contraction of a contraction

The Lonely One · Apr 25, 2009

I know this isn't really grammatically correct but it's a southern dialect thing.

Trying to have my narrator contract you'd and have. In other words,

"you'd've."

Or would it be "Youd've"

Or should I sacrifice the dialect because it sounds so close: "you'd have."

I've heard the former two from those with a bit of twang where I'm from. What do you think? How to write this?

Swordswoman · Apr 25, 2009

Stick with 'you'd've'. It's correct, and easy to understand.

'Youd've' is just plain wrong.

'You'd have' may sound too formal. These days the sound of 'you'd've' and 'would've' is so common you frequently see the less literate actually write 'you'd of' or 'would of'!

Honestly, the contraction is not unique to 'southern dialect'. It's almost universal in the UK unless someone is trying really hard to speak formally. I don't think anyone would have any difficulty recognizing the contraction for what it was.

Anyone, that is, except computer spelling-checkers...

Prawn · Apr 25, 2009

You'da?
Yoda?

Urban dictionary says You'dve

unicornjam · Apr 25, 2009

You'd've.

LAWolf · Apr 25, 2009

You'duv
You'dof

My students with very Southern accents might say "you'da" in certain contexts:
"You'da gotten a ticket if you'd been goin' faster."

Matera the Mad · Apr 25, 2009

'Snot a contraction of a contraction, it's a double contraction. You'd've, he'd've, she'd've, they'd've, I'd've, we'd've -- ugly but correct. I would only use them in dialog, and leave the "have" whole for narrative. A real hick character could say "you'd of".

backslashbaby · Apr 25, 2009

Y'all'd've

Now that's southern! Y'all'd've known that if you grew up here

Cyia · Apr 25, 2009

backslashbaby said:
Y'all'd've

Now that's southern! Y'all'd've known that if you grew up here

Ya'll'd'a

RJK · Apr 27, 2009

I would have gone with Y'all would've.

girlyswot · Apr 27, 2009

I say definitely it should only be used in dialogue and then sparingly. In general, if you've established where your character is from and what sort of accent and speech patterns they use, you don't need to try to represent every irregularity on the page. The reader can fill most of it in for themselves.

Chase · Apr 27, 2009

girlyswot said:
I say definitely it should only be used in dialogue and then sparingly. In general, if you've established where your character is from and what sort of accent and speech patterns they use, you don't need to try to represent every irregularity on the page. The reader can fill most of it in for themselves.

I'm your huckleberry. I'm agreein' with what you're sayin', 'cept shouldn't it've been "Readers" to've antededed "themselves"?

Grebbsy · Apr 27, 2009

Prawn said:
You'da?
Yoda?

Urban dictionary says You'dve

Urban dictionary is wrong, then.

An apostrophe marks where a letter or letters have been elided.

IceCreamEmpress · Apr 27, 2009

Prawn said:
Urban dictionary says You'dve

Urban Dictionary is a website where random teenagers enter stuff. It is not a good source for professional orthography.

The generally accepted way of contracting "you would have" in US English is "you'd've".

Chase · Apr 28, 2009

Grebbsy said:
An apostrophe marks where a letter or letters have been elided.

And the rest of that handy rule inserts "or number or numbers."

It's: She is a last-century child of the '60s.

Not: She is a last-century child of the 60's.

Swordswoman · Apr 28, 2009

IceCreamEmpress said:
The generally accepted way of contracting "you would have" in US English is "you'd've".

And in English too!

backslashbaby · Apr 28, 2009

You have me thinking of the biggest number of words I've heard contracted. Too fun

I'm winning at 4, I think. Someone find more!

contraction of a contraction

The Lonely One

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Swordswoman

Resilient and kind

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

unicornjam

LAWolf

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

backslashbaby

*

Cyia

Rewriting My Destiny

RJK

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

girlyswot

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

Grebbsy

Fearless vampire slayer

IceCreamEmpress

Hapless Virago

Chase

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

Swordswoman

Resilient and kind

backslashbaby

*

contraction of a contraction

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Resilient and kind

Writing is finite,revising infinite

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

~~~~*~~~~

Rewriting My Destiny

Sheriff Bullwinkle the Poet says:

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

Fearless vampire slayer

Hapless Virago

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

Resilient and kind

~~~~*~~~~

*

*