I’ve posted a question on Ask.Metafilter to try to learn the origin of the phrase “do what?” I heard this from time to time when I lived in Virginia, and Matt occasionally uses it as well, often without realizing it. We were talking about it this past weekend.
I still can’t hear the phrase without thinking it means “You want me to do what?” I’ll just never understand where the “do” comes from. (Sorry, sweetie…)
Anyway, the question got some interesting responses.
Huh, interesting. Yeah, I’ve never heard “do what?” used like that, but then again, I’ve lived on the west coast most of my life. MetaFilter to the rescue!
Yeah, I’ve never heard this either. I guess our Alabama equiivalent would have been “Say what?” which does escape my lips now and then.
My family is from Oklahoma. I’ve grown up with ‘do what?’ my entire life. Use it myself all the time now (especially when I’m around my folks).
I’m late to the party, but thanks for asking this. I grew up in northwest Arkansas and have said “do what?” all my life; never really thought about it until I came to Chicago, where it’s one of my “give-away” southernisms (along with the unfairly maligned “y’all”).
My former roommate in Austin used to say “D’what?” when he meant “What?” I asked him why, and he swore he was just saying “What?” without the “D’.” Couldn’t hear it himself. He grew up in the Panhandle, where they speak fairly differently.
It seems that the American “do what?” and the British “you what?” or “y’wha?” have similar usage.
My wife (from Texas) uses “do what?” and various British people I know use “you what?” I even use it myself occasionally.
See http://www.talkabouttelevision.com/group/alt.tv.red-dwarf/messages/286979.html
and following messages
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/do_what
and related entries in Wiktionary