The contraction "y'all"

[Ultra Peanut]

y'all

In the Southern United States dialects of American English, the term y'all, a contraction of you all, serves as the vernacular second-person plural pronoun. Because, in formal written English, the second-person pronoun you can be both singular and plural, many regional or national dialects have developed an informal distinction. This distinction is often made by adding a word to follow you in order to make a pronominal phrase for the plural. In British English, for example, the function is served by the phrase you lot. In many U.S. dialects, we find you guys (or, quite often, yous guys). Likewise, in the Deep South, the appropriate term is y'all.It's efficient, it's effective, it's strangely elegant.

I also avoid using it like the plague.

"You guys" is much clunkier and far less efficient, yet I greatly prefer using it in everyday parlance.

Damned negative connotations associated with "y'all." :cuss:

[andoman]

I work with a female from Texas and she says "All y'all"

[Ultra Peanut]

Now that's just wasteful.

[KCWolfman]

My mom says "warsh" instead of "wash".

Bugs the hell out of me.

[4th and Long]

I work with a female from Texas and she says "All y'all"
All y'all is the plural of y'all. :p

[DaKCMan AP]

I never used y'all or all y'all until I started school in Gainesville. Now I catch myself using it often.

[KCWolfman]

I never used y'all or all y'all until I started school in Gainesville. Now I catch myself using it often.
That's understandable, English is pretty much a second language at UF.

[DJay23]

The only place i ever lived where it was used regularly was in south Texas. I use it now just because it is easier, but I don't use it a lot. I makes my speech far more ecclectic to mix it in only sometimes.

[Rausch]

I'm guilty...

[Skip Towne]

And people who say y'all are usually fixin' to go somewhere or fixin' to do something.

[mlyonsd]

It's efficient, it's effective, it's strangely elegant.

I also avoid using it like the plague.

"You guys" is much clunkier and far less efficient, yet I greatly prefer using it in everyday parlance.

Damned negative connotations associated with "y'all." :cuss:

ROFL Ironic as it is I used the phrase "y'all" today while talking to a group at work. I was chastised severly.

[J Diddy]

ROFL Ironic as it is I used the phrase "y'all" today while talking to a group at work. I was chastised severly.


as you should be....

[Baby Lee]

"You guys" is much clunkier and far less efficient, yet I greatly prefer using it in everyday parlance.
My cousin [grew up in Louisiana, lives in Texas] of course grew up saying y'all. He spent a summer as a teenager with my family in KC, and his biggest gripe was 'you guys.' He'd get positively irate. "Some girl walks up to a group of other girls and says 'hey you guys.' Have they ever heard of gender identity?"

[Ultra Peanut]

My cousin [grew up in Louisiana, lives in Texas] of course grew up saying y'all. He spent a summer as a teenager with my family in KC, and his biggest gripe was 'you guys.' He'd get positively irate. "Some girl walks up to a group of other girls and says 'hey you guys.' Have they ever heard of gender identity?"Heh. Heh heh heh.

Thoroughly amusing anecdote, in more ways than one.

[Chiefs_Mike_Topeka]

My mom says "warsh" instead of "wash".

Bugs the hell out of me.


My mother in law says it also, DRIVES ME FRIGGIN NUTS!! :banghead:


I also can't stand when people say "hunerd" instead of HUNDRED.

Of course the urbanization of the english language basically pisses me off as a whole. Listenening to most young people being to lazy to enunciate or pronounce words properly makes me want to hit them all in the head with a hammer. :mad:

[Baby Lee]

My mom says "warsh" instead of "wash".

Bugs the hell out of me.
When I was a security guard, getting ready to go off to law school, there was an old guard who, at least once a week would ask me;

"Ya know what's a good law school? . . . Wurshburn."

I just nodded, glassy-eyed.

[Ultra Peanut]

Wurshburn? The Bods?

[chiefs4me]

When I first moved down here 11 years ago and heard the words they use..I said I would never do it. Now I say you all, all the time. Yes that's the way I spell it you damn spelling nazi's...We also call them buggy's instead of shopping carts.:)

[Donger]

Please don't. I'm traveling to Texas next week and the week after, and I'm really trying to repress my natural tendency to give Texans crap.

