Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Completely Pointless Wednesday.

I very distinctly remember the first time I ever used the word "y'all".

I've mentioned before that I spent a good chunk of my childhood in Southern California. There it was only "you guys" when it came to referring to a large group of people. Or a small group. However, when I moved to Arkansas, I was quickly corrected after several girls quietly informed me that they were not, in fact, "guys".

They were "all", I guess.

Anyway. I was about to take a shower one evening in middle school and I noticed I was out of shampoo. We had been living in Arkansas for a few months. Anyway. I walked into the living room, where my parents were watching television, and nonchalantly asked, "Can I borrow y'all's shampoo?" whilst jabbing my thumb over my shoulder in the general direction of their bathroom. Their wide eyes met mine. My jabbed thumb froze. What did I just say? WHAT? Something that involved not one, but TWO apostrophes?? REALLY? They didn't laugh and didn't correct me. Instead, their stunned heads nodded slowly, while I took my embarrassed self into their bathroom and grabbed their shampoo.

And, it's been "y'all" ever since. I like it now.

Oh, and if I see "y'all" spelled as "ya'll", it drives me absolutely batty. The term itself may be an abuse against the English Language, but shoot fire, let's at least spell it right!

Anyway. Silly, I know.

Yep! That's all I've got today folks!

Have a lovely day. Y'all.

2 comments:

  1. My brother and I had the same experience when we moved from Hawaii to Arkansas! We totally got made fun of for saying "You guys" and pretty quickly assimilated to the "y'all" usage. And I'm pretty sure I have been spelling it "ya'll" all this time and never stopped to think that it is y'all! Thank you for enlightening me!

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  2. I used to spell it "ya'll." I guess because I thought it was a contraction of "ya" and "all." That's how much of an Okie I am.

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