Have you got vs do you have?

[Miss Zippy]

It seems that a lot of the time when you word 'got' is used, it's unnecessary, e.g. "I have got a/ I have a".  Is there any rule as to when the word 'got' should be used?

[Quizmonster]

Most such structures are informal ones originally used in American English. I should start worrying about it, Miss Z, only if you hear Brits beginning to use their past participle 'gotten'!

[Miss Zippy]

Thanks QM.  I'll stop worrying :o)

[Quizmonster]

My goodness...that was quick, Miss Z! Just an additional point. We started using these mainly because of our tendency to elide structures such as 'I have' into 'I've'. 'Got' was handy in order to avoid sillinesses such as 'I've it' instead of 'I have it.'

[ah9815]

Also: have got (to + infinitive) = must

e.g., I have got... to see, go, write

[ah9815]

Just realised that my answer didn't really answer yours...

I suppose "got" really is just extra baggage!

[Miss Zippy]

I was just going to point that out in your particular example ah9815!  Thanks though.

[ah9815]

Cheers Miss Zippy. One last instance where "got" can be used is to mean "to become", e.g., "he got ill".

[ann_h]

I was taught that it's the difference between owning and obtaining.

I have brown hair.

I have got some of those trousers now.

[rojash]

Or in American:

I've gotten some of those pants now.

[jno]

'Gotten' may be American now but it used to be English - same as 'forgotten' still is. They're consistent, we're not (not that consistency ever has much to do with the use of language).

[Quizmonster]

Virtually the only time 'gotten' is used in modern British English usage is in the phrase 'ill-gotten gains'. As Jno's answer suggests, however, 'gotten' predated 'got' by about two centuries.