Re: Ass metonymy (WAS: a bad essay)

The examples you've given look like "ass" can only be used ergatively
(that's the right term, right? for the patient of a verb. I keeop getting
them mixed up).

Eugene

2009/2/6 Sai Emrys <saizai@...>

> This looks suspicious to me:
>
> > If a koala goes in the water it won't be able to breathe with its little
> short ass. It'd fucking drown soon aas it take one step into the water.
> While they at the river trying to get something to drink a bear could just
> come to him and snatch its ass up. It doesn't know protection because they
> don't have protection. What they little ass going to do? It can't scratch
> him. The bear will beat his fucking ass.
>
> Namely, "What they little ass going to do?".
>
> It seems to me that this ass-metonymy is invalid even in AAVE
> ("African American Vernacular English" - an academic's way to say
> "ebonics"), though the other instances are.
>
> It's hard for me to articulate why though. Something to do with
> agentivity, I think; one can say e.g. "you best sit yo ass on the
> curb" or "I'mma make yo ass do [something]". But one can't say e.g.
> "yo ass just stepped up".
>
> Comment or correction from those of you who've dealt with this more
> (either by living in the right neighborhoods or studying them)?
>
> - Sai
>

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