Yale documents weird regional English, deems it “grammatical diversity”

“‘My aunt makes hats all the time anymore.’ ‘The car needs washed.’ ‘I so might run this race with you.’ Relax, grammar nerds. There is no need to vomit with rage at these apparent abuses of the English language. These strange sentences are merely examples of the colloquial expressions collected by Yale’s Grammatical Diversity Project. Through nationwide surveys and online crowdsourcing, Yale’s diligent researchers set out to catalog as many weird, regionally-specific phrasings as they could find throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, and parts of Canada. “I so might run this race with you,” for instance, is an example of what Yale deems the “dramatic so,” a California specialty which also turns up frequently in New York. Surprisingly, grammatical diversity has not been the subject of much academic attention previous to the Yale study, which finds that grammar is further affected by age, ethnicity, and social class. Of course, anyone who has ever traveled beyond the borders of his or her home state might have made the same basic observations.

But now, thanks to Yale, there is a clickable online map which allows users to easily find examples of strange expressions particular to certain English-speaking cities, states, or regions. Each such phrase is given its own red location marker on the map. In Utah, for example: “He said I might could call purchasing and order it through someone else.” Or in Florida: “I ain’t never had no trouble with none of ‘em.” Or in Pennsylvania: “She really likes cuddled.” Yes, it’s a big, grammatically diverse world out there to explore. And for those who would prefer to digest this information in guide form rather than map form, Yale has your back. (AVCLUB)”

What are your guys thoughts? I think this is personally amazing! I get so very tired of people assuming that English fell from the heavens and that local and regional dialect is somehow inferior to standard English. Remember much of standard English was at one time on the outskits too!!!!!

Out of the ashes, I rise with my blonde hair……

I’m coming upon the year anniversary of my father’s death. And what has been, for a lack of a better term, the least productive year artistically of my life.

I was depressed about it. Lost, one could say in the volume of silence, the abyss of nothingness.

That was until yesterday when in a passing conversation with my fiance’s dad, I mentioned that I had previously been a math major.

“Math major, pshhh. Let me see those grades. You had to be failing that is the ONLY reason that anyone would switch from math to English…..”

Enraged, I took my grievance to social media where I got a bevy of responses similar to:

“Why would you do that????? He’s right. Don’t you know companies are poaching math and science high school teachers…..”

A rekindled fire burned with in me.

Why would I switch from Math to English?

Very simply, when it came down to studying for my Cal final freshman year of college, I decided instead to watch Young Guns.

Yes the 1980’s brat-pack western.

And it dawned on me, I was good at math, oh I was, (got a high A in the course) but I wasn’t passionate about it. I didn’t stay up late at night to study or work on math, but I sure as heck did for writing.

I have railed in previous posts about how much art matters, but have, through the course of the last year, partly forgotten how passionate I am about it.

His words, though, and others fuel my fire. Art matters. My art matters. You’re art matters.

And don’t let anyone tell you otherswise.

Now, where is my pen, do I dare to disturb the universe?