KING'S ENGLISH, AMERICAN ENGLISH, BODY ENGLISH AND IGNORANT ENGLISH
Had a scratchy throat this weekend and I guess I was speaking softly. On five different occasions, I said something to a listener (in each case a total stranger) which was not understood. All were said pleasantly and none had a confrontational tone. The responses were as follows:
"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't hear you"
"What?"
"Do What?"
"Do What?"
"Do What, Now?" (this by a guy with terminal body odor).
Is "Do What?" supposed to be clever? Where does that come from? I always resist it when Repubs tell me the culture is "coarsening". If we can't speak the language any better and more politely than that, maybe they're right. Of course, for Repubs that leads to the next question "Who would Jesus invade to solve this problem?"
posted by UMRBlog @ 13:42
7 comments
7 Comments:
The "do what, now" always, for some strange reason, infuriated me.
From now on, anyone that says "do what now" will be skinned.
I used to work on/for/with hillbillies, and they would always say "do what, now", thank the lord I didn't murder any of them.
Anon 1630--
I simply saved your post to email in that it was mostly moot, but thank you.
Quoting the important part, "Jesus Loves All", I thank you for the input. You can be my grammarian anytime.
TYCB
"Do What, Now?"
Where does that come from? As my contracts teacher loved to ask "What is this in aid of?"
I had a chubby, sort of unpleasant lady abstractor in my first job out of law school and she was forever talking while she was supposed to be rec'ing insruction and then following it up with "Do what, now?"
Drove me completely batguano.
Finally devised the following strategy": Delores, I'm gonna ask you to look something up and you're going to be talking while I ask you. Then you're going to ask me 'Do What, Now?' That's when our REAL conversation will start. So from now on, I'll ask the question for you. When I come into you office, I will ask, rhetorically, 'Do What, Now?' Then I'll answer my own question by saying 'Take notes, now!' Then I'll tell you what I want you to do and you'll write it down."
This was a breaking point in our relationship. There were only two possible responses. One was "Do What, Now?" in which case I was utterly and completely defeated. The other was "OK" while reaching for a pad. She grabbed the pad.
For two years, I'd swing into her office and say "Do What, Now?" and answer my own question with a big smile on my face and she'd write it down and do it faithfully.
When I left to take another job (this one was in Arkansas), she hugged me (this was sort of like being attacked by a giant squid) and told my boss: "Yankee Boy's only one never wastes my time!" This from a human time-eater!
"Do What, Now?" is the Pet Rock of replies.
I agree that "do what, now" is very fustrating. One that is worse in my eyes is "say, huh". Where on earth did that come from????
I knew there was a trend here, you're do what, now-er was from Arkansas. I told you it was a hillbilly thing. LOL
God/Allah/Budda loves hillbillies, I know, and I'm grateful, as I'm 1/2 hillbilly myself (dad was from Hannibal).
my favorite
Say wha?
This was an interesting post.
I never realized that other people noticed this.
I think this is regional talk.
I first heard this from the local republicans out in the county where some people think that there are no democratic votes.
I laugh at this...see it as living in this part of the country and...have you heard:
"Beings that...."
This is another classic. For more of this type of regional speach pattern, call Charlie Williams, former Recorder.
Thanks for the insight. Perhaps a list could be developed beings that we are from Western Illinois, do what?
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