Whoa there, bud: don’t get all prescriptivist with language. Words change or are invented or mutate, and y’all is a very interesting case of a second-person plural pronoun, which the English language has never really had. It exists because people need some way to informally refer to a group directly. It has an interesting etymology, too! It’s traceable to two places: either the Ulster Scots dialect (from “ye aw”) or a Caribbean Gullah (“una”), but even then “y’all” has no input from other English dialects.
At least in Texas vernacular, “y’all” is plural, short for “you all” (as English lacks a proper second-person plural, and it sounds smoother than “you guys”). It can refer to any group of multiple people. “all y’all” or “all-a-y’all” is a specification, meaning “everyone in the group I am speaking to or about”.
An example: “This was a wild party, but it’s over now and all y’all need to help clean up. Group A, y’all take down the decorations. Group B, y’all pick up all the dishes, and Group C will wash ’em. I’ll go see who all is fixin’ to leave.” (“fixin’ to” meaning “preparing to, going to, or planning on sometime in the near future, but not immediately”)
(source: I am a Texan and very familiar with the dialect)
His powers don’t seem to work on the insane. She’s his kryptonite.
Tip, you got cocky and rushed it – you said ‘um’ in panel 3. It was too early to be in bed then.
Crazy chicks love guys who break the previously completely unbroken Fourth Wall
As soon as I find reality’s, I’m breaking the hell out of it.
I think this is the third time this comic has broken the fourth wall. About a tenth of Narbonic’s rate.
Which is good, because as much as I love Shaenon’s work, breaking the fourth wall always pulls me out of the story.
“Y’all” isn’t a word. It is an un-word. It is the death that kills clear communication.
Y’all got a problem with my regional vernacular, y’all got a problem with me.
Whoa there, bud: don’t get all prescriptivist with language. Words change or are invented or mutate, and y’all is a very interesting case of a second-person plural pronoun, which the English language has never really had. It exists because people need some way to informally refer to a group directly. It has an interesting etymology, too! It’s traceable to two places: either the Ulster Scots dialect (from “ye aw”) or a Caribbean Gullah (“una”), but even then “y’all” has no input from other English dialects.
I thought “y’all” was singular. “All y’all” is plural.
The usage varies from region to region.
Varies on usage. Kinda like the difference in standard English between persons and people (and peoples).
At least in Texas vernacular, “y’all” is plural, short for “you all” (as English lacks a proper second-person plural, and it sounds smoother than “you guys”). It can refer to any group of multiple people. “all y’all” or “all-a-y’all” is a specification, meaning “everyone in the group I am speaking to or about”.
An example: “This was a wild party, but it’s over now and all y’all need to help clean up. Group A, y’all take down the decorations. Group B, y’all pick up all the dishes, and Group C will wash ’em. I’ll go see who all is fixin’ to leave.” (“fixin’ to” meaning “preparing to, going to, or planning on sometime in the near future, but not immediately”)
(source: I am a Texan and very familiar with the dialect)
Depending on where you are, it’s either the plural of “you” or a synonym.
Lemme save you a lot of frustration. Just ignore all of SotiCoto’s comments.
Fortunately they seem to have moved on.
Indeed, that has been a blessing.
Y’all are wrong about that.
Looks like his powers don’t work on mad scientists. Dr Lee was an evil scientist, but not a spark, remember.
A fellow Girl Genius reader, I see.