Invariant innit, isn ´t it

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 9/7/06, Jonathon Green <slang at abecedary.net> wrote:
> The point about the current use of 'innit' in London and doubtless
> across the (young, urban) UK is that while it _does_ indeed elide 'isn't
> it', it is not in fact used, as would be expected, after a question
> (although this 'traditional' use is of course still as common as ever),
> but as a meaningless punctuation, following a statement.  I recommend a
> glance at the entry on urbandictionary.com , which gives, inter much
> alia, the example "Yo look at my new car innit!", and suggests that it's
> primary use is 'in places where it would make no sense whatsoever if
> expanded'. Urban Dict. contributors suggest that it was first
> popularised either in the Asian community or among white working class
> 'Chavs'. My own bet would be on the latter.

One noted fictional practitioner of invariant "innit" is Keith Talent,
the Cockney anti-hero in the 1989 novel _London Fields_ by Martin
Amis. I suppose the character could be considred a proto-chav.

--Ben

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