anyone else bothered by "ain't" ??

POSTED BY: fabala30
UPDATED: Thursday, October 24, 2002 23:23
VIEWED: 12230
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HARRIETVANE

Sunday, October 20, 2002 7:55 PM

I love the use of colloquial slang. If every character used it, yes, it would be annoying. But the more formally educated members of the crew speak (as my friend put it) the Queen’s English. Simon, Inara and Book have never used ain’t that I’ve notices. Zoe (who seems the least educated, which is by no means an insult) uses horrible grammar and syntax. The same is true for Mal and Kaylee.
Honestly, the fact that each character has a noticeably different vocabulary is one of the best parts of the show. Very few TV shows do that, and the truth is people from different parts of the country have different speaking patterns, how much more if a person is from a different planet! I can’t say how much I love it, and you don't even want to get me started on how cool words like 'gorramn' and 'shiney' are (Language evolves, there will be new words in 500 years!)
The whole show . . . It’s like listening to poetry . . . well, maybe not. Poetry’s usually not nearly as fun.

SAINTOFCHEESE

Sunday, October 20, 2002 8:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fabala30:
Alan Tudyk/Wash (the sole reason I started watching the show)

hehe.. nothing to do with the subject of this thread... i just had to say that i agree. He's why I started watching it too.

~*Saint of Cheese*~

EVANS

Sunday, October 20, 2002 10:03 PM

Quote:
words like 'gorramn' and 'shiney'

And "eerie-ass." I am adding that to my vocabulary.

m.

SAINTOFCHEESE

Monday, October 21, 2002 2:41 AM

yea.. what's up with "shiny?"

~*Saint of Cheese*~

HAPLO721

Monday, October 21, 2002 5:42 AM

"Shiny" makes just as much sense as a synonym for "good" as "cool" does when you think about it.

PS. "y'all" is singular.
"all y'all" is plural.
"y'all's" is singular possessive.
"all y'all's" is plural possessive.

MALCOLM

Monday, October 21, 2002 6:07 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Haplo721:
PS. "y'all" is singular.
"all y'all" is plural.
"y'all's" is singular possessive.
"all y'all's" is plural possessive.

And don't forget:
"you'uns" is plural
"y'uns" is a further contraction of "you'uns"

-MBS

THEGN

Monday, October 21, 2002 6:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Haplo721:
PS. "y'all" is singular.
"all y'all" is plural.
"y'all's" is singular possessive.
"all y'all's" is plural possessive.

Y'all is not singular. Y'all is plural.

No self-respecting southerner would ever use that phrase in the singular.

Yankee.

-----------
In the Dark Ages, Romano-Celtic Britannia was over-run by Viking-like cultures collectively called the Anglo-Saxons. They were led by warlords called Drytinns, and the greatest warriors among them were the Thegns.

QUILL

Monday, October 21, 2002 11:42 AM

As it happens, I believe "ain't" is not actually improper grammar as the rules of grammar go, despite what teachers/parents say. It is, however, considered so, and therefore influences listeners. Just another example of how insane English can be.

"This is the sort of English up with which I will not put." --Winston Churchill

BULBUS

Monday, October 21, 2002 1:21 PM

It's one of the funny rules about English, what we mean and should say, we don't. I use "ain't" unconsciously and have said Y'all any number of times. I've lived in New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio and have heard the same thing there as well.

I can't speak for the South though, (Florida isn't considered the South, live there, it's true) so you'd have to ask someone from there whether they use the word's often.

And as for "reckon", it's just a great word. A person sounds cool when they say it well.

KALIMAC

Monday, October 21, 2002 2:40 PM

Just for your information, when I lived in Scotland, quite a few people would use the word "ain't".

Of course, the sound of it is very different there (almost like "en't", oftentimes) but it is essentially the same word.

As language evolves, it tends to get more sloppy. Face it, "ain't" is here to stay.

Keep Flying

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