Do Brits shorten "you all" to "you'll"?
Posted by prosthetic_memory@reddit | AskABrit | View on Reddit | 39 comments
Just saw a Brit comment on a post: "I can get behind you'll on this one." Then, when a few people questioned the "you'll", vs the American "y'all," they responded "This Brit shortened you'll meaning you all. Maybe it's a British thing."
So...is it?
-You_Cant_Stop_Me-@reddit
No, I think generally we don't say the "all" unless for emphasis, just say "you" and it being a group "you" is obvious from context.
prosthetic_memory@reddit (OP)
The same is true in American English: folks just use y'all for emphasis, to sound friendly, or colloquially.
Single-Raccoon2@reddit
Ya'll is very regional; it originated in the American South and is used as an address there, not by the majority of Americans. On the West Coast, we're more likely to say "you guys" to address a group of two or more people in an informal way, and "you all" or just "you" in more formal settings.
SomeYak5426@reddit
I noticed some British and European people years ago actually started to get genuinely angry and offended by “guys”, and “you guys”, “hey guys” etc.
It seems so obvious that it’s basically gender neutral but some people don’t see or like this.
A few people had quiet meltdowns about it because it’s apparently male normative and sexist etc? I think some trans people also take specific issue with it and might find it partially offensive if it’s perceived as an insult, so like some may think you’re trying to call them a man in an offensive way.
So YMMV with this in the UK, and brits tend to seeth quietly about things like this rather than say anything.
superfiud@reddit
The reason you think it's 'obvious' that it's gender neutral is why it's male normative and sexist. Ask any straight man if he has sex with guys and you'll see it's not.
SomeYak5426@reddit
I guess it just seems like it’s contextually obvious to any native English speaker, and so it feels like one of those things people are invested in not understanding and being offended by anyway, basically by choice or to make a point.
Sexist usually presumes some negative intent, when and clearly it doesn’t exist there, and it’s just a common phrase and it’s really not that deep. It also just flows better IMO because you can use it everywhere and it makes sense for single and plural, I switched to hey all and folks etc to avoid upsetting people, but it just seems tragic to me that it was ever an issue.
I guess I just can’t imagine what it’s like to be upset about something like this at all and experience life in that way.
prosthetic_memory@reddit (OP)
This is AskABrit, not Explain Things to Another American Who Has Lived In Both Regions You Mentioned.
Single-Raccoon2@reddit
I've also lived in numerous places in the US and haven't experienced that at all. I'm laughing to think of my son's girlfriend's family saying ya'll in their Fargo accents. Sorry if my comment hit a nerve.
-You_Cant_Stop_Me-@reddit
Aah, see there's the difference; we're much less friendly that y'all 😉
Trivius@reddit
I dont know if England has an equivalent but Scotland we have "Yous"
crucible@reddit
Liverpool and The Wirral have yous / youse too
Nearby_Photograph_30@reddit
I’m near Newcastle & we say you’s.
eekamouse4@reddit
The Scottish yous is definitely the plural equivalent of y’all & you’ll is a contraction of you will.
Katharinemaddison@reddit
Yes my partner’s from Manchester and he says yous sometimes.
SignificantAsk4470@reddit
I’d shame any British person than uses y’all. We’re not savages and we do not speak like them.
prosthetic_memory@reddit (OP)
To be fair, as I said in the post, the Brit in question did not use y'all.
Teknikah@reddit
I think we're much more likely to say "you guys" or "everyone" instead of "ya'll" No one here says "you'll" like that, as others have said - it means "you will". Like, "you'll have to gimme a sec."
aeoldhy@reddit
No. Also the phrasing of that sentence in general is quite American.
Single-Raccoon2@reddit
It's particular to the American South only.
BuncleCar@reddit
God no, it sounds so silly and affected. Oh dear, I suspect it's inevitable we'll adopt it then 😉
BillyJoeDubuluw@reddit
No. You’ll isn’t quite “our version” of y’all as such.
We do use you’ll a lot (verbally and not so much in writing) but it’s a contraction of you all.
Examples:
“You’ll all have to grab something from the chippy for tea tonight, I won’t be home til late”.
“You’ll need to be ready for six o’clock”.
I think you might have come across a typo…
lovinglifeatmyage@reddit
No, I bet it was more likely an auto correct
Ruby-Shark@reddit
Some people say "yous" for multiple people.
I hate it.
Ashnyel@reddit
No, because you’ll is a contraction of the words you will and not you all.
Odd_Fox_1944@reddit
You will = you'll You all = y'all
Big difference in grammer and meaning. But, no, Brits do not contract to y'all.
Brilliant_Kiwi1793@reddit
You’s
Responsible_Heron394@reddit
You'll is a contraction of you will. We don't say "you all" ...well, not yet anyway. 🤦♀️
Phoenix_Kerman@reddit
never heard anyone english saying you'll to mean anything but you will. sounds more like a typo than anything
prosthetic_memory@reddit (OP)
Yeah, everyone assumed the same in the post. Weird thing to double down on.
Phoenix_Kerman@reddit
indeed. very weird to double down on aswell
Defiant_Practice5260@reddit
We tend not to use you with all at all (unless we're using an American accent) because you can be directed towards an individual or a group. So the all in you all is redundant.
SUMMATMAN@reddit
No you'll is 'you will'. Unless there's a region somewhere does this, though I've never heard of it.
PetersMapProject@reddit
You'll is a contraction of you will, not you all.
I think the sentence you saw was just an autocorrect error.
crisps1892@reddit
or a subtitling /transcription error
One-Program6244@reddit
You'll = You will.
The guy is either just being defensive after making a mistake or is illiterate.
Scrombolo@reddit
Never.
Katie183@reddit
You’ll = you will
woodlebert@reddit
No
qualityvote2@reddit
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