Really?

[Jonathan Lighter]

FWIW, I hear it from TV newscasters a lot, but I've only noticed it within
the past couple of years - if that long.

JL

On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 5:23 PM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com>wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Really?
>
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>
> I thought there were several slight variations on this. On can be
> represented by "Oh, YEAH?" with a significant rise toward the
> end--ostensibly close to the original meaning, somewhat like "Are you sure
> about that?", but stronger, with sarcastic notes. Another--I presume the
> one
> under discussion--is similar to "Are you kiddin' me?" In this sense, it can
> also be said flat or a strongly rising question or, in a particularly
> mocking variant, with a strong stress initially and tapering off. The
> closest synonym would be "Seriously?", marked similarly. But I've
> distinctly
> heard all three versions--rising, falling and flat.
>
> VS-)
>
> On Sun, Sep 18, 2011 at 5:07 PM, Neal Whitman <nwhitman at ameritech.net
> >wrote:
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> > Poster:       Neal Whitman <nwhitman at AMERITECH.NET>
> > Subject:      Re: Really?
> >
> >
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> >
> > I've been wondering about this use of "really?" too, but of course
> Googling
> > it would produce way too much to sort through for the true positives.
> Same
> > goes for "seriously?" in identical contexts and with identical
> intonations.
> > My son uses that one a lot, and it's starting to get on my nerves!
> >
> > Neal
>
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