"anymore"

So I have two friends who do this, one from Ohio and one from California:

They use 'anymore' in contexts that sound strange to me. As an example, my friend from California was talking about abalone and said "they're like mussels, but really rare anymore." I assumed this was a Midwestern thing because my friend from Ohio was the first person I had encountered who used it in this context. Does anyone know anything about this use of "anymore"?

I was shocked when I recently heard "I rarely come here anymore." I had to google it to make sure it's a common construction.

I use "anymore" in exactly the same manner, Skip (to Caspian's unending amusement). As far as I know, I always have and never thought anything was odd about it until foreigners started commenting on it on the internet.

I have never lived in or even visited the Midwest. My US stomping grounds have been Virginia, NY, California, and NM, and my family hails from New England on one side and the deep South on the other. No Midwesterners anywhere!

My friend is from Santa Cantilena off the coast of Los Angeles, and she said LA is the closest anyone in her family has been to the Midwest lol

I am from California, but "they're like mussels, but really rare anymore." sounds strange to me. On the other hand, "I rarely come here anymore." is something I might say...

As Uriel, I would use the same construction in conversation, and I am from the Intermountain West and educated in the Midwest.

"I rarely come here anymore." - this is fine, no problem.

"They're like mussels, but really rare anymore." - ???????????

You're dead right, Uriel! I've only just got used to 'already'!! What does 'anymore' actually mean in this context?!

I assume it means "nowadays" or something... I have never heard anyone use it like that in California, though...

Anymore when in context means eg: I dont come here anymore, I cant eat that anymore, Its the same as No more eg: I dont come here No more, I cant eat No more of that. then in another context you could say to maybe a child [ thats shouting at you ] hey you..!! anymore of that and you will go to your room. You can use it in a few contexts guys..

"they're rare anymore" means "they're not common anymore".
Since "rare" and "not common" are more or less synonymous, some people apparently think the two are interchangeable, thus "anymore" used without a negation.

Thanks ya'll. You can gather the meaning from the context, but I'm wondering about its geographic spread. I have really only heard it used by my friend from Santa Cantilena off the coast of LA County, and my other friend from Genoa, Ohio.

It is used alot in the uk..

<It is used alot in the uk>

"any more"/"anymore" is obviously used a lot in the UK, but not in this sense:

<"they're rare anymore" means "they're not common anymore". >

>>I am from California, but "they're like mussels, but really rare anymore." sounds strange to me. On the other hand, "I rarely come here anymore." is something I might say... <<

im from california too, and i had the same reaction. only the 2nd one seems possible

>>I assume it means "nowadays" or something... I have never heard anyone use it like that in California, though...<<

ive never heard it used like that in the state either

im thinking she's just one of those rare people who still uses it out here in that way. it happens

Guest, yeah your right, in this context "they're rare anymore" but you could use "there are not that rare anymore"