vacate and other terms -and ambiguity

[Jonathan Lighter]

I listen when I can. Simply for the data, you understand.

  And there's lots of it.

  JL

Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
  ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Wilson Gray
Subject: Re: vacate and other terms -and ambiguity
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Conversate" isn't just for AA people, anymore. It's *far* more widespread
than that. Doesn't anybody here except me watch _The Jerry Springer Show_ e=
t
sim.? These programs are a great source of un-monitored non-standard speech=
.
Well, not a great source, since it's not always possible to know where the
speakers are from. But it is possible to tell what kind of phonetics and
vocabulary are used by what broad groups, whether men, women, black, white,
Latin, gay, straight, etc.

-Wilson


On 2/4/06, Dennis R. Preston
wrote:
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: "Dennis R. Preston"

> Subject: Re: vacate and other terms -and ambiguity
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
------
>
> No, Bethany, that would be "I wash convershating wish zish young..."
> Never mind. I saw "Alcoholic" and ignored the "Anonymous."
>
> Sorry,
>
> Dennis
>
>
>
> > >this reminds me of the way some AA people use the word "conversate" t=
o
> >>mean talking to someone.
> >>
> >> ex. I was conversating with this young lady, when....
> >
> >When I first read that, I thought "Alcoholics Anonymous"?
> >
> >Bethany
> >
> >------------------------------------------------------------
> >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
> --
> Dennis R. Preston
> University Distinguished Professor
> Department of English
> Morrill Hall 15-C
> Michigan State University
> East Lansing, MI 48824-1036 USA
> Office: (517) 353-4736
> Fax: (517) 353-3755
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

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