“Ary a Bit” Means “Ever a Bit”

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hey, this is Andre calling from Campbellsville, Kentucky.

Hi, Andre. Welcome to the program.

So the reason I called, a few years ago I was visiting my dad and he was watching a western and mom was in the other room and he said he was going to have to turn it, turn the channel because if it was a very bit rough, mom didn’t like it.

And for a minute, I couldn’t understand him. I said, what did you say? And he said it again. And I was like, oh, yeah, I hadn’t heard anybody say that for several years. And he said what he said was airy bit rough, meaning if it was violent at all. You know, she didn’t want to watch it.

And it just reminded me that he and his family, his dad, they used to say every bit a lot.

And I got to Googling it, and I found a little bit on it, but not really much.

So I didn’t know if it was just like a version of Annie or if there was another word it came from.

Oh, that’s a really good question.

And do you have any thoughts, Andre, about how you would spell it?

I tried A-R-Y.

And I tried A-R-R-Y.

Like nary, you know, just nary without an N.

Yep, yep.

It wanted to change it to art or any, like when I tried to look it up.

Usually you see it when you see it spelled at all.

It’s A-R-Y or A-I-R-Y.

There are a couple of other variables.

But, yeah, it means any or a single.

And it’s a shortened way of saying the phrase ever a.

You know, if you take out the V, it’s like era, and that changes into airy.

So, like, for example, I didn’t say ever a word.

I didn’t say airy a word.

I didn’t say a single word.

Yeah, and in the case of your mom, she won’t watch a movie if it’s ever a bit violent, if it’s airy a bit violent.

And you mentioned nary.

It’s the same idea there.

That’s shortened for never a.

You know, this pond used to be full of fish, but now there’s nary one.

So it’s just a shortening.

And you do hear this dialect feature in parts of England and in Ireland, and it made its way over here.

And I think it’s completely charming.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, yeah.

That just screams a time and a place to me.

Yeah, that’s very familiar and comfortable and homey.

Yeah, I’ve started just copying down things as I remember them, you know.

My grand they used to say if a right smart like if there was a lot there was a right smart.

Or when I would leave my grandparents my granddaddy would say you be smart instead of be good or something, you know, he or be careful he’d say be smart, you know, just a little things like that I’m starting to keep track of as I remember them.

That’s good because I don’t hear people say them anymore.

Great habit.

Right, right.

That’s a healthy productive mental habit like that’s information that you’ll love to have in several decades.

Right.

Thank you so much for your call.

We really appreciate, Andre, you sharing with us.

Sure. Thank you very much.

All right. Take care of yourself.

Bye.

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