Cranky language stuff

As I have mentioned before, I have accepted the fact that it is impossible to go into a store today and not hear the annoying phrase "these ones." I recognize that the phrase is becoming firmly entrenched in our language, and I'm trying hard to adjust.

That's why I was taking mental deep breaths the other day as I looked for glove liners, and the sales person pointed out "these ones here" and "these ones here" and "these ones here." I did not blurt, "These! you mean these, not these ones!"

I was congratulating myself on my self control when I heard, across the aisle, a mother trying to get her child to decide between snow boots. "Do you like these ones or these ones?" she said. "Or do you like these ones better?"

And then something else the mother said caught my attention: "Come on. Do you want these or no?"

Hmmm. "Do you want these or no?" instead of "Do you want these or not?" I realized then that I'd heard that construction several times recently. I speculated that it might come from mashing "yes or no" with "want it or not" and coming up with "want it or no."

I heard the "or no" phrase a number of times over the course of the next few days. More turkey, or no? Is it going to snow, or no? Should we add more onions, or no?

Now I'm curious. Is this a new language trend, or has it been around forever and I'm just now getting around to noticing it? I'd like to hear from you: Is it new, or no?

Comments

[Laney Flanagan]

Just like you have never realized people saying "or no" I have never noticed "these ones". Honestly, I'm even thinking about how much I say that without even realizing it's wrong. Thank you for pointing that out to me and opening up more insight to my language. As for the "or no" I usually realize people saying "or not" more then "or no." Then again I haven't been listening for it, so I might have to listen closer and just see how much of a trend is has become.

[Victoria Hanley]

I am happy to say that I have not been hearing any examples of "or no"--so if this trend has been around forever, I have somehow been spared exposure.