All y'all pay attention: It's spelled "y'all"

I really didn't think I was going to have to go there with you people, but the more I read the worse it gets. Now that everyone has become Southern, and I don't just mean all those retirees that have moved down here and ruined the housing prices, it is time to learn how to correctly use and spell "y'all."

First off, "y'all" is plural. You would never address an individual as "y'all," unless that individual was pregnant, and even that would be odd but at least would make sense on some level.

If you want to tell me that you love me, say, "I love you" and don't forget the flowers. If you say, "I love y'all," I'll assume you've got several girlfriends and slap you. (I am married, but I do accept flowers.)

Now, if you are addressing my friends and me, you can say "y'all" if you are addressing the whole group.

It's really quite simple. "Y'all" fills in where English slipped up. "You" doesn't work for singular and plural. Whoever you're addressing will look around with a "who me?" expression while trying to determine if you mean one person or a group, and if you mean one person, which particular one. "Y'all" solves this problem.

The next thing you have to learn is how to spell it. Let's look at this logically. "Y'all" is a contraction. That means something was left out and the apostrophe should fill in the hole. "Y'all" is short for "you all," so that means what is missing is "you all." That means you put the apostrophe here: y'all, not here, ya'll.

Finally, and this is probably too advanced for most non-natives, if you are addressing a group of people who are really not paying attention to you, you can boost the power of your "y'all" when addressing them by saying "all y'all." There are some who might consider this redundant, but it is really for emphasis and even fits right in to what I remember about double negatives in old English. The more "no" words you say, the more you are saying "absolutely not." I don't have time to explain this right now, so all y'all are just going to have to trust me on this.

Comments

[lori]

we really ARE on the same "page" or "bandwagon" or whatever -- can't think of a Dixie euphemism right now -- but thanks for articulating one of my PET peeves so well!

you know: can't wait to see all y'all soon!

[Anne]

I think you are the one who corrected me on this spelling long, long ago. Well, not all that long ago. Seriously.

There's something that looks more balanced about "ya'll." Two letters then two letters. Too bad it's wrong.

Two other pet peeves (don't get me started). Alright (should be two words) and all the painted signs and ads that have phrases meant as tag lines in quotation marks. Plus, are apostrophes on sale somewhere? We are flooded with them. Okay, that's three pet peeves. I'll rant on them in separate posts. Thanks for commenting!

[lori]

there is a barbecue joint here in Mobile - great food - but their BILLBOARD on the INTERSTATE says "your almost there" and V and I scream when we have to drive by it (frequently!)