Display:
There were some examples of Mississippi speech in the paper this morning, can't be bothered looking to see which, where they used the word "y'offglide". But they didn't explain, we were supposed to guess.

What on earth does that mean ?

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 02:31:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think it refers to the way Southerners pronounce their i's, as when Edwards says "Ah will fahght for you" ("I will fight for you").  Not sure, though.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 02:35:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]
...adding the obvious: I don't think "y'offglide" is an actual term we use but rather an explanation of pronunciation.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 02:40:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
That's what it's about, though the y-offglide is absent in Southern accents. ("Mah" instead of "ma-y" for "my" - the vowel is similar, but in one pronunciation it glides into a terminal "y", in the other it remains open: "mah").
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 02:53:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yep, there ya go.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 03:03:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Explained here, y'all.

http://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/southern/

Karen in Austin

'tis strange I should be old and neither wise nor valiant. From "The Maid's Tragedy" by Beaumont & Fletcher

by Wife of Bath (kareninaustin at g mail dot com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 05:51:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Ahhhh, thank you.

keep to the Fen Causeway
by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 06:01:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Now all y'all -- "all y'all" is the plural form of "y'all," by the way -- get it.

Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers. - George Carlin
by Drew J Jones (myfriends@thisispancakes.com) on Tue Mar 11th, 2008 at 07:18:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Display:
Login
. Make a new account
. Reset password
Occasional Series