Date:    Tue, 9 Jun 1998 15:36:22 -0400
<br>From:    Beverly Flanigan <flanigan[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU>
<br>Subject: Re: "You the man"
<br>
<br>Dave Letterman uses the phrase frequently, usually in a running exchange
<br>with Paul Shaffer.  I'm never quite sure whether they're using it
<br>derisively or mockingly or not....
<br>
<br>
<br>At 03:13 PM 6/9/98 -0400, you wrote:
<br>>It's interesting that the broader speech community has adopted "You da
<br>>man."  Traditionally, AAVE expressions with obvious grammatical "errors"
<br>>(such as the absent copula) are not accepted or imitated by
<br>>mainstream speakers except in derision.  In some instances, they feel
<br>>compelled to  "correct" it from "You da man" to "You're the man" or "You
<br>>are the man."
<br>>
<br>>Margaret Lee
<br>>Hampton University
<br>>
<br>>On Tue, 9 Jun3 1998, Gerald Cohen wrote:
<br>>
<br>>> Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 09:20:50 -0500
<br>>> From: Gerald Cohen <gcohen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UMR.EDU>
<br>>> To: ADS-L[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UGA.CC.UGA.EDU
<br>>> Subject: Re: "You the man"
<br>>>
<br>>>    Avi Arditti, who inquired about "You the man!',  has sent me a helpful
<br>>> follow-up note.  It indicates that this expression can be added to the list
<br>>> of African-American contributions to the broader speech community, even if
<br>>> the item is not yet standard English.
<br>>> >
<br>>> >The thankful car owner was a young white man, and I've heard other white
<br>>> >people use it recently, so perhaps this century-old expression has finally
<br>>> >hit mainstream!
<br>>> >
<br>>> --Gerald Cohen
<br>>>
<br>>>
<br>>>
<br>>>
<br>>> gcohen[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]umr.edu
<br>>>
<br>>
<br>