the old gray/grey mare, She ain't what she used to be

[Prof. R. Sussex]

I am checking on the spread of "ain't", including its revival in
Australia. Does anyone know whether the song "The old gray/grey mare,
She ain't what she used to be" is American in origin? Several
colleagues here have indicated that this is their first remembered
hearing of "ain't" outside North America.

Roly Sussex
The University of Queensland
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Roly Sussex
Professor of Applied Language Studies
Department of French, German, Russian, Spanish and Applied Linguistics
School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
Queensland 4072
AUSTRALIA

Office: Forgan-Smith Tower 403
Phone:  +61 7 3365 6896
Fax:    +61 7 3365 2798
Email:  r.sussex at mailbox.uq.edu.au
Web:    http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/slccs/Staff/sussex.html
School's website:
        http://www.arts.uq.edu.au/slccs/

Language Talkback ABC radio:
Web:    http://www.cltr.uq.edu.au/languagetalkback/

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