Old English, a bit of trivia

[bunyip]

To freeze the balls off a brass monkey has an interesting history too, many claim authorship from many military conflicts.
Essentially cast iron canonballs were stacked on a brass plate with indentations, this was called a monkey, on freezing cold nights the contraction rate of brass was much faster than the canonballs and they would noisely dislodge and fall off.

 

[reb]

In the great state of Ohio, I have heard "All y'all" thousands of times. My sheltered wife pronounces it "All of you all".

Which is probably what the slang is derived from. But it sounds really funny to hear her say it.

When I lived in Dallas I found it entertaining when a waitress said, "Y'all all come back."

 

[/pine]

When I lived in Dallas I found it entertaining when a waitress said, "Y'all all come back."

In GA where they truly speak "Southern"... A waitress will ask if you want grits with your eggs but she will pronounce the word as "gray-its" (one and a half syllables uttered slowly)...

 

[bcp]

Not in the US Navy:

Brass Monkey

"This explanation appears to be a legend of the sea without historical justification."

Bruce

 

[Fuddy1952]

Dad was born in Atallah Alabama, Mom Syracuse New York (Dad said that was the end of the Civil War). Mom moved to Virginia as a kid, adopted a southern accent to fit in.
In 1963 we went to NYC, she wanted to eat at the Waldorf Astoria. When she ordered dinner, after each item she said pa-leeze. So salad paleeze, sirloin paleeze, mashed taters paleeze, etc. Waiter brings her dinner which included six bowls of peas.
Then she got up to wash her hands, closing cloth tablecloth in her purse. She never looked back as she dragged the tablecloth loaded with food & silverware to the restroom.
I had a very stressful childhood.

 

[PILOON]

I wonder if the Southern "ya'll" is derived from "ye"?

Nope, it refers to a rental moving truck (Uhaul)


Try understanding real Cajun English and I am french/english bilingual.

Cajun is derived from old french early settlers but it sure changed over the years.

Then one time I was in the Ozarks and never did understand a single word.

OK, Newfoundland and New Brunswick have many quaint words as well.

Just to be fair in Quebec which is 85% French speaking, we have a half dozen regional 'accents' and none of which sound like Parisian french either.

Then visit Vancouver and you'd think you are in jolly old England or on the other side of town in China or Japan.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Dad was born in Atallah Alabama, Mom Syracuse New York (Dad said that was the end of the Civil War). Mom moved to Virginia as a kid, adopted a southern accent to fit in.
In 1963 we went to NYC, she wanted to eat at the Waldorf Astoria. When she ordered dinner, after each item she said pa-leeze. So salad paleeze, sirloin paleeze, mashed taters paleeze, etc. Waiter brings her dinner which included six bowls of peas.
Then she got up to wash her hands, closing cloth tablecloth in her purse. She never looked back as she dragged the tablecloth loaded with food & silverware to the restroom.
I had a very stressful childhood.

Now that's funny. The waiter must have been some sort of an idiot; or else he was showing his condescension by pretending to be an idiot. Kudos to your Mom; the jerk got what he deserved.