That's just crazy talk.
I know it. But there it is. "I want to go to the mall." "Yeah, so don't I."
Yeah, we're building a race of frog-people. It's a good time
Xander ,'Selfless'
The Great Write Way, Chapter Two: Twice upon a time...
A place for Buffistas to discuss, beta and otherwise deal and dish on their non-fan fiction projects.
Jesse - Aug 12, 2005 9:56:58 am PDT #3592 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
Topic!Cindy - Aug 12, 2005 10:02:47 am PDT #3593 of 10001
What is even happening?
Can we talk regionalisms for a minute? Does anyone outside of Somerville say "So don't I" when they mean "So do I"?
Maybe. I don't think I say it, but it doesn't sound out of place in my imagination. Granted, I'm still in general vicinity. I think it might be passing away, though.
Jesse - Aug 12, 2005 10:09:57 am PDT #3594 of 10001
Sometimes I trip on how happy we could be.
Oh, here's another stupid accent-ish example -- Dennis Lehane doesn't write out dialogue phonetically, but when Patrick is making a filler sound, he says "ahm," not "um," which is just so right.
Hil R. - Aug 12, 2005 10:17:05 am PDT #3595 of 10001
Sometimes I think I might just move up to Vermont, open a bookstore or a vegan restaurant. Adam Schlesinger, z''l
Can we talk regionalisms for a minute? Does anyone outside of Somerville say "So don't I" when they mean "So do I"?
One of my professors uses it and other similar constructions (and totally confuses everyone whose first language isn't English.) He grew up in Worcester.
ChiKat - Aug 12, 2005 10:31:21 am PDT #3596 of 10001
That man was going to shank me. Over an omelette. Two eggs and a slice of government cheese. Is that what my life is worth?
One of my professors uses it and other similar constructions (and totally confuses everyone whose first language isn't English.)
Shoot, he'd confuse me and my only language is English. Well, and Pig Latin.
Topic!Cindy - Aug 12, 2005 10:41:22 am PDT #3597 of 10001
What is even happening?
Jesse, here are some discussions of "So don't I":
(MA) [link]
(MA) [link]
(PA, and Central NY?) [link]
(not just MA?, and in reference to the prior link) [link]
(Carleton County, New Brunswick, CA) [link]
(Vermont) [link]
It appears it might be in lyrics to a song (maybe by Queen, I didn't click the lyrics links because they're usually terrible about pop-ups and viruses).
I can hear myself saying it now in response to certain questions, or if I've phrased a rhetorical in the negative, with "wouldn't you" or something. Huh.
Anne W. - Aug 12, 2005 10:45:20 am PDT #3598 of 10001
The lost sheep grow teeth, forsake their lambs, and lie with the lions.
It might even be a family thing, or social circle sort of thing. I was caught short by both the "neither" and the "them boxes".
It may be a social class thing. My grandparents were way down on the social totem pole.
Topic!Cindy - Aug 12, 2005 10:46:36 am PDT #3599 of 10001
What is even happening?
Did they grow up on the Cape, or settle there?
Amy - Aug 12, 2005 10:47:00 am PDT #3600 of 10001
Because books.
I have nothing useful to say about writing dialect. When it's done well, I have no problem reading it, but when it's not...ugh. Then it turns into something to slog through, which ruins the reading for me. Finding the right balance seems like the most important thing -- picking the handful of words that need the emphasis to give the text the right flavor.
And copyediting it is a nightmare, especially when it's done badly, because you have make everything consistent.
Does anyone outside of Somerville say "So don't I" when they mean "So do I"?
I've never heard this.
Anne W. - Aug 12, 2005 10:49:23 am PDT #3601 of 10001
The lost sheep grow teeth, forsake their lambs, and lie with the lions.
Did they grow up on the Cape, or settle there?
They grew up there. In fact, except for a couple of trips to Boston, my grandmother never left the Cape until she was in her late fifties.