on Amazon and they have this book available on their Online preview reader. So I did a quick search for "every heard" and here are the results:



So, I think the copy you have might have a typo.

Let us know how you like the book!!!

Rockzmom.

Originally Posted by rockzmom

So, I think the copy you have might have a typo.

Yes, it has. I checked it and it should be "ever heard".

I've never heard "some upset", but it sounds like rural American English to me. There are some unusual expressions which only occur in certain regions.