Canadian idiom?

I am interested in the phrase “I was like to” as in “I was like to die” meaning “I was very upset” I am wondering if this phrase is typically Canadian or if it is also used in the U.S. or Britain.

Hi Alan, and welcome to the forum.
Your profile says you're a retired Canadian teacher of English, so what is your own experience with that phrase in Canada?

Hi, Alan! Welcome to the forum.

I suspect you meant to tell us that the phrase is typically Canadian, but also ask us if it's used in AmE or BrE. Might that be the case? As teechar said, given that Canada is your home country, you must know if it's typical of Canadian English.

This Canadian has never heard it used in that sense. In my experience "I was like" is a slangy synonym for "I said".

An afterthought: if not current slang it might also be an archaic usage.

I've never heard it.

I was curious about it for this quite obscure reason. The legendary Canadian songwriter David Wiffen wrote a song called “More Often Than Not” in 1970 or so in which he uses the phrase twice.
“ Would you believe I was like to cry now” and “would you believe I was like to die now.”
American singer/ songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker covered the song and changed both phrases to something like “I felt like”. American singer Eric Andersen did the same. Ian and Sylvia, a Canadian duo, recorded the song with Wiffen’s original lyrics. I always wondered why the change was made. My guess is that it may be a phrase common in rural areas in both Canada and the U.S. but I have no hard evidence of this. All these versions are available on YouTube - great song. And yes, I realize that this is not an issue of momentous importance!

This is what my semi-reliable sources say:

"The usage of "like to" to mean "about to" or "on the verge of" is more commonly found in certain regional dialects or informal speech patterns, particularly in parts of the southern United States and certain areas of the United Kingdom.

In the southern United States, particularly in states like Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama, you may come across this construction in colloquial conversations. Similarly, in some regions of the United Kingdom, such as parts of England and Scotland, this usage can be found in certain dialects or informal speech patterns."

I've lived in the southern regions of England all my life and I've never heard it. Note that according to this source, the meaning is equivalent to 'about to' so I can see why 'I felt like' is a reasonable paraphrase of an idiom that most listeners would be unfamiliar with.

Thanks for that information. It is much appreciated. I am going to see if I can turn up some other examples of its usage.

I'm familiar with it, and use a variation of it sometimes. I'll say things such as "I like to have keeled over when I saw the price tag". (I nearly fainted from shock at the price). I'm from (born and raised) the southern High Plains region in the US.

It's kind of a register thing, so my usage depends on whom I'm talking to.

Alan Stuart said:

I am interested in the phrase “I was like to” as in “I was like to die” meaning “I was very upset” I am wondering if this phrase is typically Canadian or if it is also used in the U.S. or Britain.

Click to expand...

Not a teacher

Hi!
That's an intriguing phrase! While it's more commonly used in Canadian English, you might find variations of it in different English-speaking regions. In the U.S. and Britain, you'd often hear expressions like "I was about to die" or "I felt like dying." Language has its fascinating quirks, connecting us across borders while maintaining regional flavors. Keep exploring linguistic gems!

Welcome to the forum, Martin45! I see that you have already posted several interesting replies. I look forward to reading and commenting on your future posts.