I tell youwhat it's the new American linguistic anomaly. It's taken over from "Know wha' I mean?" without even putting that one-legged dog down. It's "I tell youwhat..." followed by any declarative sentence. The phrase is popping out of mouths everywhere like dubious mushrooms on cowpies in a cornfield.
Google News gives a clearer picture of the leakage of this lousy locution into our linguals : "I tell you what" . Here are some examples snatched from the printed record which does even begin to match the penetration of this virus from Dumbth space into the brain stem of the body politic.
I tell you what: I get letters, and I get phone calls from people who've been recently diagnosed.Discussing this with a friend, he is of the opinion that we can blame a certain NASCAR personality (Prime Suspect: Darrell Waltrip) for this blight on our culture (such as it is), and I'm inclined to agree with him. I tell youwhat it has that NASCAR twang to it, know wha' I mean?"I tell you what, I've had a good time this week. It's been a good experience for me."
I tell you what, Shakira, children will get in free!'
"I tell you what, people who would pay $5 the week before will come in and throw $20 in that jar."
I tell you what, get about 5 or 10 chicks in it, get 'em to wrestle." -- Salesman for Dumpzit, a truck bed-sized "material handling device."
An Urban Dictionary entry from the stone ages of 2005 parses it as
Urban Dictionary: i tell you what chiefly southern, esp texan. added at the end of pretty much anything, esp to add exclamatory sense to a clause. has a somewhat cryptic meaning known only to southerners.That's clearly out of date since "I tell youwhat" now comes before so many things it's like tea on the table in a Chinese restaurant.
You might not think it's around much, but I tell youwhat keep an ear out for it. I tell youwhat it's everywhere.
Posted by Vanderleun at February 25, 2008 3:04 PM | TrackBackIts growing usage might also be, in part, due to how often it's used by characters in the animated sitcom "King of the Hill."
Posted by: growler at February 25, 2008 4:17 PMYou're dissing Hank Hill, I tell you what. Growler beat me to it.
Posted by: StephenB at February 25, 2008 10:11 PMI heard it all the time growing up - in Texas, of course.
Posted by: TmjUtah at February 26, 2008 6:49 AMYou bet. It's a Texas thang. You wuddenunnerstand, I tellyawhat.
Posted by: Carl H. at February 27, 2008 8:25 AM"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated to combat spam and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.