I’m southern, let me help. “Y’all” refers to a group of people. It usually means the group of people that the speaker is speaking to, but you can also define the group, like “y’all in the other room” or “y’all Canadians”.
“All y’all” refers to the entirety of that group, as opposed to a subset of a group, which would be “summa y’all”, or none of a group, which would be “nunna y’all”.
If you’re practicing a localized dialect, and you are, there will be slang that doesn’t make sense to some. All of y’all would sound extremely weird to many people from the American south.
I’m Philly and we like to say you’s guys’es instead of y’all and we’ll say all’s you’s guys’es for all y’all . And jawn for that thing that can’t remember the word for but you know what I’m talking about because of the context of what I’m saying. You’s guys’s know what I’m saying.
I’m southern, let me help. “Y’all” refers to a group of people. It usually means the group of people that the speaker is speaking to, but you can also define the group, like “y’all in the other room” or “y’all Canadians”.
“All y’all” refers to the entirety of that group, as opposed to a subset of a group, which would be “summa y’all”, or none of a group, which would be “nunna y’all”.
I think people would’ve felt it more natural if I wrote “all of y’all” instead, but I thought the “of” was unnecessary.
But you wrote the slang correctly! Unfamiliarity with the slang is an opportunity to educate about our language.
(Source; we been sayin’ all y’all since before y’all non-Southerners were even sayin’ y’all.)
I know, but as someone who has English as a second language I am also aware of the fact that “all y’all” won’t necessarily make sense to people lol
If you’re practicing a localized dialect, and you are, there will be slang that doesn’t make sense to some. All of y’all would sound extremely weird to many people from the American south.
Oh totally. My explanation was more for the benefit of those like me but who aren’t familiar with the expression.
It’s not a language as much as a mouth full of chew and a belly full of moonshine.
Most people I know call it “dip,” but I’m pretty sure there’s less dip and more meth.
My kind of people.
Add in a couple hot sisters and you’ve got yourself a party going!
I love that this is both amusing and completely factual.
I’m a Brit so it’s not something I can use without sounding odd, but y’all’s my favourite thing to come out of American English since ok.
I’m Philly and we like to say you’s guys’es instead of y’all and we’ll say all’s you’s guys’es for all y’all . And jawn for that thing that can’t remember the word for but you know what I’m talking about because of the context of what I’m saying. You’s guys’s know what I’m saying.