MSGID: 1:153/716.0 d22bd110   
   REPLY: 2:221/6.0 5d0fe2f6   
   CHRS: IBMPC 2   
   Hi, Anton!  Recently you wrote in a message to Alexander Koryagin:   
      
    AK>  My mother answered, "How will the doctor know if you   
    AK>  are turning blue with that stuff on?"   
      
    AS>  But Ardith's grammar is immaculate and only right for   
    AS>  this hypothetical sitatuation,   
      
      
             Thankyou... or perhaps I should say "(I) thank you".  :-)   
      
      
      
    AS>  whereas your use of "wanna" and "inside of" can make   
    AS>  any literate person's nails turn blue :-)   
      
      
             When I say "ain't nobody here but us chickens" in response to a query   
    from somebody who needs help in deciding whether or not to abandon the XYZ   
   echo as a lost cause, I'm making a bit of friendly noise in a jocular fashion   
   to let them know I'm still reading the echo even if I don't write very often.    
   I think Alexander knows I wouldn't recommend using "ain't" or "wanna" on a   
   grade twelve English exam... but he's read widely enough to be aware of their   
   existence.   
      
             I hear the above in many popular songs from the US.  I also note with   
    interest that our neighbours to the south tend to shorten the spelling of   
   words like "cheque" and "neighbour", in an apparent attempt to simplify the   
   language. What I don't understand is the tendency to leave out "of" in stock   
   phrases like "a couple of" only to add it where others wouldn't use it... e.g.   
   "inside of" & "off of".  I have requested MODERN AMERICAN USAGE from the public   
    library.  :-)   
      
      
      
      
   --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+   
    * Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)   
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