[Skip Towne]

My mother in law says it also, DRIVES ME FRIGGIN NUTS!! :banghead:


I also can't stand when people say "hunerd" instead of HUNDRED.

Of course the urbanization of the english language basically pisses me off as a whole. Listenening to most young people being to lazy to enunciate and pronunciate words properly makes me want to hit them all in the head with a hammer. :mad:
Pronunciate?

[Skip Towne]

When I first moved down here 11 years ago and heard the words they use..I said I would never do it. Now I say you all, all the time. Yes that's the way I spell it you damn spelling nazi's...We also call them buggy's instead of shopping carts.:)
Redbugs instead of chiggers? And Texans don't take you someplace, They "carry" you.

[Skip Towne]

Here I sit, squeezin' and a flexin'...
.......about to give birth to another Texan.

[Donger]

Here I sit, squeezin' and a flexin'...

Please don't. My f*cking MIL went apoplectic the first time I did that.

[Ultra Peanut]

Pronunciate?DAAAAAAAAMN HOMEY, YOU GOT SERVED!

<img src="http://movies.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/you_got_served/images/keyart_left.jpg" style="width: 290px; height: 421px; border: 0" alt="" />

[milkman]

I jest can't figger out why ya'll got a problem with this here contraction.

It just makes no never mind ta me.
It ain't nuttin' but a thang.

[Chiefs_Mike_Topeka]

Pronunciate?


See how annoying it is when people do not speak properly!

:p

[Hammock Parties]

I sometimes feel weird saying 'y'all' after being Eurotrash for so long. I am the hybrid offspring of Patriots and Redcoats. "Pip Pip and all that wot, dude?"

[KCChiefsMan]

I notice a lot of people say "that there...." I HATE THAT!!

gimme that there steak (or whatever it is they want)

[Skip Towne]

I sometimes feel weird saying 'y'all' after being Eurotrash for so long. I am the hybrid offspring of Patriots and Redcoats. "Pip Pip and all that wot, dude?"
How did you avoid becoming a soccer puke?

[Rain Man]

My wife finds it odd that my father says "you'ns".

[Hammock Parties]

How did you avoid becoming a soccer puke?

My Dad was a football puke. I barely even knew soccer existed when I was over there. Weird, huh?

[kcfanintitanhell]

Down here women don't have PMS-they have FTS-Fixin to Start..

[trndobrd]

When I was a security guard, getting ready to go off to law school, there was an old guard who, at least once a week would ask me;

"Ya know what's a good law school? . . . Wurshburn."

I just nodded, glassy-eyed.


Obviously unable to pronouce proper names correctly, or identify a quality law school.

[badgirl]

Its like Gretchen says

I'm a redneck woman, I ant no high class broad, I'm just a product of my raise'n I say hey y'all and hee haw.

True, how true.

How many people on here thats around my age remember if your family was always scaring the shit out of you by saying they "saw something" or "listen did you hear that?" always telling scarry crap and they all beleived it. what the hell was that all about?
I remember my grandmother was in another state once and she asked the cashier for a paper poke, of course the girl didn't know what the hell she was talking about and I had to tell her a bag. ROFL Man I grew up with some strange way of speaking, thank god I got rid of most of the real stupid words, that my mom still uses. ROFL

[ChiefFripp]

My mom says "warsh" instead of "wash".

Bugs the hell out of me.

I have a grandmother who uses "warsh". She also says"Warshignton" instead of "Washington", and it makes me laugh on the inside everytime I hear it.

[MichaelH]

Ya'll or y'all is extremely common in this part of the country. I like it better than yous guys like it's said in the Northeast. The thing that drives me nuts about the southern dialect is the failure to use contractions and negatives correctly. Example, "I ain't got none" or "We ain't got no more biscuits." And it's not just the uneducated that do it. My new boss, who has his masters in Mechanical Engineering uses "ain't got none" about 30 times a day. It drives me nuts!

