Learn in the sense of “teach” dates from the 13th century and was standard until at least the early 19th.
made them drunk with true Hollands—and then learned them the art of making bargains — Washington Irving
But by Mark Twain’s time it was receding to a speech form associated chiefly with the less educated.
never done nothing for three months but set in his back yard and learn that frog to jump — Mark Twain
The present-day status of learn has not risen. This use persists in speech, but in writing it appears mainly in the representation of such speech or its deliberate imitation for effect.
I’m not a native English speaker, but I’ve heard this phrase ok once, from Nina Simone’s interpretation of Pirate Jenny and so I never questioned it. Just for being in that song, I’d concur that it’s definitely going away in style.
This comment makes me realize I might’ve misunderstood the one I was replying too. I believed “going away in style” meant “going away in a stylish manner”. Like, it’s fading from use, but since a while and until it disappears it’s become a fancy phrase. Now I guess it just means it’s fading from use. But the point I was trying to make is that I believe that, because Nina Simone used it, it’s now a stylish phrase even if it wasn’t before.
I hope the “this’ll learn you” is intentional
From Merriam-Webster:
Learn in the sense of “teach” dates from the 13th century and was standard until at least the early 19th.
But by Mark Twain’s time it was receding to a speech form associated chiefly with the less educated.
The present-day status of learn has not risen. This use persists in speech, but in writing it appears mainly in the representation of such speech or its deliberate imitation for effect.
I grew up near the Appalachian segment of the USA southeast. This was an oft repeated phrase then.
I did not even think about it while I read the comic. But methinks it’s going away in style. Everyone speaks high English here.
I’m not a native English speaker, but I’ve heard this phrase ok once, from Nina Simone’s interpretation of Pirate Jenny and so I never questioned it. Just for being in that song, I’d concur that it’s definitely going away in style.
Yea, I see it as a world wide trend in many languages: the dialects are going away
This comment makes me realize I might’ve misunderstood the one I was replying too. I believed “going away in style” meant “going away in a stylish manner”. Like, it’s fading from use, but since a while and until it disappears it’s become a fancy phrase. Now I guess it just means it’s fading from use. But the point I was trying to make is that I believe that, because Nina Simone used it, it’s now a stylish phrase even if it wasn’t before.
There are many cool terms and phrases just waiting to be spoken and written again. But yes
Also apparently this particular op phrase lives on in some areas, going by that uk comment