what-all (1861)

[Jonathan Lighter]

Inconsistently, OED does have "who-all" from 1899.  I too use it, but I suspect I picked both up from TV.  I can't picture anyone in my family saying either.

  JL

Mark Mandel <thnidu at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Mark Mandel
Subject: Re: what-all (1861)
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How about "who-all"? I use that.

m a m

On Jan 31, 2008 5:05 PM, Wilson Gray wrote:

> It reminds me of Deacon Andy Griffith, as he was known back in the day
> when he did stand-up. He uses "and I don't know what-all" in a
> recitation in an exaggerated version of his native, North-Carolina
> dialect called "What it was was football," which is/was? available
> from iTunes.
>
> -Wilson
>
> On Jan 31, 2008 4:50 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> > Sender: American Dialect Society
> > Poster: Jonathan Lighter
> > Subject: what-all (1861)
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > OED lacks an entry for this frequent U.S. colloquialism, which I've used
> all my life.
> >
> > 1861 in David Detzer _Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861_
> (Orlando: Harcourt, 2004) 180: Plenty of good things such as chicken,
> Biscuit, Butter, Eggs, Ham, Mutton, Honey & I don't know what-all.
> >
> > JL
> >
> >
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Mark Mandel

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