hello, is the construction "to visit" or "to visit with" a midwestern thing as in "i look forward to our visit" or "it's been so nice visiting with you," but it has nothing to do with physical location, it's entirely "to have a conversation with" - ThreadSky

kvanaren.bsky.social • 117 days ago

hello, is the construction "to visit" or "to visit with" a midwestern thing

as in "i look forward to our visit" or "it's been so nice visiting with you," but it has nothing to do with physical location, it's entirely "to have a conversation with"

Comments

remgoffena.bsky.social•117 days ago

From NC & have used that phrase all my life. As a matter of fact, even when I call my parents (or other family) & we end up talking to for a long time, someone always say, "It's been nice visiting with you!"

remgoffena.bsky.social•117 days ago

I remember my grandparents using it that way, too. (For generation perspective: Gpaprents-"greatest gen", parents-couple of yrs older than Boomers, me-genx.)

unspecial.bsky.social•117 days ago

I always experienced it more as a southern adjacent framing.

ajsider.bsky.social•117 days ago

Agreed. I’m from Chicago and father’s side is from St. Louis, MO - they use “visiting” to mean “hanging out and talking somewhat awkwardly for an indeterminate number of hours”; others might call this “catching up.” Mom’s side is from Chicago, does not do this and mocks the entire concept.

kvanaren.bsky.social•117 days ago

like, "what did you do at grandma's house?" "oh, we visited for a while"

awnutts.bsky.social•117 days ago

My Southern family uses it a LOT, my Midwestern family uses it but less (and they have a lot of southern phrases, they moved from N Carolina to Kansas like 2 generations before me) so I always thought it was southern

richardckeller.bsky.social•117 days ago

I've been in Wisconsin for 22 years and have not heard this.

megeen.bsky.social•117 days ago

In the midwest, and I know that phrase well. I do wonder if there is an additional factor of it being more common in more rural or elder populations?

kvanaren.bsky.social•117 days ago

yes part of what i'm trying to parse is whether it's mostly a generational thing? i only ever heard it in the context of my midwestern grandparents

brainw.bsky.social•117 days ago

I think of it the same way church people use "fellowship" as a verb, meaning we broke bread, chatted/caught up, spent time cultivating a relationship, etc. To me they are both somewhat awkward but useful constructions to describe a multivalent action English doesn't have one singular good word for.

brainw.bsky.social•117 days ago

Again, in the South anyway. Then again we say stuff like "cut the light on" which makes much less sense, so 🤷‍♀️

allisonvandev.bsky.social•117 days ago

And I seem to remember it being used by teachers: “Stop visiting with your neighbors” to mean “Stop chatting with the kids sitting next to you”

allisonvandev.bsky.social•117 days ago

I heard it all the time growing up in Idaho, but never from my parents, who are Californian

sarahheidt.bsky.social•117 days ago

I, a midwesterner, definitely grew up with and have continued living with this construction.

melissamactn.bsky.social•117 days ago

Very much in use in the South!

rickporter.bsky.social•117 days ago

I'm a born-and-raised midwesterner (my parents were mid-Atlantic natives) but I associate "visiting with" more with my Texan sister-in-law and her family. I don't remember my parents or grandparents using "visit" unless it meant "going somewhere."