"Whenever" and "Seen"

[Randi]

Catherinedana, I made a typo, I actually meant "height" and "hieght". South Africans seem to pronounce evrything with more emphasis on the i's, don't they.

Phesina, thank you for kind words. I'm trying my best. Of course, it helps to keep in touch with certain PTalkers.

[mruffruff]

I will never get used to the improper use of "waiting on". Newscasters, teachers, politicians, EVERYONE seems to use it wrong.

If you are waiting on someone, they must be very uncomfortable under you. And I wait IN line.

Run-on sentences drive me nuts! Commas and periods are like yeild and stop signs. They can make a totally illegible paragraph make sense.

[kokopup]

Being a card carrying southerner I am guilty of using fixin and Y'all in my everyday speech. I have traveled all over the world and have found that there are MINOR differences all over the US. One that bugs me used by my daughter-in-law, a New Yorker, is "these ones". I don't think this is unique to her since I have heard this used in other parts of the US. For those critical of us southerner using y'all how about the use of "youse" or "youse Guys". I'll take y'all any day. Although there are some regional differences here in the US the use of slang is minimal here compared to the British Isles. You have to go to mainland Europe to hear proper English spoken y'all.

[Randi]

I find "y'all" quite charming. I heard it the first time by a couple from Texas (of course! ). And I've heard it recently here, by a girl I know from Indiana.

[cassiesmom]

Being a card carrying southerner I am guilty of using fixin and Y'all in my everyday speech. I have traveled all over the world and have found that there are MINOR differences all over the US. One that bugs me used by my daughter-in-law, a New Yorker, is "these ones". I don't think this is unique to her since I have heard this used in other parts of the US. For those critical of us southerner using y'all how about the use of "youse" or "youse Guys". I'll take y'all any day. Although there are some regional differences here in the US the use of slang is minimal here compared to the British Isles. You have to go to mainland Europe to hear proper English spoken y'all.

I like y'all and all y'all! Nothing else works in quite the same way. Youse is common in parts of Chicago too.

I have a friend who took classes for radio broadcasting. Two things she had to learn to say were "W" with three syllables - since it's in radio call letters ... you're listening to double-U BBM AM in Chicago. And the other one was "hundred" -- not hunnerd ... this is one-hundred-point-seven on the FM dial.

[Moesha]

A problem I have with y'all is when people write it and spell it ya'll.

[finn's mom]

A problem I have with y'all is when people write it and spell it ya'll.

Same here! I'm all right with the actual phrase, it's a contraction of you all and makes sense to me, even if it does sound a bit hick (I say it, so I don't mean that in a bad way). I personally think it's charming, and always have. I also like you's (youse, however you spell it) and even you'uns (again, no idea how you'd spell that, haha).

But, it does bug me when it's spelled ya'll.

[kokopup]

I

have a friend who took classes for radio broadcasting. Two things she had to learn to say were "W" with three syllables - since it's in radio call letters ... you're listening to double-U BBM AM in Chicago. And the other one was "hundred" -- not hunnerd ... this is one-hundred-point-seven on the FM dial

.

I have found that for the most part the only people that actively try to lose their southern accent are those going into acting or broadcast. The mistake made by many, out of the south, is thinking that a slow southern accent means slow thinking or lack of education. I only have a BS but all the Dr's and PHD's that i know still have their accents and probably say Y'all , Fixin and tumped.

I liked a line from The song 'My Homes is Alabama" by Alabama

Oh I'll speak my Southern English just as natural as I please I'm in the heart of Dixie, Dixie's in the heart of me

I spent a lot of my working life out of the south, in other parts of the world, but always considered it home. The South is where I ended up retiring. In case you haven't noticed I love the south, the people, and all the quirks here in.

[smokey the elder]

This is a neat thread! A lot of the things people see as problems with grammar, spelling, etc. are probably the same thing people observed 500 years ago. Languages change, take in loan words, coin words, lose words. Look at the syntax for Middle English vs. Modern English; you'll think you're reading German, for example. Should people be careful, especially in written language? Sure. But I have a guilty pleasure in finding out what new words make it into various dictionaries each year!

[prechrswife]

A problem I have with y'all is when people write it and spell it ya'll.

Me, too.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

Are and our are two completely different words.

"We ate lunch at are favorite restaurant" is WRONG
"We ate lunch at our favorite restaurant" is CORRECT

[Pinot's Mom]

A problem I have with y'all is when people write it and spell it ya'll.

Well, spelling it ya'll is just strange. I have been using y'all intermittently for some time, even though I was raised in Yankee territory. It's just something that slipped in - my Rhode Island people would be appalled!

OK-pet peeves of mine (and, for those of you who know where I am, I work in HAMPDEN, which has a language all it's own), and I will not list who says them:
hisself instead of himself
aks instead of ask
I seen instead of I have seen
irregardless - AND I DON'T CARE IF IT'S IN THE DICTIONARY NOW!
where you at? I hear this ALL the time and it is absolutely nails on a chalkboard with me
incorrect spelling/terminology in business documents-there are computer programs for that!!

I'll leave it at that for now...

[pomtzu]

Well, spelling it ya'll is just strange. I have been using y'all intermittently for some time, even though I was raised in Yankee territory. It's just something that slipped in - my Rhode Island people would be appalled!

Yes - I'm appalled!

I have a couple of things, that from the way I pronounce them, people know that I'm not a native of this area. Like instead of "lobster", I say "lobsta". I don't say it often tho, since that's something not in my budget!! My brother that passed away, never lost his RI accent even after living in FL for 30+ years. Talking to him on the phone, you would think you were talking to Ted Kennedy.

I do take shortcuts in informal writing (such as on PT), like thru or tho, but would never spell them that way in a business document. I still don't say y'all, tho I do say "gonna" instead of "going to".

[redbird]

Yes - I'm appalled!

I have a couple of things, that from the way I pronounce them, people know that I'm not a native of this area. Like instead of "lobster", I say "lobsta". I don't say it often tho, since that's something not in my budget!! My brother that passed away, never lost his RI accent even after living in FL for 30+ years. Talking to him on the phone, you would think you were talking to Ted Kennedy.

I do take shortcuts in informal writing (such as on PT), like thru or tho, but would never spell them that way in a business document. I still don't say y'all, tho I do say "gonna" instead of "going to".

I also use the shortcuts thru and tho on some forums but would never use them on a professional document either.

[luckies4me]

Being a card carrying southerner I am guilty of using fixin and Y'all in my everyday speech. I have traveled all over the world and have found that there are MINOR differences all over the US. One that bugs me used by my daughter-in-law, a New Yorker, is "these ones". I don't think this is unique to her since I have heard this used in other parts of the US. For those critical of us southerner using y'all how about the use of "youse" or "youse Guys". I'll take y'all any day. Although there are some regional differences here in the US the use of slang is minimal here compared to the British Isles. You have to go to mainland Europe to hear proper English spoken y'all.

My stepfather would correct me all the time when I said, "these ones". What would be the correct way of saying that? Just these?

Also, how about allright? Is it alright, all right, or allright?