Is It Correct to Say Your Guys's?

[leroyjenkens]

I noticed recently that I've been hearing people say something that sounds really clumsy and extremely grammatically incorrect. I've heard this many times before from different different people from different places, including the people on the news, and I heard someone say it last night when I was studying with some classmates. This was exactly what he said: "I'll just copy it off your guys's papers".

"Your guys's"? It sounds so bad to me and it just sticks out whenever I hear someone say it. It's like some weird combination of trying to pluralize "you" and sticking it with some weird possessive form of "guys". Anyone else heard this?

 

[jtbell]

Do they pronounce the extra "s" in "guys's" as an extra syllable: "guyzez"?

Down here, people would say something like "I'll just copy it off y'all's papers."

 

[leroyjenkens]

Do they pronounce the extra "s" in "guys's" as an extra syllable: "guyzez"?

Down here, people would say something like "I'll just copy it off y'all's papers."

Yeah, they pronounce that extra syllable, like guyzez. That's the part that makes it sound so awkward.

I hear people say yall as well, and I guess I've gotten used to that, even though that bothers me too.

 

[phinds]

Are these people from New Jersey? I don't mean that question as a joke. In parts of NY/NJ, it is common to say "youse guys" and perhaps this is a bastardization of that.

It certainly is an awkward grammatical construct (and clearly wrong). I've never heard that one before and I'm a grammar Nazi so I HEAR those things.

 

[jtbell]

Now I've got this image in my head of someone walking into a costume shop and asking, "Can I see some of your guys's guises?"

<ducking>

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

There's something wrong with their thought processes's functioning.

 

[DiracPool]

This was exactly what he said: "I'll just copy it off your guys's papers".

"Your guys's"? It sounds so bad to me and it just sticks out whenever I hear someone say it.

Are you sure their's another "s" at the end of guys's? I think it may just be "spelt" guys'.

 

[phinds]

Are you sure their's another "s" at the end of guys's? I think it may just be "spelt" guys'.

I think the point here is the "YOUR guys", whether it's "your guy's" or "your guys's"

 

[leroyjenkens]

Are these people from New Jersey? I don't mean that question as a joke. In parts of NY/NJ, it is common to say "youse guys" and perhaps this is a bastardization of that.

It certainly is an awkward grammatical construct (and clearly wrong). I've never heard that one before and I'm a grammar Nazi so I HEAR those things.

One person I heard say it is from California, the other from Michigan. I've heard it from a local news anchor in Florida too. I've heard it elsewhere, I just can't remember who. I heard my friend's dad say it for years, but I've started hearing other people say it. I hope it doesn't gain any steam.

And yeah, if you heard someone say it, it would stick out to you like a sore thumb.

Are you sure their's another "s" at the end of guys's? I think it may just be "spelt" guys'.

I was just trying to spell it phonetically, but "guyzez" is better.

I think the point here is the "YOUR guys", whether it's "your guy's" or "your guys's"

It's both. It's the "your" and the "guyzez", i.e. turning "guys'" into 2 syllables. It's like a plural and possessive form of "guy", both at the same time.

 

[DiracPool]

I think the point here is the "YOUR guys", whether it's "your guy's" or "your guys's"

OK, but it's still important to know the correct plural-possessive form of "guys" just for completeness, no? My mom is an Engish professor and would never let that one slide on me.

 

[Drakkith]

Howdys ya'lls guysez's. Whereatabouts be the dictionarium?

 

[phinds]

Howdys ya'lls guysez's. Whereatabouts be the dictionarium?

Uh ... weuns ain't not got any sich thing
.

 

[Drakkith]

Uh ... weuns ain't not got any sich thing
.

Quiet you! Dogs can't speak bad english! Speak properly or I shall break out the dictionarium again!

 

[AnTiFreeze3]

People always say "try and tell him about it" or "I'll try and work it out for you" (those are just some examples). It should be "try to tell him about it" or "I'll try to work it out for you." Some other things really annoy me, but for most other mistakes, I'll maybe notice them, but won't be annoyed by them.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Do they pronounce the extra "s" in "guys's" as an extra syllable: "guyzez"?

Down here, people would say something like "I'll just copy it off y'all's papers."

Yep, and you rent trucks at Y'all Haul.

Regarding the op, I've heard this many times and it is interesting to think about what's happening. While the written word makes the distinction between the plural and the possessive forms, the spoken word doesn't allow for this. So I'm thinking that people have created their own method of making this distinction. In fact I think I've probably said this before a time or two, almost instinctively.

 

[ImaLooser]

I noticed recently that I've been hearing people say something that sounds really clumsy and extremely grammatically incorrect. I've heard this many times before from different different people from different places, including the people on the news, and I heard someone say it last night when I was studying with some classmates. This was exactly what he said: "I'll just copy it off your guys's papers".

"Your guys's"? It sounds so bad to me and it just sticks out whenever I hear someone say it. It's like some weird combination of trying to pluralize "you" and sticking it with some weird possessive form of "guys". Anyone else heard this?

It sounds bad, but I'm not sure that it's wrong. Is it guys' or guys's? The former I think, but I'm not willing to look it up.