[ChiefFripp]

Ya'll or y'all is extremely common in this part of the country. I like it better than yous guys like it's said in the Northeast. The thing that drives me nuts about the southern dialect is the failure to use contractions and negatives correctly. Example, "I ain't got none" or "We ain't got no more biscuits." And it's not just the uneducated that do it. My new boss, who has his masters in Mechanical Engineering uses "ain't got none" about 30 times a day. It drives me nuts!
Double negatives piss me off too. :mad:

[badgirl]

I have a grandmother who uses "warsh". She also says"Warshignton" instead of "Washington", and it makes me laugh on the inside everytime I hear it.
I think my grandma called it "worsh", ah applachians don't you just.......uh hate 'em sometimes. :)

I have a strong southern accent with a heavy drawl, but I do not say the stupid words I grew up hearing, if I did no one would know what the hell I was saying. Weird thing is every state I've been in Tx, AL, they all say well you've got a real souther accent, what the hell do they think they've got, and how is mine different, which it must be cause I hear it all the time. I really got ribbed at the hospital by everyone, almost everyday and it got really old. There was a couple of people who called me "that southern girl" I don't think they even knew my name :rolleyes:

[Biohazard]

When I was growing up a washcloth was a warshrag, but one still washed the car or the dishes, makes no sense to me.

Have you ever heard anyone say "everwhat" or "everwhere" instead of whatever and where ever????

[Goapics1]

I have a couple of people say "I'm a goin' down to Wal-Marts and buy me a....."

Also, instead of saying "the 2 of you", they say "the 2 yutes".

[chagrin]

Wow, this is interesting indeed. I grew up in "Northern" Louisiana and was educated in a nationally ranked top ten (we were 8th at the time) high school and was in radio broadcasting at the age of 16. I though I was pretty darned polished. flash forward 9 years and I was in Colorado in radio broadcasting and I listened to an old air check from 1989 or something...YIKES! I sounded worse than what I consider today to be "redneck" English. I haven't shared that aircheck with ANYBODY.

I have that Hybrid thing going too. I picked up "you guys" from Colorado, "yous" and "pop" from Michigan and now I find myself saying "right?" with almost every friggin statement I make here in Florida. Up North they say some silly sounding shit too.

Chagrin <====Still says y'all

[ChiefFripp]

"Pop" isn't redneck vernacular. I do get strange looks when I use it in Florida. I'm never going to replace "Pop" with" Soda" so Floridians can kiss my midwestern arse.

[chagrin]

"Pop" isn't redneck vernacular. I do get strange looks when I use it in Florida. I'm never going to replace "Pop" with" Soda" so Floridians can kiss my midwestern arse.



I wasn't saying that Pop is redneck, I was just kinda "talking" about what different pieces of lingo I've picked up.

"I'm never going to replace "Pop" with" Soda" so Floridians can kiss my midwestern arse"

HAHA!

[Goapics1]

"Pop" isn't redneck vernacular. I do get strange looks when I use it in Florida. I'm never going to replace "Pop" with" Soda" so Floridians can kiss my midwestern arse.
Get me a sodie you midwestern arse!

[cadmonkey]

Y'all ain't got nuttin better to talk 'bout?

[MOhillbilly]

pertnear.

[Bob Dole]

.......about to give birth to another Texan.

And the ever popular: If God had meant for Texans to ski, he would have made bullshit white.

[Mr. Kotter]

dj'eat?

[Goapics1]

mutter fooker

[MOhillbilly]

yabut

[Saulbadguy]

Most of the people at my work can't pronounce "TSUNAMI". They say "tuh-soo-nam-ee"

[HC_Chief]

Most of the people at my work can't pronounce "TSUNAMI". They say "tuh-soo-nam-ee"

lol
Dumbass toe-puke-ans. :D

[HC_Chief]

FTR, I lived in the South for a while... loved it - friendly people, beautiful scenery, HOT women. :thumb:

Y'all has zero negative connotations for me

[bricks]

Most of the people at my work can't pronounce "TSUNAMI". They say "tuh-soo-nam-ee"

Next time you see them break it down for them...I'll help you out..

repeat after me: Sue as in the name Sue. Nah as in no. Me as in me, myself.

