Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2021 August 30
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August 30
editDo dick
editA joke somewhat circulating on the web says "What do you get when you put 50 lawyers in a room with 50 lesbians? One hundred people who don't do dick." Apparently, for the first 50 people this wants to express they don't lift a finger. But I barely find any reference to this idiom. Do I get it right? Where is it actually used? --KnightMove (talk) 15:59, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- See Here under dick, definition 3. --Jayron32 16:03, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- Lesbian lawyers are people too, you know! Martinevans123 (talk) 16:36, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- Or see on Wiktionary under dick, sense 4. --Lambiam 21:11, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- Thank you. --KnightMove (talk) 10:36, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
Resolved
Ain't
editWhat does "ain't" mean? Dr Salvus 21:25, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- It's a contraction of various things. See Ain't for more info. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 21:41, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- (ec) "ain't, contracted form of are not, used also for am or is not: also of have not" E. M. Kirkpatrick, ed. (1983). Chambers 20th Century Dictionary (New ed.). Edinburgh: W & R Chambers. p. 24. ISBN 0550102345. DuncanHill (talk) 21:46, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- It's long been derided by strict grammarians as being low-class or whatever. The Hall-of-Fame baseball pitcher Dizzy Dean responded to critics of his frequent use of it by saying, "There's a lot of folks that don't say 'ain't', that ain't eatin' regular!" ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 21:49, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- Ain't No Sunshine (when she's gone), Ain't No Other Man (but you), and Ain't No Mountain High Enough (to keep me from you). Just sayin'. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:07, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- Or as we were (incorrectly) told at school: ""Ain't ain't in the dictionary, ain't ain't". Alansplodge (talk) 22:18, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- One example not in the article is by Lewis Carroll: "Contrariwise," continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic." ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 00:53, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- How frightfully odd. Martinevans123 (talk) 11:16, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- But rather sweet. --T*U (talk) 15:11, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- But ... she's a street walker. Clarityfiend (talk) 20:41, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- What a pity – and we still don't know if she's your girlfriend or not. Let's hope she's not acting improperly. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 2.122.179.94 (talk) 22:23, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- But ... she's a street walker. Clarityfiend (talk) 20:41, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- But rather sweet. --T*U (talk) 15:11, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- There's also a semi-obscure Milwaukee expression, "Ainahey", which is short for "Ain't it, hey", referenced in this song parody.[1] ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 00:18, 1 September 2021 (UTC)
- How the heck can I wash my neck if it ain't gonna rain no more? Adam Bishop (talk) 16:31, 4 September 2021 (UTC)
- How frightfully odd. Martinevans123 (talk) 11:16, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- One example not in the article is by Lewis Carroll: "Contrariwise," continued Tweedledee, "if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn't, it ain't. That's logic." ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 00:53, 31 August 2021 (UTC)
- Or as we were (incorrectly) told at school: ""Ain't ain't in the dictionary, ain't ain't". Alansplodge (talk) 22:18, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- Ain't No Sunshine (when she's gone), Ain't No Other Man (but you), and Ain't No Mountain High Enough (to keep me from you). Just sayin'. Martinevans123 (talk) 22:07, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
- It's long been derided by strict grammarians as being low-class or whatever. The Hall-of-Fame baseball pitcher Dizzy Dean responded to critics of his frequent use of it by saying, "There's a lot of folks that don't say 'ain't', that ain't eatin' regular!" ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 21:49, 30 August 2021 (UTC)