Is this a common usage anym… er, I mean nowadays? I’d never seen it, but Googling seems to bring it up a fair bit.
I’d only ever use “any more” (as two words) in a negative sense, as in “He doesn’t live there any more” i.e. he used to live there but he lives there no more. Here, the meaning of the words “any more” is clear. There is possibly an argument for using “anymore” as one word, to distinguish it from the other use of “any more”:
“Would you like any more cake?”
“I did, but I don’t anymore.”
Using it in a positive sense just seems weird to me, though. Any more what?
This drives me CRAZY and it seems to be a rural thing. I have visited both Iowa and Idaho lately and I hear it constantly there. It just sounds so painfully wrong though.
“You can buy anything on the internet anymore.”
It’s like one of those grammar text’s weird examples of poor english where you think, “Who would ever talk like THAT?”
Some other annoying sayings from the heartland:
“This carpet needs swept.” or “The lawn needs mowed.”
OK first of all you don’t sweep fricking carpeting, and secondly who taught you how to conjugate??? I hear this all the time too.
For those of you who find it terrible and midwestern and American and unlettered, chew on this:
The expression appears in D. H. Lawrence’s works…I believe it is Sons and Lovers, but it may be Women In Love. (Sorry, being terrible and midwestern and American and only moderately lettered–I am officially snac, BA–I’m not up on my Lawrence.)
He uses it in a conversation between two appropriately upper-crust Brits.
For the record, “anymore” does, indeed, mean “nowadays.” That is how my dictionary defines it, while also noting that it is usually used in negative constructions: Alice doesn’t live here anymore being equivalent to Alice does not live here nowadays."
(It can also be used to indicate future actions – They agreed not to fight anymore but again properly in a negative construction.)
For people who use it in non-negative constructions – You can buy it on the internet anymore – the danger is that people trained to hear it in a negative construction will think you just said “can’t” instead of “can.” At least I would.
Nonetheless, all the “Anywords” such as anymore, anybody, anylonger, anyway, anything and anyone are generally used in quastions (where they are interchangable with the “Somewords” or in negative replies.
Having been on Holiday in the U.S. recently i came across some american english that astounded me. Apart from being told to ‘DEBARK’ the aircraft, when watching some american ‘sport’ on the TV i was shocked to hear the team on best form being described as the ‘WINNINGEST’ team!!! Whats all that about???
Although who am i to say being from Northern Ireland, i cant talk much good queen england meself.
But in relation to the original question i wouldnt use ‘anymore’ in that context and dont know anyone who does.
I never, ever heard “anymore” used this way growing up in Wisconsin. First time I did hear it was from a guy I knew in college who was from Ohio. I thought he was nuts.
