what-all (1861)

[Wilson Gray]

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 <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> 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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--
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.
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