So, put all those together, and there you have it Sue-nah-me.

[Saulbadguy]

Next time you see them break it down for them...I'll help you out..Here you go:

repeat after me: Sue as in the name Sue. Nah as in no. Me as in me, myself.

So, put all those together, and you there you have it Sue-nah-me.
They still couldn't say it. Its Midwestern-speak. Alot of them still say "warsh". I can't stand that.

[bricks]

They still couldn't say it. Its Midwestern-speak. Alot of them still say "warsh". I can't stand that.

Ah I see...it must be the accent then.

[Goapics1]

taters, mata's

[Baby Lee]

dj'eat?
Jew Eat? No, not did you eat, but Jew eat? Jew. You get it? Jew eat?

[Baby Lee]

taters, mata's
My aunt loves to say taters, maters and gators, for potatoes, tomatoes and spaghetti.

[Goapics1]

gators, and spaghetti.
I do not get the connection on this one? :hmmm:

[Baby Lee]

I do not get the connection on this one? :hmmm:
spaghetti.
gators

She didn't think it was the same word, just mispronounced. She was making a play on words.

[Goapics1]

spaghetti.
gators

She didn't think it was the same word, just mispronounced. She was making a play on words.
Thanks. I got it now. :thumb:

[HC_Chief]

They still couldn't say it. Its Midwestern-speak. Alot of them still say "warsh". I can't stand that.

Yep.
And finish every sentence with "so......" or "yet". Both drive me batty. With the former, it's leaving the sentence hanging... I'm like "so? So what? Are you going to finish telling your stupid little story? Oh, you're finished? Ahh. There's five minute of my life I'll never get back... thank you." The latter makes absolutely no sense... "I'm going to the grocery store to get dinner, yet." :spock:

[redfan]

And here I've been sayin' ya'll all these years...

My grandmother said "warsh".

[redfan]

I've got cousins in GA that say "fixin' to".

[HC_Chief]

I've got cousins in GA that say "fixin' to".

Sure it isn't "fitt'n to"? :D

[Baby Lee]

I've got cousins in GA that say "fixin' to".
What's the old joke?
Bill says he's fixin' to go on vacation.
Maude corrects him, "fix means you repair something."
Bill says "that's what I said, I'm gettin' repaired to go."

[redfan]

Sure it isn't "fitt'n to"? :D

:)
Nope, dey's crakas.

[redfan]

"I'm gettin' repaired to go."

ROFL

Classic.
:clap:

[Goapics1]

I hate when people say "hundert and a half". No, it is one hundred fifty.

[Saulbadguy]

Yep.
And finish every sentence with "so......" or "yet". Both drive me batty. With the former, it's leaving the sentence hanging... I'm like "so? So what? Are you going to finish telling your stupid little story? Oh, you're finished? Ahh. There's five minute of my life I'll never get back... thank you." The latter makes absolutely no sense... "I'm going to the grocery store to get dinner, yet." :spock:
Yeah..the "so..." thing drives me crazy. I didn't realize that was a regional thing. I just thought people talked like that when they were nervous.

[KC Jones]

Anybody here spent time in West Virginia or Western Pennsylvania? They use y'ins instead of y'all. I think it's some backwards bastardization of appalachian "you'ens". Anyway, the Pittsburgh dialect is especially odd as they have a habit of dropping pronouns, presumably because it was hard to hear each other in the steel mills. Instead of "Does your watch need to be fixed?" you say "Watch need fixed?"

[Calcountry]

Yeah, them Arkansawyers say You all, but down in M'sippi and Al'bama they say Y'all.

Which is quite impressive when folks from Houston refer to New Orleans as N'orlans.

[Calcountry]

Anybody here spent time in West Virginia or Western Pennsylvania? They use y'ins instead of y'all. I think it's some backwards bastardization of appalachian "you'ens". Anyway, the Pittsburgh dialect is especially odd as they have a habit of dropping pronouns, presumably because it was hard to hear each other in the steel mills. Instead of "Does your watch need to be fixed?" you say "Watch need fixed?"My Grand ma from Missouri, I heard her say "Yournses" as in these chairs are yours.

