Have You Ever Used This Word? (I'd wager not, but you never know)

collide-o-scope

In Orwell's Coming Up for Air, the protagonist returns to his birthplace, where he finds great changes have taken place in his absence. As he passes a boarding kennel with Sealyham pups for sale, the bewildered returnee says, "Surely that usen’t to be there?"  

Usen't (or usedn't), obviously a contraction of used not, is a rare bird indeed. Have you ever used it? Have you even heard of it? Do you use it in everyday speech?

I usen't to bother with it, but I like the sound of it so I might start sneaking it into my writing.

(see what I did there?)  

heather

I feel as though I do on occasion, though it wouldn't be a regular thing.

Lizy

I think - or feel - I have, but not often. It's merely a contraction of 'used not', and in fact is possibly more grammatical than the more common 'didn't used to'. Interesting!

Carol

Sounds more like a dialect thing.

Carol

Sounds more like a dialect thing.