Teacher Discussion Forums

Simple question to AE speakers: Can you also use fitted here and get the same meaning? If not, why not? If yes, why?

"Kennedy spontaneously grabbed the housing director (also an Irishman) and Gore and started in on When Irish Eyes Are Smiling. It was almost as painful as when Mike Dukakis put on the helmet, which fit him like a kettledrum, and climbed into the tank for a photo op. Gore didn't know the words but tried to fake it, and that was the least of his problems."

http://corpus.byu.edu/time/

You're right to point this out. Garner says

"Just since the mid-20th century, AmE has witnessed a shift in the past tense and past participle from fitted to fit. Traditionally, fit would have been considered incorrect, but it began appearing in journalism and even scholarly writing as early as the 1950s. David S. Berkeley, "The Past Tense of 'Fit,'" 30 Am. Speech 311 (1955)."

I doubt that it has different meanings.
I told you that Garner's Modern American Usage would be useful.

I told you that Garner's Modern American Usage would be useful.

He/it has its moments of lucidity.