Really?

[Laurence Horn]

I assume this has been around in younger people's speech (this encompasses virtually every speaker of English) for awhile, to judge from the "Really?!" segment of SNL's Weekend Updates, for the last couple of years (if memory serves).

LH

On Sep 18, 2011, at 3:25 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:

> There are two threads in the more recent ADS archives with "Really?" as the subject line. But neither addresses the expression "Really?" meaning something like, "Why in the world?" and used to point out something that defies common sense.
>
> Today, my sister wrote on my Facebook wall:
>
> -----
> "downtown yesterday - people on corner with obama looking like hitler posters. really?!"
> -----
>
> This is the same format I recognize from one other person that went to her high school (here in the Seattle area).
>
> I think there are other patterns as well, such as emphasizing "really" in the middle of a sentence such as (making this up):
>
> -----
> Would you REALLY do that?
> -----
>
> I think I've either heard or said, "It's like, really?"
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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