[pink]

Please don't. I'm traveling to Texas next week and the week after, and I'm really trying to repress my natural tendency to give Texans crap.
bring it on y'all ... we southerner's are real tough... ;)

[pink]

I have that Hybrid thing going too. I picked up "you guys" from Colorado, "yous" and "pop" from Michigan...
in texas all "sodas" or "pop" are coke. you say get me a coke, wouldya? and the response is what kind?

[HC_Chief]

in texas all "sodas" or "pop" are coke. you say get me a coke, wouldya? and the response is what kind?

Yeah, that one bugs me.

[Calcountry]

Anybody here spent time in West Virginia or Western Pennsylvania? They use y'ins instead of y'all. I think it's some backwards bastardization of appalachian "you'ens". Anyway, the Pittsburgh dialect is especially odd as they have a habit of dropping pronouns, presumably because it was hard to hear each other in the steel mills. Instead of "Does your watch need to be fixed?" you say "Watch need fixed?"In Virginny, they drop the "S" on the end of words. So, its 99 cent, instead of centSSSSSSSssuh.

[Goapics1]

in texas all "sodas" or "pop" are coke. you say get me a coke, wouldya? and the response is what kind?
No chit. I just thought Coke was the drink of choice down there. :hmmm:

[HC_Chief]

In Virginny, they drop the "S" on the end of words. So, its 99 cent, instead of centSSSSSSSssuh.

Think that's bad? In KS they pluralize EVERYTHING! It's maddening: "I'm going to Sonic<b>s</b> to get lunch, so....... After, I may go to KMart<b>s</b>, yet." :banghead:

[Calcountry]

Think that's bad? In KS they pluralize EVERYTHING! It's maddening: "I'm going to Sonics to get lunch, so....... After, I may go to KMarts, yet." :banghead:You mean they possessive it, as in I am going to Mr. Sonics' then to Mr. KMarts' store?

[HC_Chief]

You mean they possessive it, as in I am going to Mr. Sonics' then to Mr. KMarts' store?

I guess... who knows wtf they're thinking? (if at all)

[Hammock Parties]

in texas all "sodas" or "pop" are coke. you say get me a coke, wouldya? and the response is what kind?

I certainly don't use that term.

[Calcountry]

I guess... who knows wtf they're thinking? (if at all)ROFL

[Calcountry]

I certainly don't use that term.No, you just go take something, and they say to you, "youwannawonga?"

[Hammock Parties]

No, you just go take something, and they say to you, "youwannawonga?"

ROFL

[Spicy McHaggis]

I sometimes feel weird saying 'y'all' after being Eurotrash for so long. I am the hybrid offspring of Patriots and Redcoats. "Pip Pip and all that wot, dude?"

Freaking townie :p

[Chieficus]

The wonderful thing about language study... doesn't matter what your teacher taught ya', doesn't matter what them there rules are, doesn't matter if youens and yurs throw a big hissy fit... the one rule that trumps all: The mob rules.

Hence, why "ain't" is now a dictionary word.

That aside, since I've moved to Kentucky, I've met several people from South Carolina. It's not so much of a contraction that they use, but they all say "cut on" or "cut off" when speaking of things like the lights and air conditioner, etc.

"Cut off the lights."
"Okay, but don't blame me for what happens."

[Sam]

dj'eat?

No, d'you?

[pink]

No, d'you?
no, y'awnto?

[Hammock Parties]

My cousin says that. He's a Missourian.

[Chiefs_Mike_Topeka]

Hear alot of people order boogers instead of BURGERS at booger joints.

[chiefs4me]

No chit. I just thought Coke was the drink of choice down there. :hmmm:





It's not..and if you don't tell them what you do want, they will bring you that sweet tasting Dr. Pepper. That is the drink in Texas. Half of the resturant's and bars and gas stations and such don't even carry coke...it's that sweet tasting Pepsi if they can't drink the Dr. Pepper.

[chiefs4me]

I've got cousins in GA that say "fixin' to".





ROFL.....I wish I had a dime for every time I have said...your fixin to get your butt whooped.....

