Did “y’all” originate with 17th century English poetry? A particularly interesting follow-up to my letter of recommendation for “y’all” mentions my own evolution on the word in the context of a larger argument from David B. Parker, a professor at Kennesaw State University.
Illustration for the New York Times Magazine by Clay Hickson. For the New York Times Magazine, I wrote a letter of recommendation for “y’all,” a word I shied away from in my youth as a transplant from Dallas to Miami and have since circled back to not once, but twice. Here’s an excerpt: Growing up in Miami, I dreaded being . . .
In the past couple years my mom has taught me and reminded me of a few more of my Texan granny’s favorite expressions. Some highlights: Quiet as a little mouse peeing on cotton. (Usually used when someone reacts with stunned silence to some sort of diatribe or revelation.) You can’t get all your coons up one tree. (You can’t get everything you want.) Told them how . . .