To: Ditter
I forgot to mention a really big one that drives Mr. Ditter crazy. When every 3rd word that some people utter is GUYS. It is used to greet both men women and children of both sexes. It originally meant males but now it is everyone and used almost as a filler word like you know in some peoples conversation. I don't know the correct grammatical terms, but "you guys" has become the formal plural usage of you.
A waitress will come by the table and say, "Are you guys ready to order ?" .
In some languages, German for example, there are two forms of you; one to be used with people you know well; and one to be used with those you don't.
English doesn't have this, but it's needed, so people have substituted you guys. "You all" is used in the South, "you guys" in the West.
To: Red Boots
I think you are correct but I hear it in Texas all the time where I used to hear ya’ll. I think it has come from the north east and began as ‘youse guys’. (How they ever started saying ‘youse guys’ instead of the correct term, ya’ll, I’ll never understand.) >>/smirk>///
313 posted on
05/29/2007 10:30:55 AM PDT by
Ditter
To: Red Boots
I don’t know the correct grammatical terms, but “you guys” has become the formal plural usage of you.
~~~~~~~~
It’s derived from the New jersese “Youse Guys”
To: Red Boots
Another point of order: here in the South, we do not say “you all.” That’s two words.
We say “y’all,” pronounced “yawl.” We MEAN “you all,” but we don’t feel like saying all that. ;)
360 posted on
05/29/2007 12:08:55 PM PDT by
Xenalyte
(You have to defile a mummy completely, or they come back to life. You know that.)
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