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keri
2008-11-25 11:18 pm UTC (link)

I think

issendai got it, but 'all y'all' isn't exactly rare, it's just not used the way I always seem to hear it on tv or when people are affecting a southern accent, unless it's different in my neck of the woods:

Y'all is used when addressing a group of people (2 or more). "How're y'all doing these days?" "Are y'all going anywhere for the holidays?"

All y'all is used when speaking to one person but referring to many. "Are all y'all going to the fair, or just you?" The 'many' can be present, but they needn't be.

All y'all can also be used when addressing a particularly large group. I'd say more than you can count with a quick glance - maybe 6+? It's analogous to "all of you," I suppose. I've never heard it refer to less than 5 people unless it's a case of speaking to one with the others not present, or unless it's an outsider.

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	artimusdin 2008-11-25 11:30 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, Ah do behleeve this is ah nahce descriptiuhn. =) Mah li'le Suthun Hahrt is just ahll ahfluttah. ~~... twitch Note to self: Never do that again.~~ (Reply to this)(Parent)

puipui
2008-11-26 01:30 am UTC (link)

You know, I've never really noticed that kind of usage before with "all y'all". Although, to be fair, I don't actually live in the South, I just have mostly Southern relatives, and a lot of them also use "y'ens" or "you'ens" in place of "y'all", and also I haven't really been paying attention.

In my experience, though, "all y'all" is basically "y'all" except with an intensifier, so it gets used when Grandma gets pissed off, like a sort of plural form of using your middle name. With younger members of the family, it's most frequently used with the word "fuck" as in "All y'all can just fuck off." And so forth. XD

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	hallidae 2008-11-26 02:11 am UTC (link)
	I think whether one uses "all y'all" or "you'uns" can also be a matter of preference, since they can both fit about the same space. My grandmother uses the former, my grandfather used the latter. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	wankismyfandom 2008-11-26 03:43 am UTC (link)
	I've seen both the "big plural" use and the intensifier use. Either way, y'all and all y'all are perfectly useful and valid things to say. Ten bajillion times better than "youse guys." :P (Reply to this)(Parent)

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