When did people in NOVA stop saying "Y'all"? (Winchester: lower-class, high school)

[OutOfPlaceInDC]

Originally Posted by BadgerFilms

Maybe if you knew something about Scottish linguistic heritage and contractions, you wouldn't think "y'all" is uneducated. If anything, "you guys" sounds "uneducated." There's no way to make "you guys" sound professional.

Forget its origin... it's now associated with the south, which is the home of poor education, health and ignorance. That's why no one wants to use it.

[r small]

Originally Posted by OutOfPlaceInDC

Forget its origin... it's now associated with the south, which is the home of poor education, health and ignorance. That's why no one wants to use it.

That's right. My old neighborhood in South Arlington where I grew up in the 1950s and '60s had many transplants from the south, including my own family, and nobody said "y'all". And to this day, no matter where I go in Northern Virginia, I don't hear anybody using "y'all". Unless they just drove up in a pickup truck from North Carolina.

[Pincho-toot]

Originally Posted by OutOfPlaceInDC

Forget its origin... it's now associated with the south, which is the home of poor education, health and ignorance. That's why no one wants to use it.

No one with prejudice and ignorance in their hearts wants to use it, then. Here in Texas, no one thinks something so foolish. People say "y'all" of all races, creeds and classes. I don't wanna catch you eating any delicious barbecue then, or Cajun food, or reading William Faulkner or listening to jazz or rock music. Don't want to have any "ign'ant suffern trash" ruining your upper crust snobbish facade.

[r small]

I come from a southern background myself. I like the south. I like jazz and blues, country music, barbecue, fried catfish, you name it. I just don't like the sound of "y'all". Sorry.

[smithy77]

Lived here since the 70's. I don't recall any natives using the expression. I've lived in other parts of the South and remember it being used pretty regularly 50 years ago, but I think it kind of died out sometime between then and now.

[Carlingtonian]

Originally Posted by BadgerFilms

No one with prejudice and ignorance in their hearts wants to use it, then. Here in Texas, no one thinks something so foolish. People say "y'all" of all races, creeds and classes. I don't wanna catch you eating any delicious barbecue then, or Cajun food, or reading William Faulkner or listening to jazz or rock music. Don't want to have any "ign'ant suffern trash" ruining your upper crust snobbish facade.

Great points all. Hail Denton! (I too was raised amid the mesquite and mini-malls, weaned on Whataburgers.)

I think a lot of the y'all disdain is from linguistically insecure Southerners--a group I'll confess I belonged to for some time. When you move from a "y'all" region to a "you guys" region (especially when you're younger), you fear people will judge you based on all the negative stereotypes.

Now that I've reached the high-pants-wearing, ear-hair years, I have the wisdom (or arrogance) not to care. If you judge someone based on use of a word that doesn't violate any rule of English, you're the one lacking in knowledge. It's a useful word to indicate second-person plural--easily uttered, gender neutral, and perfectly clear.

Youse dig?

[r small]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Great points all. Hail Denton! (I too was raised amid the mesquite and mini-malls, weaned on Whataburgers.)

I think a lot of the y'all disdain is from linguistically insecure Southerners--a group I'll confess I belonged to for some time. When you move from a "y'all" region to a "you guys" region (especially when you're younger), you fear people will judge you based on all the negative stereotypes.

Now that I've reached the high-pants-wearing, ear-hair years, I have the wisdom (or arrogance) not to care. If you judge someone based on use of a word that doesn't violate any rule of English, you're the one lacking in knowledge. It's a useful word to indicate second-person plural--easily uttered, gender neutral, and perfectly clear.

Youse dig?

Now you're talking.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Carlingtonian

Great points all. Hail Denton! (I too was raised amid the mesquite and mini-malls, weaned on Whataburgers.)

I think a lot of the y'all disdain is from linguistically insecure Southerners--a group I'll confess I belonged to for some time. When you move from a "y'all" region to a "you guys" region (especially when you're younger), you fear people will judge you based on all the negative stereotypes.

Now that I've reached the high-pants-wearing, ear-hair years, I have the wisdom (or arrogance) not to care. If you judge someone based on use of a word that doesn't violate any rule of English, you're the one lacking in knowledge. It's a useful word to indicate second-person plural--easily uttered, gender neutral, and perfectly clear.

Youse dig?

You were nicer than what I would have been. I still find myself saying the "y'all" word once in a while in conversation. I think nothing of it and I've never had anyone refer to me as a redneck or any such slang. Some people just have nothing else to worry about I reckon.

[r small]

Well, how about double negatives. I was taught to not never use no double negatives. (Triple negatives are okay.)

[snatale1]

Originally Posted by rvabread22

That is the most ignorant thing I have ever read. Y'all is not uneducated! Its the proper way to address a group of people.

Oh is that right? When did the "proper" way to address a group of people start with using a make believe word?

Here let me try it, since I said the "most ignorant" thing you have ever read, which we both know it's not. I too will invent a word. most ignorant is now known as m'ignorant. So make sure you use m'ignorant whenever you can. Don't worry, it's a REAL word now because I say it is. It's the "proper" way to speak, trust me. You see how stupid that sounds? THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL SOUNDS LIKE! Which is why it's a dying word!