useta

alternative usta

1. contractioninformalused to: accustomed to

   "I'm a gent'man and I'm useta bein' treated as such."

   1913, Rupert Hughes, The Amiable Crimes of Dirk Memling, T. Langton, page 26

   2 more examples

   I'm useta meetin' mens in a nice way, all dressed up, silky dress, perfume, whiskey. Dis here—Beymour, knees all knobby, dick danglin', no music, whiskey, me in my duster, paper curlers—it don' seem natural!

   2011, Sapphire, The Kid: A Novel, Penguin, →ISBN

   Them nurses in the hospitals won't let yuh wipe yer own nose, an' I'm useta doin' that fer muhself.

   2017, Luke Allan, Blue Pete's Dilemma, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 193

2. contractioninformalused to: formerly did

   "He useta break these olive bottles with his fingers."

   1959, Generation, UM Libraries, page 4

   3 more examples

   I guess him an' me had a great deal in common. He didn't care much for strenuous amusements. He useta sleep all winter under the stove, an' all summer under the sun's warm rays.

   1918, American Magazine

   He useta trap otter, mink, mushkrats, and bear, wolves. You just love it. He taught us how to skin 'rats and stuff like that. I was 'bout ten.

   1997, Shawn Thompson, Soul of the River: Life in the Thousand Islands, GeneralStore PublishingHouse, →ISBN, page 44

   "Yes, I knowed Robert Fraley all right; a right nice sort of feller he useta be afore he made his pile. Always had a pleasant word. I've mended many a shoe fer him in his younger days afore he got up in the world."

   2013, Grace Livingston Hill, Ladybird, Barbour Publishing, →ISBN