Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2021 August 30

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August 30

Do dick

A 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

What 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)

Ain't nobody got time for that! Martinevans123 (talk) 15:12, 1 September 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)