"you pays your money"

[Arnold M. Zwicky]

On Aug 15, 2007, at 11:20 AM, Scot LaFaive wrote:

> I wonder if the form of the verb(s) here come from actual usage or
> just the
> attempt to appear colloquial.

oh, the verb form (apparently 3sg, no matter what the person/number
of the subject) is an extremely well-known non-standard dialect
feature, in the U.K. and the U.S.  the other non-standard features in
the sayings i cited (relativizer "as", subject "them" and
"them's"/"thems") are also attested in non-jocular non-standard speech.

i'm struggling to recall the literature on leveling to 3sg.  there's
variation in the verbs that show it ("be" is more resistant to it, in
particular, though (i think) different uses of BE work differently)
and in which person/number combinations show it, and (i think)
differences between the present and past tenses and between different
uses of the tenses (i vaguely recall that narrative presents are more
likely to show it than "true" presents).  and, of course, in the
details from one region/social group to another.

it would be wonderful if someone's assembled a bibliography on this
stuff.  (he said, hopefully.)

in any case, people who don't use these non-standard features can
still deploy them for effect in fixed expressions.  (oh, yes, there's
also "ain't": "ain't love grand?", "he ain't heavy, he's my brother",
etc.)  in this context, they're not "authentic" for these speakers.
but they're authentic for other speakers.

arnold

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org