be

[David A. Daniel]

I think you meant to say "Should I still be making a fist?" and just
stumbled a bit on the first word. I see no reason for alarm...
DAD


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of
Charles C Doyle
:       Charles C Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
Subject:      be
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---

I just got blood drawn in preparation for a routine physical exam.  During
the process, I realized (with some astonishment) that I had just asked the
blood-drawer, "Do I still be making a fist?"

Now, I am a native speaker of White English Vernacular. Did I drift into
"Ebonics" (in fact, was my query even grammatical in an African American
dialect?)?  Or did just stumble into a grammatical aberration (could happen
to anybody)?  Was I influenced by the fact that the blood-drawer was African
American?  (If so, the influence was quite unconscious--though I am
frequently in the presence of African Americans speech).

--Charlie

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