Date:  Thu, 4 May 1995 09:42:12 -0700

From:  Peter McGraw <pmcgraw[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]CALVIN.LINFIELD.EDU>

Subject: Re: Business/[bIdnIs]



On Thu, 4 May 1995, Beth Lee Simon wrote:



> The C&W duo, Brooks & Dunn, from Texas, wrote a tune, "I'm A Hard-Workin'

> Man," in which they sing, quite distinctly,

>

> "Come Monday mornin' I'm the first to arrive [=at a work place where he wields

> a hammer and also paints]

> I ain't nothin' but [bIdnIs] y'all from nine to five.

> I'm a hard-workin' man."

>

> In an interview, about the time this album/cd came out, the one of them

> who is the lead singer said, several times, "I love this [bIznIs]."

> and "The music [bIznIs] is the only thing I ever wanted to do."

>

> nothing but [bIdnIs] = serious, hard-working

> business       = business

>

> beth

>



I wonder if this is a legitimate attestation of the meaning distinction

between the two forms, or if it is rather an example of dialect

switching, using one for the song and another for an interview. I.e., would

the singer also use "ain't nothin'" in an interview, and would he use

"hard-workin'" or would he switch to "hard-working"?



Peter McGraw

Linfield College

McMinnville, OR