h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Nice entry y'all
Whilst 'y'all' is a contraction of 'you all', I've noticed something here in Texas which is exactly the opposite. For instance...
One person sees another person engaged in an activity of some kind. "Hi there Bubba, what all are you going?"
I've heard it more than once and from different people, so it can't be just one person's idiosyncracy, and the same kind of thing is found in Britain too. I reckon most Brits know that in some Northern English dialects, the word 'the' is usually shortened to just the letter 't', as in "Why don't you go out and play in't street?". Howewver, where the word 'the' is followed by a word which begins with a vowel, you get this kind of thing...
"Should I bake it or stew it?" "You have to bake it, so put it in't th'oven" See what I mean? If you re-lengthen all the contractions, what you get is "Put it in the the oven"

Dang, that should read "What all are you doing?"

i cant speak for y'all, but i'm downright facinated...

I'm also in Texas, specifically Houston which has a LOT of transient population due to the international companies, plus immigrants from the entire world, I think. The redneck accent is definitely in the minority in this retro Tower of Babble. But its still there. A friend had a visit from his New Jersey brother, they drove a couple of hours east to Beaumont to visit another friend. At a gas stop, the New Jersey brother was sent to the office to ask directions, on returning he was asked, "Where do we go?" "I don't know, I couldn't understand a word he said." I suspect a little Cajun contributed to the problem.

I'm in Kentucky, but y'all gets used here, too. I've never heard 'what all are you doing?' though, that must be more of a Texas phrase.

I think that the northener saying 'You have to bake it, so put it in't th'oven' is actually saying 'You have to bake it, so put it inTO the oven' not 'in the the oven'. That doesnt make sense.

Oho That would work

they say y'all in new york too. beastie boys use it, as in "aawwl a' yaawll, get awf the wawwl, have a bawwl, and get invawlved with.."
and "listen awwla-yaawl it's sabotage!"

With the example, put it in the oven, Americans often drop the second preposition. As for y'all, it is now used across the entire country. However, it may not be as noticeable in somplace like, say California, because we do not have that southern drawl(sp?). And finally, I have often heard and used the term 'what all are you doing?' I think though, that the person who mentioned it may have misinterpreted it of having origins in the phrase y'all. It does not have origins from that, but rather, it is synonymous with, what all are you up to? Meaning literally, tell me EVERYTHING that you are doing right now.
Interesting Discussion...
Audrey

"I'm also in Texas, specifically Houston"

Me, too. More specifically Westheimer and the West Belt...
(HOWDY!)


When I visit East Tennessee I feel the need to flaunt my fancy big city speech by using the word "y'all" instead of the local "you-uns" (presumably "you ones").
-Yes, I use the American form of Received Pronunciation.

I am more specifically in Deer Park, a couple of suburbs out (where they filmed parts of "Urban Cowboy").

My dad claimed to be from Tennessee, the state that has our beloved Oilers (not the owner, just the "Luv Ya Blue"). I recall the line from the movie "Cast Away", after the Tom Hanks character returns home (paraphrasing):

"Wait. Tennessee has a pro football team? And its in NASHVILLE?!"

Maybe we could arrange a trade, Texans for Titans? What if we throw in the Astros? Some steak knives?