[chiefs4me]

no, y'awnto?







ROFL he doesn't know what that means. But no thanks, I don't want to.;)

[Skip Towne]

bring it on y'all ... we southerner's are real tough... ;)
Not really. Yo' let Billy Yank kick yo' butts.

[Skip Towne]

There used to be a restaurant in Wichita named "Y'et Yet?"

[Over-Head]

I can relate to this topic.
Here in NL when you see someone you know but don’t want to stop and talk to you just look at him or her and say “Wadda ya attt”
Or “What are you at” and keep walking.
It’s also used to make that first word spokne in a room when the “boy’s” are all down in the basement smomking a “draw” :bong:.
You just walk up to the crowd and say “Wadda ya at b’yyy’s”

[Jenson71]

"Well, I do declare!...."

[redfan]

"Heyuh!! Inny you'ns wanna git uh sodey pop?"

Hooboy.

[stevieray]

"Heyuh!! Inny you'ns wanna git uh sodey pop?"

Hooboy.

sodi water.
britches (pants)
sugar (kiss)

[foxman]

All Yall juss needs to chill.

I am from KS originaly and I still pluralise K-marts. Drives my wife nuts.

Now in the south I am guilty of many of these infractions.

All Yall

Cent instead of Cents....on and on and on.

My children wouldnt know a pop is a drink instead of an action.

My great grandma said Sody, I say cola.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

My mother in law says it also, DRIVES ME FRIGGIN NUTS!! :banghead:


I also can't stand when people say "hunerd" instead of HUNDRED.

Of course the urbanization of the english language basically pisses me off as a whole. Listenening to most young people being to lazy to enunciate or pronounce words properly makes me want to hit them all in the head with a hammer. :mad:


hunerd is bad, but not as bad as fiddy instead of fifty

[Skip Towne]

If I asked for a Coke, and someone asked what kind, I'd be tempted to respond with, "I said a Coke, you ignorant f*ck."

Actually, I probably wouldn't be tempted... it would probably just come out of my mouth before I thought about it.
Do you get punched in the face much?

[HarryParatestes]

It's efficient, it's effective, it's strangely elegant.

I also avoid using it like the plague.

"You guys" is much clunkier and far less efficient, yet I greatly prefer using it in everyday parlance.

Damned negative connotations associated with "y'all." :cuss:

I was born and raised KC. Been living in Alabama since '87. I say it now as a matter of speech...and dont even notice when others do. Dont even notice the thick Southern accents here either.

[pink]

ROFL he doesn't know what that means. But no thanks, I don't want to.;)
a'ight.

[Brando]

If I asked for a Coke, and someone asked what kind, I'd be tempted to respond with, "I said a Coke, you ignorant f*ck."

Actually, I probably wouldn't be tempted... it would probably just come out of my mouth before I thought about it.

A-fugging men brutha!

[pink]

If I asked for a Coke, and someone asked what kind, I'd be tempted to respond with, "I said a Coke, you ignorant f*ck."
then get off yer lazy ass and gettit yer own damn self.
frickin' assmunch.

[pink]

A-fugging men brutha!
and why is it again you are without a good woman? hmmm.

[Brando]

and why is it again you are without a good woman? hmmm.
Oh man..below the belt!! My ex left me for a hayseed that couldn't even spell coke or pop. Maybe I should just walk around being a human bag of cow shit?

[pink]

Maybe I should just walk around being a human bag of cow shit?
mebbe so.
or mebbe i just expected more from you than from END.
mebbe it's just me.
nah.

[Brando]

mebbe so.
or mebbe i just expected more from you than from END.
mebbe it's just me.
nah.
I have standards, scruples, and manners. Brian doesn't even pretend to LOL. Sometimes I just have to let it fly. You've seen how short I am. I don't think I'd walk around punching anyone. Especially someone from Texas.

[pink]

I don't think I'd walk around punching anyone. Especially someone from Texas.
there ya go. see? smarter than you look. ;)

[Donger]

If I asked for a Coke, and someone asked what kind, I'd be tempted to respond with, "I said a Coke, you ignorant f*ck

Heh. I'm going to try that next week.