Comments on: They ain’t the same: ain’t serves a purpose in standard and formal English that isn’t doesn’t. http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/ Curious | Cute | Comical | Crazy Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:35:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: jennapants http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26846 jennapants Tue, 04 Nov 2008 01:36:53 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26846 this reminds me of the time i told boris johnson that "ain't" wasn't a word. his response: "You AIN'T gonna tell me AIN'T AIN'T a word 'cause you AIN'T my momma." he was right. this reminds me of the time i told boris johnson that “ain’t” wasn’t a word. his response:
“You AIN’T gonna tell me AIN’T AIN’T a word ’cause you AIN’T my momma.”
he was right.

]]> By: Melissa Parnell http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26849 Melissa Parnell Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:40:33 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26849 I probably use "ain't" a lot more than I realize. And for some reason, unbeknown to me, I say "hain't." I can't even think of a context to illustrate, but I think it is usually in place of hasn't it. I've been working on not saying it, but sometimes it just flows out. I probably use “ain’t” a lot more than I realize. And for some reason, unbeknown to me, I say “hain’t.” I can’t even think of a context to illustrate, but I think it is usually in place of hasn’t it.
I’ve been working on not saying it, but sometimes it just flows out.

]]> By: jblaha http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26848 jblaha Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:31:30 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26848 I am sure that you already knew this, but "ain't" was formal at a point in time and was banned from UK. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain%E2%80%99t" rel="nofollow">Check it out!</a> I am sure that you already knew this, but “ain’t” was formal at a point in time and was banned from UK. Check it out!

]]> By: carissa http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26847 carissa Mon, 03 Nov 2008 04:46:19 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26847 "Similar to profanity, actually…" well, there's an entire conversation right there. but . . . yeah. :] and this is just a personal thing, but for some reason i notice that i'll imitate an urban dialect for more or less the effect you describe here, but never a rural one. hm. “Similar to profanity, actually…”
well, there’s an entire conversation right there. but . . . yeah. :]

and this is just a personal thing, but for some reason i notice that i’ll imitate an urban dialect for more or less the effect you describe here, but never a rural one. hm.

]]> By: Jake http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26845 Jake Mon, 03 Nov 2008 02:55:40 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26845 I like that a lot. I like that a lot.

]]> By: Curtis http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26844 Curtis Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:49:08 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26844 I ain't getting it... I ain’t getting it…

]]> By: Anna http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26843 Anna Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:27:18 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26843 That's kind of like a lot of words in Ebonics, actually. Have you studied that at all? That’s kind of like a lot of words in Ebonics, actually. Have you studied that at all?

]]> By: Ellie http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26842 Ellie Sun, 02 Nov 2008 19:23:09 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26842 Yes! Justification to use "ain't"!!! And that is exactly what I use it for - when someone ain't gettin' what ought to be hitting them in the face! Yes! Justification to use “ain’t”!!! And that is exactly what I use it for – when someone ain’t gettin’ what ought to be hitting them in the face!

]]> By: Chris Slater http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26841 Chris Slater Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:42:38 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26841 ...which is why you said "in standard and formal English". So um. Yeah. I don't actually have anything to add. :) …which is why you said “in standard and formal English”.

So um. Yeah.

I don’t actually have anything to add. :)

]]> By: Chris Slater http://twentytwowords.com/2008/11/02/they-ain%e2%80%99t-the-same-ain%e2%80%99t-serves-a-purpose-in-standard-and-formal-english-that-isn%e2%80%99t-doesn%e2%80%99t/#comment-26840 Chris Slater Sun, 02 Nov 2008 15:39:53 +0000 http://22words.wordpress.com/?p=1331#comment-26840 Only when used by people who don't otherwise use it. For some, it's used as just a general replacement of "isn't". Then it's not serving the purpose of punctuation, but is just a part of their dialect. Similar to profanity, actually... Only when used by people who don’t otherwise use it.

For some, it’s used as just a general replacement of “isn’t”. Then it’s not serving the purpose of punctuation, but is just a part of their dialect.

Similar to profanity, actually…

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