Alan from Austin, Texas, asks: How do y’all punctuate the contraction of you all? Is it y’all or ya’ll? You’d think it’d follow the pattern of she’ll and we’ll, but y’all is an exception to the rule...
I liked to died when that ol’ toad-strangler crashed through the veranda! The Southernism liked to, also known as the counterfactual liketa, derives from the sense of like meaning “nearly.” This is part of a complete episode...
Is the excessively formal language in “True Grit” (2010) historically accurate? The hosts discuss why the Coen brothers would do away with contractions to set a tone for the movie. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Which is correct: “We appreciate your asking” or “We appreciate you’re asking”? This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “We Appreciate Your Asking” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi. Hi...
Is it ever okay to write the word it’s to indicate the possessive? Is the correct sentence “The dog is chewing its bone,” or “The dog is chewing it’s bone”? It’s easy to figure out once you know the formula:...
whafa n.—Gloss: A contraction of “what the fuck?” «Because Probst is a publisher and has an Amazon Advantage account, he sent Amazon a letter saying “whafa.”» —“Amazon is a Gay-Hating Company for...