useta

useta

English

Contraction

useta

1. (informal) used to: accustomed to
   • 1913, Rupert Hughes, The Amiable Crimes of Dirk Memling, T. Langton, page 26:

     "I'm a gent'man and I'm useta bein' treated as such."

   • 2011, Sapphire, The Kid: A Novel, Penguin (→ISBN):

     I'm useta meetin' mens in a nice way, all dressed up, silky dress, perfume, whiskey. Dis here—Beymour, knees all knobby, dick danglin', no music, whiskey, me in my duster, paper curlers—it don' seem natural!

   • 2017, Luke Allan, Blue Pete's Dilemma, Lulu.com (→ISBN), page 193:

     Them nurses in the hospitals won't let yuh wipe yer own nose, an' I'm useta doin' that fer muhself.

2. (informal) used to: formerly did
   • 1918, American Magazine:

     I guess him an' me had a great deal in common. He didn't care much for strenuous amusements. He useta sleep all winter under the stove, an' all summer under the sun's warm rays.

   • 1959, Generation, UM Libraries, page 4:

     "He useta break these olive bottles with his fingers."

   • 1997, Shawn Thompson, Soul of the River: Life in the Thousand Islands, GeneralStore PublishingHouse (→ISBN), page 44:

     He useta trap otter, mink, mushkrats, and bear, wolves. You just love it. He taught us how to skin 'rats and stuff like that. I was 'bout ten.

   • 2013, Grace Livingston Hill, Ladybird, Barbour Publishing (→ISBN):

     "Yes, I knowed Robert Fraley all right; a right nice sort of feller he useta be afore he made his pile. Always had a pleasant word. I've mended many a shoe fer him in his younger days afore he got up in the world."