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Etymology Journal ยท D

Don't you fret none

Meaning

A friendly, folksy way of saying 'do not worry at all.' It is an emphatic, colloquial way to tell someone that their concern is unnecessary.

Comforting, rustic

Used in a sentence

  • Don't you fret none, the car will be fixed by tomorrow morning.
  • I know you are worried about the exam, but don't you fret none, you studied hard.
  • The neighbors will look after the farm while we are gone, so don't you fret none.

The backstory

The word fret is Old English, and the addition of 'none' for emphasis is a hallmark of traditional Appalachian and Southern grammar.

Heard in

The South

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