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General Category => Words => Topic started by: Binkie on April 06, 2007, 01:43:10 PM

Title: Youse? Youse is really acceptable?
Post by: Binkie on April 06, 2007, 01:43:10 PM
Well I'll be............sorry, words fail me. There I was , scouring the furthest reaches of my literate and grammatical knowledge in a random puzzle. Failing to reach the dizziest of heights, I looked at the solution. "Youse" is apparently a recognized word. If only I'd known sooner.....I'm sure I could have had far higher scores, throwing in dozens of examples of my gutter slang. Ah well, I shall now go and remove the loess from my furniture instead. I'm sure you all know that's a buff-to-grey, windblown deposit of fine-grained calcareous silt or clay. To think I've been calling it dust all these years !   ::)
Title: Re: Youse? Youse is really acceptable?
Post by: Alan W on April 06, 2007, 02:21:51 PM
Well, Binkie, as our rules say, "many words regarded as dialect or specific to a particular country or region" are permitted, and most dictionaries list "youse" as regional or dialect, admittedly sometimes with the vaguely censorious note "non-standard". But in any case, we also allow slang and colloquial words. If there were no apostrophe in it, we would allow "y'all", a term which is probably on Biggerbirdbrain's lips on a regular basis. ("Did y'all have enough biscuits with y'all's breakfast?")

In fact, I think I've read some linguists say that such expressions are a means of providing a distinction between singular and plural you, such as many other languages have in their "standard" vocabulary.

But if youse disagree, I'd be happy to hear about it.

Title: Re: Youse? Youse is really acceptable?
Post by: Binkie on April 06, 2007, 02:37:30 PM
I don't disagree at all......I just haven't read the rules properly! In fact I think it's very useful to differentiate between singular and plural. Youse'll have to forgive me if I just slag off and rabbit on about all kinds of thingies and doodahs .....ok?
Title: Re: Youse? Youse is really acceptable?
Post by: biggerbirdbrain on April 06, 2007, 07:26:19 PM
Binkie & Al:

Well, butter my biscuits and slap me silly!  ::)

It's actually "youse guys", if referring to more than one, in NYC, and "y'all", if referring to a group generally,  in the South. There is also another grammatical adaptation, if you are referring EVERYONE specifically, then "all y'all" is the preferred usage.

Just thought I'd get that straight, from someone whose lived in both venues.

Regards,  8)
3-B

   
Title: Re: Youse? Youse is really acceptable?
Post by: Viz on April 06, 2007, 09:01:50 PM
hi bbb - what time did you send that last message - i reckon it must have been about 4.30 am - late night or early start?
viz
Title: Re: Youse? Youse is really acceptable?
Post by: biggerbirdbrain on April 06, 2007, 09:37:12 PM
Hi, Viz --
I'm the one who awakens the roosters in the morning -- just a crazy insomniac!

 ;)
BBB