Question for the Day

With the use of "all ya'll", my friend Nat created a cascade of e-mails debating the validity and use of the term. And, although not typical of our conversations, one can see how even minute things can be made interesting and funny :) At least for me.
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The following e-mail message was particularly hilarious...

Technically speaking (and by "technically", I mean how we roll in Pine Bluff, Arkansas), "all y'all" is the "supersized" version of "y'all" (e.g. if you were speaking in the Forum to the Kennedy School student body you might say, "all y'all dirty hippie tree huggers need to go back to California") Thus, the issue in question is if the 14 recipients of this email represents a sufficiently large entity to justify the "all y'all" usage as defined in the aforementioned sentence. In my expert opinion, I believe it fails to meet such criteria.

Of course, it can also apply if you would like to emphasize the inclusive/completeness nature of the statement (e.g. "There is no way I can fit all y'all into my trailer"). Given that Natalie is such a nice and friendly person, I will assume that this was the rationale behind the "all y'all" usage - that is, she sincerely hopes that each and every person will be able to make it.

Now, practically speaking, I take issue with "all y'all" in all its forms and usages. It is neither necessary nor parsimonious. If executed poorly, it seems forced and silly. (If you are a male in an Arkansas dive bar and say it with a bad accent followed by a chuckle, then

P(You get bitch slapped by a guy named Bubba) = )

Therefore, when you make fun of us rednecks in the future, I highly advise that you keep it simple and stick to the "y'all" form for all your pronoun needs.