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Any linguists here? (Original Post) madamesilverspurs Feb 2017 OP
And it's not just bidness, but iddn't and waddn't for isn't and wasn't! Tanuki Feb 2017 #1
Its apparently one of these .. pkdu Feb 2017 #2
FWIW sarge43 Feb 2017 #3
I'm a cunning linguist. Aristus Feb 2017 #4
Darn, I thought this was going to be a pasta thread pinboy3niner Feb 2017 #5
And it turned out to be just a bunch of clams. 2naSalit Feb 2017 #6
My name is Connie.....nt msanthrope Feb 2017 #7
Molly Ivins used it a lot in her writing about Texas politics. mnhtnbb Feb 2017 #8
It's colloquial in interesting places. nolabear Feb 2017 #9

pkdu

(3,977 posts)
2. Its apparently one of these ..
Fri Feb 10, 2017, 07:22 PM
Feb 2017
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_dialect

"Eye dialect is the use of nonstandard spelling for speech to draw attention to an ironically standard pronunciation. The term was coined by George P. Krapp to refer to the literary technique of using nonstandard spelling that implies a pronunciation of the given word that is actually standard, such as wimmin for women; the spelling indicates that the character's speech overall is dialectal, foreign, or uneducated.[1][2] This form of nonstandard spelling differs from others in that a difference in spelling does not indicate a difference in pronunciation of a word. That is, it is dialect to the eye rather than to the ear.[3] It suggests that a character "would use a vulgar pronunciation if there were one" and "is at the level of ignorance where one misspells in this fashion, hence mispronounces as well."[4]

The term is less commonly also used to refer to pronunciation spellings, that is, spellings of words that indicate that they are pronounced in a nonstandard way.[5] For example, an author might write dat as an attempt at accurate transcription of a nonstandard pronunciation of that. The rest of this article will discuss the former definition."

sarge43

(28,941 posts)
3. FWIW
Fri Feb 10, 2017, 07:23 PM
Feb 2017

I first saw it during Shrub's malministration. His way of pronouncing "business". Probably regional, such as 'thang' rather than 'thing'.

Aristus

(66,329 posts)
4. I'm a cunning linguist.
Fri Feb 10, 2017, 07:34 PM
Feb 2017

'Bidness' is just a regional pronounciation of 'business'. It has calcified into permanent usage. I occasionally say 'bidness' when I'm doing 'Texan', just for fun.

mnhtnbb

(31,386 posts)
8. Molly Ivins used it a lot in her writing about Texas politics.
Fri Feb 10, 2017, 08:33 PM
Feb 2017

Whether she "nationalized" it from its origins in Texas, I don't know.

nolabear

(41,960 posts)
9. It's colloquial in interesting places.
Sat Feb 11, 2017, 12:48 AM
Feb 2017

In New Orleans a "yat" accent (from the habit of saying "Where y'at?" as a greeting) is a lot like. Brooklyn one and "bidness" is the way it's said.

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