"I appreciate cha"

Question

Say you do something simple and nice for someone. A normal reply would be "I appreciate that, thank you." (phrased in either order)

But for the past year or two, down here in the southern US, I've been hearing a new phrase (at least new to me) that seems to conflate "I appreciate that" and "thank you."

I appreciate you.

Tack a southern drawl on it and you get

I appreciate cha.

The first time I heard it, I was thrown, thinking "Wow, that's pretty strangely sloppy." Then I heard it again, and... again. Now, it's very commonplace here.

So my questions are:

1. Do you hear this in your area?
2. If so, is it new?
3. Anyone know its origins?

Answer 1

Do you hear this in your area?

I talk to people in many regions for work purposes, and I hear it from some in the South (Texas, Georgia).

If so, is it new?

Fairly new, I guess.

Anyone know its origins?

I would venture to guess that it's a shortened form of I appreciate you having done (whatever).

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EDIT re: your comment

But doesn't seem like they are emphasizing more the "you" than the deed? People often look me in the eye when they say this.

Yes.

So let's say that instead of appreciating that, they appreciate you having done that. It wouldn't have happened without you. In that transfer, they are thanking you for existing and having the motive and opportunity to do that thing you did.

Answer 2

I, having lived most of my life in the American South, have heard this expression a lot (though I would tend to spell and pronounce it "'preciate 'cha" I.e. "Preeshee-a-chuh"). Having also lived in other regions, though, I'm well aware that it's as peculiar to Southerners as "y'all." Idk the etymological details of the idiom, I think it's very typical of southern warmth and friendliness. It always seemed to me friendlier to express an appreciation for the actor, as opposed to just the action itself.

Answer 3

It has become strangely common of late here in Chicago. I thought the same thing when I first heard it on some reality show set in the south, but now I catch people of all different backgrounds saying it here, even on different sides of town. Contextually, it seems to be a very casual and familiar thank-you, pronounced simply as "'Preciate ya." Sort of awkward, but not the worst, I suppose.

Answer 4

I heard it first when I started working in TN 1989 and MS in 1991. Said by professionals but in an informal comfortable setting. 'Preciate it and I 'preciate ya. It can include tasks done or a person being the kind of person they are...

Answer 5

Let me address the "origins" part of the OP's question. I will address the question of "when" by noting the years in which several songs were released.

There are quite a few popular phrases and songs that have a plosive t, possibly followed by a linking verb, then followed by you.

The linguistic phenomenon seems to be that the linking verb gets deleted and the you gets elided into the cha that you are observing.

For example:

Don't you think becomes Don't cha think in this song by Elvis. (1958)

What (are) you going to do becomes Whatcha gonna do (Note that the song title is "What You gonna do (When she says goodbye)", while the lyrics say "Whatcha gonna do" (1977)

What (are) you going to do also becomes Whatcha gonna do in this Bad Boys song by Inner Circle. (1987)

What did she say becomes Whatcha say in this song by Jason DeRulo. (2009)

Wha- wha- what did she say
Mmh whatcha say

So as to the origin, I would say that the cha is an elided form of you. And I appreciate you undergoes the same transformation as Don't you.

(I am struggling a bit with the phonetic changes, but would appreciate any aid from the linguists in the community.)

Answer 6

We can thank, in part, that brilliant speaker George W. Bush, U.S. President for this expression. He was known to say in in press conferences "I appreciate House rep. John Blank,'' (for example) rather than saying the deed or particular political stand he (Bush) appreciated. One more chance to be elusive as a politician, it appears.