Date:  Sat, 22 Nov 1997 11:42:08 -0500
From:  Ron Butters <RonButters[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>
Subject: uh&duh

Gregory J. Pulliam writes:

>Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?
>"_____, Grant."

>I'm 40 and would say "well." But my
>15 year old daughter and my 12 year
>old son and my 7 year old son wouldn't
>say "why" or "well," they'd say (in
>the style of Beavis and/or Butthead)
>"Uh, Lincoln?"

Good answer, but does "Uh" really mean the same thing as both "Well" and
"Why" in this context? Or is "Uh" only a filler that the pragmatic comment to
be carried by the intonation?

1. Q: Did you kill Mrs. Wayne?
  A1: Uh, yes/no. (= Why, yes/no.) [certainty about some aspect of the
exchange]
  A2: Uh, yes/no? ( = Well, yes/no.) [uncertainty about . . .]
2. Q: Who is buried in Grant's tomb?
   A1: Uh, Grant. (= Why, Grant.)
   A2: Uh, Grant? (= Well, Grant.)
6. Do you sleep in the nude?
   A1: Uh, yes/no. (=Why, yes.)
   A1: Uh, yes/no? (= Well, yes.)

The contemporary situation is further complicated by the form "Duh," which
seems to function in initial position like "why"--but is not used (I think)
unless the speaker feels that she will not insult her audience with so
informal an utterance. Also, speakers do say, "Well, Duh!" And *Duh,
yes/no?" are ill-formed.