I know our nation is divided — but are we so divided that we can’t even agree on Ross Perot’s accent?

He has what we refer to as a “West Texas Twang”. Yep, the twangs are regional!

And then:

Ross Perot is pure East Texas. West Texans sound quite a bit different to native Texan ears.

Plus I’m still getting emails about “y’all” way too fast to keep up with them:

“All y’all” is an expanded form of “y’all” which usually means “every one of you that can hear me”. If I say, “All y’all need to come over to the party.” I am clearly stating that everyone within hearing is invited. If, in the same situation, I said, “Y’all need to come over to the party.” someone may be left with the impression that a smaller group (such as the specific addressee’s family or cohorts) is implied.

And:

The possessive is even more fun. “I have reviewed ya’ll’s papers, and…” or, better, “I have reviewed all ya’ll’s papers, and…”

And:

Y’all is PLURAL. You is singular. Anybody that says y’all to a single person should be horsewhipped. We’re not animals, you know.

Sed contra:

BTW, the SC guy is wrong. Y’all can be singular, even in SC. Now I’m fixin’ to carry my wife to the store so y’all have a good day.

I’ll probably be getting emails all day about this one, too:

You’uns which is the plural used somewhat in Arkansas. Pronounced “Yunz”.

And:

In East Tennessee (never Eastern, as Peter Robinson discovered) ya’ll is cosmopolitan. We still use the term “You’uns.” As in “you’uns drive a bit safe up the road a piece.” The term is used in all forms.

And even:

Why don’t you just adopt the little known verbiage of Western PA… (Pittsburgese), that being ‘yinz’

It just goes to show you:

The differences in word usage across the US is astounding. Take a simple word like farm. In the Midwest when one grows crops one is said to farm. But in Texas if you run a company and have an employee you need to get rid of…you far’m.