Been wondering

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>"So, what's he [your boss] gonna pay? Two people to do the same job?"
>Wife to husband bragging about his having been given an assistant,
>whom he will be training.
>
>"What're you gonna buy? Two copies of the same magazine?" Overheard at
>magazine stand.
>
>I would have expected "... gonna do? Pay ... / ... gonna do? Buy ..."

I've occasionally heard something with this word-sequence but I'm not sure
whether it's the same. And I can't remember who-all spoke it or
where-all/when-all.

To use the above examples, what I'm slightly acquainted with would be like
this:

"What, is he going to pay two people to do the same job?" > "What, 's he
gonna pay two people t' do the same job?"

"What, are you going to buy two copies of the same magazine?" > "What, 're
y' gonna buy two copies of the same magazine?"

The contractions do really occur even with the comma interposed, as I have
heard such sentences. I've never thought about it before. The "what" here
sounds like an interjection, so the rhythm and stress are about the same as
if it were "Shit, is he going to ..." or "Geez, are you going to ...".
Maybe the "what" is elliptical for "what the hell" or so?

I assume others here have heard such a thing too?

Again, I don't know whether this is the same thing Wilson Gray is referring
to, or whether it's even related.

-- Doug Wilson