You Didn't Just...

[Grant Barrett]

Any comments on this usage?

On the subway yesterday, here in New York, a young black teenager was sitting and
her Latino boyfriend was standing above her. As he made some emphatic point, he pointed
a short umbrella precariously close to her face. She said, "You DIDN'T just poke
that in my face." Not an interrogative tone to it, since they both knew he did, more of
a false, indignant disbelief, with a challenge and a lot of attitude.

Of course, the boyfriend answered the words (which could be taken as a question)
with a "No" and not the tone (which had no question in it at all) and they launched off
on a battle that kept the car entertained for about 80 blocks.


--
Grant Barrett
gbarrett at worldnewyork.org
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