Subj : Ain't
To   : Alexander Koryagin
From : Anton Shepelev
Date : Thu Mar 31 2022 12:47:50

Alexander Koryagin:

AK> In a textbook "Short stories", by Olly Richards I read
AK> the story "Daring Diabolo" where a criminal boss says to
AK> his wife that this town is not needed for the law.

This town is not needed for the law -- makes no sense to me.

AK> "There is no law for me. And there ain't no law needed
AK> for this town either!"
AK>
AK> In his comment the teacher (Olly Richards) tells that
AK> "ain't" is  a slang, an informal way to say and write
AK> "am not", "are not", "is not", "has not" or "have not".

Yes.  The liner notes for my Pat Boone anthology say it is
the word of proletarian negation, whence Boone's proposal to
sing "Isn't it a shame" instead of "Ain't that a shame" in
his watered-down cover to Fats Domino's hit.

AK> Well, let's get the full version, without the slang:
AK>
AK> "There is no law for me. And there is not no law needed
AK> for this town either!"
AK>
AK> I can't see the sense, although I think I know what he
AK> means. ;)

"Ain't" likes a double negative.  Clarence "Frogman" Henry
sang "I ain't got no home." Lula Reed sang "I ain't no
cotton-picking chicken," and she sure is not!

Good old American music, exterminated by the Brithish
invasion of the age the transistor, with multiminking,
mixing consoles, and artifical reverberators?

--- 
 * Origin: nntp://news.fidonet.fi (2:221/6.0)

.