Heard on The Judges: sE > to BE

[Dennis Preston]

Interesting when a specific nonstandard is felt to be required (as it
often is from AAVE). Are there other regional nonstandards required
in such phrases. (I guess I don't consider any cases of r-lessness as
nonstandard so don't give me no Pahk yuh cah in Hahvahd Yahd stuff.

dInIs

>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       David Bergdahl <dlbrgdhl at GMAIL.COM>
>Subject:      Re: Heard on The Judges: sE > to BE
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>I always flinch when "You pays your money you takes your choice" isn't
>"cherse"--it's not as though this is SAE we're talkin'!!!
>-db
>
>On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 11:29 AM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>
>wrote:
>
>>  ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  -----------------------
>>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>>  Subject:      Re: Heard on The Judges: sE > to BE
>>
>>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------=
>------
>>
>>  At 5:02 PM +0200 4/8/08, Dennis Preston wrote:
>>  >Almost certainly the case, and recall that I continue to be
>>  >interested in people providing me with even further examples of
>>  >obligatory nonstandards.
>>  >
>>  >E.g.,
>>  >
>>  >What do you think of (or "How bout") them (never "those") apples.
>>  >
>>  >You the ("da") man (never "You are the man").
>>  >
>>  >/Si:It/ for metaphoric uses, but never for feces. (/SIt/ is OK for both
>>  uses.)
>>  >(/S/ =3D palatal sibilant)
>>  >
>>  >You can't go to "Dunking Donuts," even if you claim to never "drop your
>>  g's."
>>  >
>>  >Are there any obligatory "ain'ts"? Others?
>>  >
>>  >dInIs
>>
>>  It don't (*doesn't) mean a thing if it ain't (*hasn't) got that swing.
>>  It don't (*doesn't) make no (*any) never mind.
>>  Dance with the one that brung (*brought) you
>>  If it ain't broke (*If it's not broken), don't fix it.
>>  S/he got (*has) game.
>>  If momma ain't (*isn't) happy, ain't nobody (*nobody is) happy.
>>  It ain't (*isn't) me, babe.
>>  Long time no see.  (* ???)
>>  No can (*Cannot) do.
>>  Say it ain't (??it's not) so.
>>  That ain't (?That's not) gonna (*going to) cut it.
>>  Badges?  We don't need no (*any) stinkin (?stinking) badges.
>>     [Sorry, Fred; I know it's a misquote.]
>>  You pays (*pay) your money you takes (*take) your choice.
>>  You ain't (??You're not) just whistling Dixie.
>>  It ain't (??It's not) the meat, it's the motion.
>>  That ain't (?*That's not) hay.
>>  You done good.  (=82You did well.)
>>  Yo mamma.  (=82Your mother.)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>  (YMMV)
>>  LH
>>
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>  >>-----------------------
>>  >>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>  >>Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>>  >>Subject:      Heard on The Judges: sE > to BE
>>
>>  >>-----------------------------------------------------------------------=
>--------
>>  >>
>>  >>Some may recall that I once claimed that, regardless of a speaker's
>>  >>usual register, he tends to move it toward the working-class norm,
>>  >>when using slang or slang-like expressions.
>>  >>
>>  >>Middle-class, black, male speaker complaining about his cheating wife:
>>  >>
>>  >>She was unbelievable, your honor! She _wadn_ cool at at all. She would
>>  >>call me at work to find out when I was coming home, so that she would
>>  >>know how much time she had to do her _thing [TaeIN]_!"
>>  >>
>>  >>-Wilson
>>  >>--
>>  >>All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
>>  >>come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
>>  >>-----
>>  >>  -Sam'l Clemens
>>  >>
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>>  >
>>  >
>>  >--
>>  >Dennis R. Preston
>>  >University Distinguished Professor
>>  >Department of English
>  > >Morrill Hall 15-C
>>  >Michigan State University
>>  >East Lansing, MI 48864 USA
>>  >
>>  >------------------------------------------------------------
>>  >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>>  ------------------------------------------------------------
>>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
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--
Dennis R. Preston
University Distinguished Professor
Department of English
Morrill Hall 15-C
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48864 USA

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