Whilst

[Jonathan Lighter]

Yeah, satirist, right. How did I miss it?

Hey, wait a minute!  Is this one of those irony things that I like to do?

JL

On Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 5:22 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Whilst
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 9/7/2010 04:14 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> >The current thread on McWhorter and so-called Ebonics links to an NPR page
> >that includes the following remark from a caller:
> >
> >"Like I said, I've been around African-American Marines who, you know,
> they
> >speak that way before they come in the Marine Corps. And then, whilst, you
> >know, whilst they're in the Marine Corps and things like that, where it's
> >kind of not tolerated, you know, it kind of, you know, comes across as
> >disrespectful when you speak to somebody that way - or at least, you know,
> >in that general culture."
> >
> >Affected?  Brit immigrant?  Can we know?
>
> Satirist?
>
> I once (about 8 years ago) started speaking to a high-schooler of my
> acquaintance that way (i.e., sprinkled with "like" and "you
> know".  She looked at me with a puzzled expression and said "You
> don't speak like that!"  I think it was a learning moment.
>
> I haven't tested her yet with "whilst".
>
> Joel
>
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