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[AugustWest]

The Singular Y'all is common usage in certain parts of the state, giving rise to such gems as "all y'all," "y'all two," and my personal favorite, "y'all guys."

I wouldn't consider any of those singular.  De-y'all-ifing gives us: "all you", "you two" and "you guys", which I would consider to be plural pronoun phrases.

The singular y'all of which I speak is often seen in a sitcom or some other such supposedly sophisticated entertainment.  Cletus the gas station attendant, addressing a single solitary person, lets out something like, "Y'all want fries with that oil change?" or "Y'all ain't from around here, is yuh?" to the electronic guffaws of the laff-trak.  This is an abomination.

[St_Zartan]

...giving rise to such gems as "all y'all"

I'm on the Zoloft. That's what's stopping me from killing all y'all. - Mike Tyson

I cannot even begin to imagine the dosage required to make this True.

[CortJstr]

Coming from the north I never heard y'all except on TV. We did however have "you guys's" which is of course the possesive of "you guys." For the curious, it's pronounced guy-zez

"You guys's house is really nice. Did you replace the carpet?"

[jough]

This thread is now too long for me to read all of it.

Let me just say that I like grammar.

The end.

[V-Adore]

"You guys's" makes my soul cry.

[wombat]

"You guys's" makes my soul cry.

Yeah - should be "youz guys's"!

[AugustWest]

"Y'all" is never singular!  "Y'all" is second person plural. PLURAL, PLURAL, PLURAL!  The only southern place where they use "y'all" as a singular pronoun is Southern California.

Like, geez dude, harsh.

But also true.  Thanks for adding yet another reason for me to feel shameful about my geographic location.

This wasn't really meant as a slap at SoCal in general, more as an allusion to the fact that many Television programs and picture shows are produced there.  Round about the Hollywood sector of Los Ang-el-eez, I understand.

[AugustWest]

Oh yeah, and "you guys's" would be the equivalent of "y'all's", i.e. a second person plural possessive and therefore acceptable when used correctly.

[slink]

In reference to JL mentioned boots and buggies (trolleys here in the UK), I actually tend to use the American words for certain things now. I find I talk to so many more Americans or Canadians that it is just easier on the whole, to say trunk, or windshield, or gas, or meer instead of mirror (OK, not the last one, it's just an amusing one I notice especially with Torontoans).
I beging to find the British English words for these things terribly coy in comparison, which in the end makes me going back to them evern harder to stomach.

[AlohaDawg]

I love the way British people use language. That 'understatement' thing is not exaggerated in the least. I find British humor funnier, on the whole, than American humor and not just because they 'talk funny'. There is a whole level of sophistication that seems to lurk beneath proper British English to me. The accent is sexy to me too. Maybe I was born 40 years too late.

[slink]

The accent is sexy to me too. Maybe I was born 40 years too late.

It's the one huge benefit of visiting North America, is to be able to speak and have girls look at you a certain way.
Doesn't work here though.
I tend to speak with that hideous level of sophistication of which you speak, mainly helped by my very plain, broadcast English accent (I slip into Scottish sometimes, mainly when on the phone, but most of the time have nearly zero accent).
I do, however, repudiate any claim that I may be upper class. I'm strictly upper working middle class!
I think that translates as poor but well educated or something.

[Twelvebottoms]

I do, however, repudiate any claim that I may be upper class. I'm strictly upper working middle class!
I think that translates as poor but well educated or something.

What my mum refers to as the impoverished gentility.

[pmcd9]

Damn there is too much in this thread to comment on.  I've been a copy editor for my Fathers sometimes rambling, incoherent business letters.  I think Y'all technically is a conjunction for you all, but since it's a uniquely southern word and totally cool it's morphed into a catchall replacement for the word you, singular, plural, whatever.  In Texas the trolley/buggy is a cart.  Oh yeah, Slink, the accent thing works both ways.

~Paul