Continuing a thought begun in Wordplay


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Can somebody explain to me how and why in American English (only it would seem), they don't seem to use the expression the rest of the English speaking world use:
Work off
Get up off
Learn off
Spin off

The same way in which people ask "Where are you at?" when "Where are you?" is sufficient.

In English speech, we often seem to use redundancies to emphasize points, such as "the midnight hour", to "physically feel (or touch)", to "visibly see", etc. All of these have unnecessary additions (hour, physically, visibly) which serve no purpose other than unneeded emphasis.

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Originally posted by Proofreader:
Continuing a thought begun in Wordplay


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Can somebody explain to me how and why in American English (only it would seem), they don't seem to use the expression the rest of the English speaking world use:

Geographical separation.

"Off of" is not solely American

A fall off of a tree.
King Henry VI, part II: II, i 2

How about......"Stay where you're to 'til I comes where you're at." I've actually heard that said where I live, but the speaker invariably laughs at it, not the hearer.

Then there's the famous, US Southern, "Y'all come," even if the speaker is addressing one person. Or the Southern boat builder who throws a party by saying, "Yawl come."

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"Y'all come,"

What the host says at a Southern orgy.

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Originally posted by Geoff:
Then there's the famous, US Southern, "Y'all come," even if the speaker is addressing one person."

I don't doubt for a minute that "y'all" is frequently used to address one person. Conversely, when was the last time you heard a group of two or more persons addressed as "you"? (Which, of course is perfectly correct.)What! You can't remember? This highlights what is, to my view, one of the great failings of standard English: second person singular and second person plural are the same word. To illustrate the issue, I advise you to go to any restaurant anywhere in the English-speaking world and note the fashion in which the server (waiter,waitress) addresses a group of diners. You will hear (depending on where you are) "y'all" or "we" or, even, "youse" . The problem is, naturally, the speaker doesn't want to be mistakenly interpreted as speaking to only one of the customers. It's not his/her fault. The language fails us all in this respect. Not a grievous fault, though! That's what I think. So there!

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go to any restaurant anywhere in the English-speaking world and note the fashion in which the server (waiter,waitress) addresses a group of diners.

In my case it is often "I thought I told you scuzzballs not to come back again."

Couple of quick points.

First, I don't see "where are you at" and "where are you" as being exactly the same.

I see the former as meaning "what point have you reached" and the latter just as "Where are you (located)".


Also, I have heard three times iun the past couple weeks not just "y'all" but "y'alls" meaning, respectively, "you" and "yours": in the plural. I'd never heard (or at least never noticed) "y'alls", before that. And I also heard it used in the singular. ("This one's y'alls." when passing a book to someone.)

For the "off" verbs listed I may be missing the point.

What, exactly, would Americans say for the following sentences.

"Wow, I have a hangover. I'll go for a run and work it off."
"Get up off the armchair you lazy devil."


As for "learn off" I haven't heard it much here - usually it's "learn from", and I've heard "spin off" much more commonly as a noun (so much so that I haven't come up with a plausible verb example.)

We'd say, "...work it off," I guess, though it's hard to say for sure because I'd never put it that way.

I'd only say, "Get off the armchair..." I'd not add "up," but maybe others would? I would say, "Get up from the armchair..."

"learn off" is another case. I've not ever hard that.

At any rate, as with other conversations here about language, either way we almost always know what is meant (almost because I'd question "learn off"). While, Bob, there could be a subtle difference with "where you are" and "where you are at," given the context I am sure you'd understand.