I’ve been trying to use the phrase “you all” or even “y’all” for quite a few years now, mostly because “you guys” is, while not sexist, gender insensitive? I don’t know. I just felt stupid saying, “What do you you guys think?” when none of the people I was talking to were guys.
That’s why I was excited when I found Are Y’all Enjoying this One? A ‘southernism’ we all know (via Metafilter). Although the article is more about the fact it’s a Southern phrase, I’m glad all the same that the word is getting more widely accepted.
Jas – I’m just glad you spelled it “Y’all”. I got into a fight with someone because they said I was wrong and it was “Ya’ll” which I don’t like one single bit. Even better I asked a passer-by at work how SHE would spell it and she goes “Y-A-W” and I was like “what the?…no..i said ‘y’all’ as in YOU -ALL” and she goes, “Yeah, Y-A-W”!! Can you believe it?!?!!?
Yeah, it has to be “y’all” because the apostrophe stands in for the “ou.” I don’t get the “Y-A-W” business though. Weird.