"Fixin' to ____ "

Posted by Smokey Stover on November 04, 2005

In Reply to: "Fixin' to ____ " posted by rikitiki on November 04, 2005

: "Fixin' to ____ "

: When I lived in Texas I picked up on this curious phrase. As far as I know, it translates to "getting ready to _____". Does anyone know of its origin?

It translates just as you think. The "definitive record of the English language" appears not to list this usage, but I'm sure some dictionaries do. There's a cowboy dictionary, I think, of which I haven't a copy. If this locution is still alive in Texas I'm not too surprised. It's heyday, however, was the same as the heyday of cowboy stories in print and on the silver screen. I don't know whether it was ever a part of real cowboy lingo, but it may have been. Why this particular verb? It may be somewhat analogous to "fixing" dinner, that is, preparing it. SS

• "Fixin' to ____ " ESC 05/November/05