Get somewhere and sit down. (expression) (Chicago: live in, housing, kitchen)

[csicska]

Hello. I'm reading a book The Strawberry Letter written by Shirley Strawberry (an actress born in Chicago) and there's the following line: "Suddenly, my mother would shout out to me from the kitchen or wherever she was, 'Get somewhere and sit down, little girl, everyone has seen you.' Her words made me feel like running away and hiding."

I have never heard the expression. Is it common in Chicago for a parent to say it to their children? Does it have an actual meaning or is it simply a way of telling your child to stop running around?

Thank you.

[glass_of_merlot]

Lol...I tell my kids " go somewhere and sit down"


But I'm from Sweden , just live in Chicago. Anyways. I'm a parent ..

[knitgirl]

nope, never heard it.

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

I'm neither a parent nor a child, but I have not heard this expression in Chicago or anywhere else. Based on Google results of the phrase, it appears to be more common (or at least perceived to be more common) in African American culture than elsewhere. It's a good expression, in that you know exactly what the parent means when they say it, but it's kind of funny to think of someone needing to get somewhere (where? a chair? the floor?) before they sit down.

[Chicago60614]

Not a Chicago thing.

[emathias]

Originally Posted by csicska

Hello. I'm reading a book The Strawberry Letter written by Shirley Strawberry (an actress born in Chicago) and there's the following line: "Suddenly, my mother would shout out to me from the kitchen or wherever she was, 'Get somewhere and sit down, little girl, everyone has seen you.' Her words made me feel like running away and hiding."

I have never heard the expression. Is it common in Chicago for a parent to say it to their children? Does it have an actual meaning or is it simply a way of telling your child to stop running around?

Thank you.

Originally Posted by SkylarkPhotoBooth

I'm neither a parent nor a child, but I have not heard this expression in Chicago or anywhere else. Based on Google results of the phrase, it appears to be more common (or at least perceived to be more common) in African American culture than elsewhere. It's a good expression, in that you know exactly what the parent means when they say it, but it's kind of funny to think of someone needing to get somewhere (where? a chair? the floor?) before they sit down.

I was going to say it sounds more like a Southern phrase to me, and the majority of "black culture" in Chicago is mostly based on Southern culture. I may have evolved over a generation or two, but the core is often Southern.

[Vlajos]

Definitely not a Chicago specific expression.

[mangomadness]

It’s not a Chicago expression. My aunts, uncles, and grandparents have all said this expression in varying ways, “gone (contracting “go on” into “gone”) somewhere and sit down” is another. They all grew up elsewhere from Chicago, primarily the South.

I believe it originated as a Southern term.

[HomeIsWhere...]

Originally Posted by emathias

I was going to say it sounds more like a Southern phrase to me, and the majority of "black culture" in Chicago is mostly based on Southern culture. I may have evolved over a generation or two, but the core is often Southern.

Well my parents are from the south and my mom (my dad never had to say it, he'd just gave us 'that look') would say, will you please go somewhere and sit down. Polite southern woman that she was.

[csicska]

Thank you all.

Originally Posted by mangomadness

It’s not a Chicago expression. My aunts, uncles, and grandparents have all said this expression in varying ways, “gone (contracting “go on” into “gone”) somewhere and sit down” is another. They all grew up elsewhere from Chicago, primarily the South.

I believe it originated as a Southern term.

Originally Posted by HomeIsWhere...

Well my parents are from the south and my mom (my dad never had to say it, he'd just gave us 'that look') would say, will you please go somewhere and sit down. Polite southern woman that she was.

So is the expression used when a child gets too noisy (running around, roughhousing, etc.)?