"we" [was: Another kind of buddy: ''guy'']
Jonathan Lighter
wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM
Fri Jun 15 12:13:45 UTC 2007
"Guy" has been America's slang/colloquial term of choice for male human beings for well over a century; so more specific nuances are inevitable. (Gays look for "guys." So do "gals." Is that linguistically noteworthy? Dunno.)
HDAS lacks a separate definition for vocative "guy" because it seemed unnecessary. That may have been a hasty decision.
But the year to beat (shouldn't be difficult) is 1915.
JL
Doug Harris <cats22 at FRONTIERNET.NET> wrote:
---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Doug Harris
Subject: Re: "we" [was: Another kind of buddy: ''guy'']
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"...all men are created equal..."
Thomas Jefferson (Mr. Do As I Say But Not As I Do)
Having recently visited Monticello, I applaud Jefferson's
solution for dining at home: a rotating, shelved pass-through, to
keep the kitchen personnel invisible; only those few serving at table
were present in the dining room.
Perhaps those in charge should bring "you all" to the north.
Joel
They may _send_ y'all (the phrase) to the north, but don't _bring_ it:
We have too many 'in charge' already!
(the other) doug
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