Heard on The Judges: sE > to BE

[Dennis Preston]

You ain't just (a-) -----

is a nice little frame.I wonder how many "you
ain't justs" are out there and if the Ur-form is
"You ain't just (a-)whistlin' Dixie"?

dInIs

PS:  I had not heard the bird-turd version (and
it may be my first encounter with v. "turd").

>---------------------- Information from the mail
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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>Subject:      Re: Heard on The Judges: sE > to BE
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>You ain't jus' a-bird-turdin'.
>
>-Wilson
>
>On Tue, Apr 8, 2008 at 11:29 AM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
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>>   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/ = 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.  (ÇYou did well.)
>>   Yo mamma.  (ÇYour 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
>>
>
>
>
>--
>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
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>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 48864 USA

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