Can a have an A, men?

[Charles Doyle]

As a white man living in Georgia, I hear that a lot--and say it!

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 4 Feb 2009 11:01:31 -0500
>From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>Subject: Re: Can a have an A, men?
>
>I began noticing this when I moved to the South in the mid '70s. It has nothing to do with race. BTW, at that time it was just as frequent as it is now.
>
>It still sounds funny to me but I don't worry about it.
>
>JL
>
>On Wed, Feb 4, 2009 at 7:11 AM, Rex W. Stocklin <listcatcher at rexstocklin.com
>> wrote:
>> ----------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> I assume my posts are annoying little laic gnats in the rarified air of all your wordsmiths, but I DO have one observation, I've yet to see any pundit or other social observer make.
>>
>> And I'm wanting to know if it is a cultural quirk I've managed to miss like "It's ALL good". I'm speaking of erudite black folks' seeming propensity to use "a" instead of "an", when not only grammar but consonance seem to demand the latter. (article-noun agreement?)
>>
>> The most audible culprit is President Obama, who regularly n-drops. Here is one ironic citation:
>>
>> "Oh, well, you know, we have thought about this because part of what we want to do is to open up the White House and, and remind people this is, this is the people's house. There is an incredible bully pulpit to be used when it comes to, for example, education. Yes, we're going to have A EDUCATION policy..." - from "Meet the Press"
>> 12/7/08
>>
>> Folks he DOES it all the time!!!! "a economy," "a official," "a Afghani," "a enormous," "a understanding". Just listen closely some time.
>>
>> There was an incident with a football player during the pre-game of
>> the SuperBowl, but that one I didn't note. THEN Sunday evening
>> erstwhile Colts coach Tony Dungy, in a local TV affiliate interview
>> (for locals it was was WTHR's Dave Callabro) heard saying (regarding
>> his participation at the Inagural Gala): "It was A UNBELIEVABLE
>> experience"
>>
>> It is a very recent trend that is like nails on my cochlea. And I've
>> yet to hear any other ethnic group partake in the phenomenon.
>>
>> Any thoughts? Is this further erosion of the mother tongue, or a
>> somehow useful evolution?
>>
>> Rex, in the cheap seats.
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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