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From: colonel@gloria.UUCP (George Sicherman)
Newsgroups: net.nlang
Subject: Re: I've got to
Message-ID: <930@gloria.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Feb-85 19:40:00 EST
Article-I.D.: gloria.930
Posted: Wed Feb 20 19:40:00 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Feb-85 06:46:57 EST
References: <310@ho95b.UUCP>
Organization: SUNY-Buffalo Computer Sci.
Lines: 10

> Something that's suddenly bugging me is the construction "I've got",
> as in "I've got to go to the store", sometimes also "I have got to
> go to the store."

It's a natural colloquialism.  "I have to" has an "h", which makes it
awkward to pronounce.  (Ask any Frenchman.) "I've got to" is easier to
pronounce and to hear.
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
...decvax!sunybcs!gloria!colonel