I've got to be to work vs I've got to be at work

[ostap77]

"I've got to be to work in less than an hour."

Shouldn't it be "....at work...."?

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes.

 

[ostap77]

Why would a person say that? Is that a regionalism?

 

[Rover_KE]

Who said it? In what context did you encounter it?

 

[ostap77]

It's from a new American series titled "The Americans". It's about KGB moles operating on US soil during the Cold War. A couple of kids are hitchking. A guy who's driving by pulls over and asks where they are headed. The kids kind of don't know if they should accept a ride from a stranger. The guy says "Well, listen I don't have a hole lot of time folks. I('ve) gotta be to work...well in less than an hour."

 

[Rover_KE]

He doesn't care whether he's speaking grammatically or not.

 

[BobK]

"I've got to be to work in less than an hour."

Shouldn't it be "....at work...."?

Why would a person say that? Is that a regionalism?

Yes. In Ireland, for example, I've heard a native speaker say 'It's to work I am'. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the population of Ireland migrated to the USA. Your American speaker may have had that background. But Ireland may not be the only source (in fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't ;-)).

b

 

[emsr2d2]

Grammatically, it should be either "I've got to get to work ..." or "I've got to be at work ...". However, as we've said here many times, TV and film dialogue, and music lyrics, should not be relied upon as examples of great English.

 

[bhaisahab]

Yes. In Ireland, for example, I've heard a native speaker say 'It's to work I am'. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the population of Ireland migrated to the USA. Your American speaker may have had that background. But Ireland may not be the only source (in fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't ;-)).

b

In the Irish language "ag" means "to" or "at" depending on the context. So, "ag obair" can mean "at work" or "to work". "Bheith ag obair agam" (I am at work) literally is "The state/condition of being at/to work is mine/with me".

 

[ostap77]

The speaker who said that evidently had some southern background. He also said " Y'all ever hitchhiked?"

 

[BobK]

In the Irish language "ag" means "to" or "at" depending on the context. So, "ag obair" can mean "at work" or "to work". "Bheith ag obair agam" (I am at work) literally is "The state/condition of being at/to work is mine/with me".

This (the first words) is reminiscent of the Latin in, which I blogged about here.

b