It Ain't Necessarily So... or is it?

I remember back in 2012, the first time I saw Sweet Brown being interviewed on TV and saying (her now famous line), “Ain’t nobody got time for that!”

For the past nine years, we’ve used that iconic phrase about all sorts of situations... waiting in line, stuck on hold, fill-in-the-blank with your personal favorite! (And please let me know what it is!)

We’ve probably all said ain’t, (it’s in the dictionary now btw), but is it acceptable? The answer is... it depends.

First, where did ain’t even come from?

In an earlier issue of FL, we discussed contractions and how they work. Since ain’t is a contraction, what words is it a combination of? Wikipedia says, “The word?“ain’t”?is a contraction?for?am not,?is not,?are not,?has not, and?have not?in the common English language vernacular. In some dialects,?ain’t?is also used as a contraction of?do not,?does not,?and?did not.” Eight different word combo options = ain’t!

Then consider you could say, “I ain’t. You ain’t. He, she, or it ain’t. We ain’t. They ain’t.” You can see that ain’t is a very busy word indeed!

So when is it acceptable to say ain’t? It’s okay to?use “ain’t” if it’s part of a quotation, a joke, a well-known saying, or the words to a song.

A quick Google search shows quite a few song titles with the word ain’t in them... “Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” are at the top of my list. Can you imagine belting out, “There is not any sunshine when she’s gone,” or “There is not a mountain high enough” instead of using ain’t?? How many other songs can you think of that have ain’t in them?

But, if you’re writing for business, school, or another type of formal writing, I’d suggest not using ain’t unless it’s part of a direct quote. Think of it like horseradish (or wasabi); a little goes a long way!

“If you ain’t first, you’re last.” ~ Ricky Bobby, Talladega Nights?

“Eat more turkey!” You can almost hear our girls chanting that as our Thanksgiving meal prep is about to be underway.

Turkey was probably not on the Pilgrims’ first menu, but there’s a good chance that venison was.

So, where did the idea for turkey come from? Medieval Europe had a tradition of serving large wildfowl, especially peacock, which was skinned, cooked, and resewn into its feathers for presentation. (imma have to say a big NO to this option!)

Homesteaders who settled in America probably figured it made more sense to eat turkey since it didn’t provide milk like cattle or edible eggs but had a lot of meat and was readily available. For reference, here are some wild turkeys from our front yard, and you can see that these guys are much bigger than our chickens!

Fun fact - did you know that Ben Franklin proposed that the turkey be our national bird??Though the bald eagle has remained as the symbol of America, and Ben was really just joking about preferring the turkey, his arguments in favor of the turkey still ring true. He claims that the turkey, unlike the eagle, is uniquely North American. Bald eagles are native to North America, but there are far more species of eagle in Europe and Asia; by comparison, all turkey species originated in North America. He goes on to call the turkey “courageous and respectable, tho’ a little vain and silly.”?

Here's wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday (no matter what's on your menu!).

If you know someone who might give thanks for this content (or needs my wordsmithing services), please forward it along! Sharing is caring!

And, hey, the #jollychickens gotta eat... and contrary to popular belief, chicken scratch ain't cheap (neither are pecans for yummy pies), so I appreciate referrals!?