We're Jason, Beth, Lee Anna, Sawyer, and Sarah Claire, a family of five living, learning, and laughing lots in Northern Africa.
We hope you can learn a little (and maybe laugh a little too) as you read about our latest adventures.

Friday, September 21, 2007

Proper Southern Speech

Okay, so there's more coming about the trip to the states, but I don't have time for all that tonight, and I have a more pressing matter to discuss. Tonight, we got to meet all the family members of one of our good friends here. His family just flew in today, and we had a big dinner to welcome and meet them. They even brought each family an enormous sack of goodies--way too kind!

When our family was getting ready to leave, I (Beth) told them, "It was nice to meet all y'all." And another friend of ours (who is, incidentally, NOT from the South) started laughing at me and said, "Isn't that redundant? All y'all? All you all?" I informed him that, redundant or not, it was perfectly acceptable to use the phrase "all y'all." He kept laughing, so I stuck my tongue out at him.

So now I need some support from our Southern constituency. Is it or is it not acceptable Southern English grammar to use the phrase "all y'all?" Please leave a comment and weigh in on this important matter.
This is all the stuff from the gift bag they brought us. We had to borrow a suitcase just to get it all home!
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6 comments:

  1. julie5:58 PM, September 21, 2007

    As a proud fellow Southerner I fully support you, Beth, in your usage of the perfectly acceptable phrase, "all y'all." I have heard many respectable Southerners--genteel and upstanding citizens of that superb region--using such language. It clearly communicates an inclusion of all in the vicinity of hearing--even those barbarians who would laugh at you and mock your lovely accent!

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  2. Matt and Stacey2:57 AM, September 22, 2007

    Now you know that I defintely agree with using "all y'all." Don't pay attention to all those folks who don't know how the speak the REAL language of the world! Hey, and y'all bring me some of those oreos just for being a proud supporter of using "all ya'll!"
    Stacey

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  3. The Fantastic Three1:27 PM, September 22, 2007

    You must have been talking to a Yankee :-) Of course you can say "all y'all." That's the way it should be said

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  4. Marc and Charity3:22 PM, September 22, 2007

    HAHAHA! I totally say all y'all all the time.

    Look at that loot! woohoo! yeah for you!

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  5. Patti D4:17 PM, September 23, 2007

    How funny! Being a native Texan, language is one of my strong suits! Here's the scoop. If you are talking to one person it would be "y'all." Two or more is "all y'all." Simple, right? Notice I used the word language instead of English........

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  6. Anna6:07 PM, September 28, 2007

    Well, if you can't say all yall, then how do you do the plural of y'all? of course it's all y'all.

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