Linguistic question: 'Alls I know or Alls I can say'

[MineralMan]

Is this a regional thing or just a moron thing? I keep hearing it, both in RL and on YouTube. If it's regional, I won't consider anyone who uses it to be a moron like I do now...

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. I always thought it was "Alls I'm sayin'"

I'll actually use it on occassions, ironically.

[MineralMan]

4. That's another variation.

[coconuted]

2. I think it's hillbilly.

[MineralMan]

3. No. I hear it sometimes here in Minnesota, from people with

Minnesota accents. They're not hillbillies.

[Boojatta]

12. So, why don't you ask them?

For example, you could try this:
"Excuse me, you definitely aren't a hillbilly, and I appreciate that, but could you tell me whether or not you are a moron?"

In my opinion, the linguistic issue you raise is a superficial matter. I don't know why anyone would label people as "morons" based on something superficial.

[MineralMan]

13. Actually, it's not a superficial issue.

It's a grammatical error. Asking the person who is making it why they are making it is useless.

I'm just trying to find out if it's a regional speech pattern or just a stupid, uneducated error in speech.

I already figured out another common error. People often say, "I should have went." They're just stupid and uneducated. It's not regional.

Alls may be regional. One source says that it may come from the German "Alles," so it's possible that it is from a region with a lot of German heritage. Or, it may just be a stupid error.

Apparently, you do not know the answer to the question.

[Boojatta]

15. deleted by Boojatta

[MineralMan]

17. Undeleted by MineralMan

I wonder what was in that message, Boojatta...

Oh well.

[Boojatta]

16. I have a link for you...

http://pbfcomics.com /

Look for "Penguin_Enemy" when you get there.

Actually, it's not a superficial issue.

It's a grammatical error.

[MineralMan]

18. Why would I do that? Isn't that some sort of Bible web site?

I'm an atheist, so Bible web sites don't really hold much interest for me.

[Arkansas Granny]

7. I've lived in "hillbilly" country all my life and the only people I've heard use this phrase

were not from these parts.

[Glorfindel]

9. Same here...I'm a hillbilly from the north GA mountains

I've never heard anyone from there say "alls."

[Gormy Cuss]

5. It's probably a regionalism.

My mother often said "We was.." even though she's the one who was a stickler for proper noun/verb agreement when I wrote school assignments.

[Xipe Totec]

6. Why do you ax that question? n/t

[Richardo]

8. I used to say that - I don't know why - I'm neither a hillbilly nor too much of a moron

Anyway, I got out of the habit in my 30s and now it grates on my nerves when I hear it.

[madeline_con]

10. Moran thing. n/t

[newcriminal]

11. I grew up in Indiana and heard it all the time.

I now live in Pennsylvania on the border of NY and NJ, and hear it here as well. I have no business correcting anyone my language skills suck, but "alls I'm saying" has always bothered me.

[MineralMan]

14. Interesting. That lends some credibility to the

theory that it originates with the German "Alles." Pennsylvania has a strong German-speaking heritage. The guy in the militia video is from Ohio, which also could have the same relation to German.

Did Indiana have a strong Germanic influence as well?

[Chellee]

22. Northern Indiana has a huge number of people with German heritage.

I don't know about the southern section.

[noamnety]

19. Regional speech thing.

I'm sure I've used it. I'm well aware it's not proper grammar; I wouldn't use it in writing or an academic setting.

Not saying I'm not a moron, mind you ... just explaining that's not the reason I use that phrase.

[RoyGBiv]

20. It's lazy English ...

It's a verbal contraction of the informal "All as ..." the word "as" itself being an informal substitute for "that."

"All that I can say ..." becomes "All as I can say ..." becomes "Alls I can say ...." without the apostrophe, for some reason.

There is likely a regional element to this particular colloquialism, but I couldn't say. "Standard" lazy English would simply remove the "that" and make it understood, but this isn't what happens here.

[Odin2005]

21. Dialectical speech isn't "lazy", it's just dialectical.

[RoyGBiv]

24. Well, okay ...

Interestingly, "lazy English" is an idiom for a particular kind of dialectical speech.

It's a rather common phrase.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

23. regional

[Common Sense Party]

25. I heard it a lot growing up in Iowa & Minnesota.

I hear it here in rurally Utah, too.

Never bothered me--not as much as my mom saying 'Warshington' or 'warshing machine.'

[MrMickeysMom]

26. Nothing's as moronic as SW Pennsylvania coloquelisms..

Hay Yins Doin?

Needs Fixed!

We're goin dawn tawn, en at...

Haas cuz?

You get the idea. You gotta love the people who use them, except the teachers, who should know better!