Why do Americans use this term in every other sentence? Will it catch on here? Am I reading too much into it?

38 comments

  1. It’s potentially *the* most disliked Americanism, and one that is never going to catch on here.

  3. It’s caught on well at least in my circle, it’s only said when texting. I think you’re reading too much into it. It’s like how we use “innit”

  4. Neutral. It’s just an Americanism. So if Americans use it, that’s normal. If British people use it I think it’s a bit odd, but nothing more apart from that.

  8. I prefer the Scottish/Irish “youse” so if y’all don’t like it youse can get tae fuck.

  9. If it’s displacing British English phrases then we can only blame ourselves for dropping ‘ye’

  11. It’s American slang for ‘you all’ usually used as a plural version of ‘you’.

    As with a lot of American slang, it gets picked up by people here due to the exposure to American media especially younger generations via social media.

    Language evolves over time, including the spread of regional slang to other regions. I couldn’t give two shits about it because it doesn’t impact me in the slightest, and if anything people who get all precious about the ‘right’ way to say something can bore off because it’s a very tedious and inconsequential thing to get all worked up over.

  12. I remember in 2016 first encountering ‘y’all’ while driving across some of the southern states. I liked it because it seemed like a natural thing for people in the south to say. I feel only in the last few years I’ve noticed all Americans using it and it became very irritating.

    Almost as bad as ‘gotten’

  14. I hear it more from people who aren’t from the area I live in. We have “you’s” and its not often I hear someone local use “y’all” instead.

  15. I’m going to go against the consensus and say that I welcome it, although I only really use it when talking to one online friend group with a bunch of Americans in it. It sounds odd saying it out loud, but I find a lot of use out of typing it out.

    Functionally it’s no different than saying *you lot* and I’ll always defend it on the basis that it’s an easy way to inclusively refer to a mixed group of people.

    ^also ^I ^always ^wanted ^to ^be ^a ^cowboy ^growing ^up

  16. It’s one of the few Americanisms I’m totally on board with.

    I like being able to specify that I’m referring to the plural “you” as opposed to the singular, and using “thou/thee” is far too pretentious.

  19. Used by British people who are terminally online and take all their talking points from terminally online Americans

  20. I’m from England and I type it out sometimes (I have never verbally said it though, I say ‘you lot’)

  23. Yank here. Was born and raised in NE Ohio and lived the first 28 years of my life there, and absolutely no one ever used it seriously or unironically, ever. Then I moved to Florida during the last decade and have watched with horrified disconnect as it started to creep into my casual use lexicon. It sucks. I hate it.

    That said I can’t think of a catchier, snappier way of addressing a multi-person audience. Unless this awful heat has finally melted what’s left of my brain. 🥴

  24. Anyone who uses it that isn’t born and raised in the American South should be put to death immediately.

  25. Pretty much only the southern U.S. uses “y’all”, and we like it that way.

    Get your own colloquialism.

  27. I’m a middle aged British woman and I say y’all occasionally.

    I have spent time with southern born Americans though so a lot of Americanisms have crept into my vocabulary.

    I like it and will keep on saying it no doubt since I’ve now gotten used to it

  29. I grew up with that in my vocabulary. Y’all isn’t anywhere near as bad as Ain’t. My mom used to always correct me if I used ain’t.

    But going back to the original question, I have heard it used quite often here, usually by the younger generation (18-25).

  31. I had a neighbour that used it and I just hated it. Hopefully it doesn’t catch on here, I thought it was just my neighbour saying it

  32. From the NE bit of the USA. Boston, to be specific. We absolutely do not say it. I absolutely don’t like to hear it except if watching some Hollywood film featuring Reese Witherspoon or whoever, and I do not expect to hear it in real life unless I am physically fighting for my reproductive rights and/or fleeing gun-toting cowboys or good ole boys down South, which means NEVER, and so if I do hear it irl, I’m immediately on edge. Then again, we are accused of being rude up here and quite direct and “not friendly” (lies), so take this with a grain of salt.

  33. Absolutely fucking not. Not ever, under any circumstances.

    “You” works for the plural as well as the singular. “All of you” if you want the emphasis. I can’t accept “y’all”, for the same reason I can’t accept “yee haw” and “ride them, cow boy”.

  34. Completely under appreciated in this country

    Think about it. Its gender neutral, all inclusive, as much as that other guy has a point about “youse” it doesn’t quite have the same chipper tone as y’all.

    Then again, the chipper bit might be people here dislike it

  36. Apparently it is useful on occasions you need to speak to you (a person) vs you (a group). But I don’t quite get it as many seem to use y’all for individuals requiring “all y’all” for speaking to a group which is even more clunky. It is fine but it is very rare I am confused who someone is talking to. And then “all of you” or “you all” seems to work fine without an awkward slurring sound in it.

  37. We don’t have a plural version of you, and it’s occasionally wanted, so it’s a new construct to fill the gap. I don’t really like any of the options much though.

    Well, strictly speaking we lost the singular version (thou), but I don’t think that will come back ever.

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