Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

I hear a lot of it where it means 'become.' went wild, go loud, went bright, go crazy - anything.

Julie A. Nelson said:

For the past several years I have heard people use the term "went missing" as in "Mrs. Brown went missing on Wednesday evening" or "my dog went missing after we were hunting". This sounds incorrect to me. It also sounds like Mrs. Brown, or my dog, chose  to be missing. When I started reading it in the Sun-Herald newspaper, published in Biloxi, Mississippi, I got very curious! Is this correct terminology?

I appreciate the feedback, gentlemen. Living in Kiln, Mississippi, and hearing natives refer to it as "The Kill", has also begun to sound normal to me........sigh.

Bob Bridges said:

I sympathize regarding the odd local pronunciation of local place names.   But for what it's worth, I grew up in the Midwest, and even back in grade school I was taught that artists pronounce that word "kill".   Go figure.

Well, I grew up in a town of 400 people in Northern Illinois, and if we had any artists I didn't know them. But I feel I got an excellent education, and really do not want to judge my locals.....but......

Bob Bridges said:

I'll bet it's etymologically related to "go AWOL".

To my ear, the "missing" in "went missing" sounds like an adverb, despite the spelling.   In the same way, when I "go to work", you can think of "to work" not as an indirect object but as an adverb; the same with "go on vacation", "go to school", "go home", "go ape" and so on.   It's just a theory.

Julie A. Nelson said:

 It also sounds like Mrs. Brown, or my dog, chose  to be missing.

Your logic sounds good, Bob, but Julie's comment is still valid.   All of your examples are of situations that were chosen.   "Missing" is not.   "Went missing" still sounds wrong to me but I can't give a reason why it is.