It occasionally slips into my language, but when it does, I try to correct it because it sounds, I don't know, just not right.

can't stand it but it's been around for quite a while...

First Known Use: 1749

I don't use it except when repeating a colloquialism, such as "Ain't no one happy unless Momma's happy".

I live in North Carolina. Ain't is part of my every day language. However, I was born in Cuba, raised in Panama and never used the word until I was around 20 years old and living here. I probably use "y'all" just as often as Paula, too. :)

The word I would like to try to quit using is duh'nt. (doesn't) LOL

Sign my name to Mary_C's post.

I am the daughter of an English teacher and became one myself. We drove our mother nuts using "ain't" when we were kids. I have not heard that word except on TV dramas in decades.

I don't use it. A lady I work with is from Georgia and she uses it quite often. With her southern drawl, she can talk any way she likes. :-)

I don't use it, unless I choose to use it consciously to make a point. It's just never been part of my vocabulary.

I use it..and I've always used it! I'm 60yrs. old and I ain't about to change now! lol

I have never used it nor do I know anyone who does. Maybe it's a rural thing.

Am I reading that some people think it is acceptable to use ain't in some regions of our country? FYI: it is improper English all the time, any where. It is used on TV when trying to make a point that someone is uneducated. A good rule of thumb, if you do not hear a major net work TV anchor use it, it is not proper English.

Southerners may not have command of the queen's english but we do have a colorful vernacular all our own. We can deliver phrases such as,"We ain't fixing to go no where" and "It don't make no never mind". We inject such phrases to put a little levity in a conversation. We do know better. Thank you debbie ab for appreciation of our southern drawl. I do laugh at myself and sometimes others, in a very respectful way. So please feel free to laugh along with me.

I get a kick out of hearing or reading some of the Southern phrases.
Fixin' to go somewhere for instance.
I love "Bless your heart"....when it's used in the un-complimentary way! LOL
I'd like to try using that myself. heehee

When hubs first said "leavings" for bits of food, I liked it and use it. I think it's neat. The oldest cat often cleans up the other cats' leavings.

I'm 60, grew up in the North East and 'ain't' was used commonly by my grandparents. I was taught at a young age that it wasn't a good choice, and almost never use it--but will occasionally, on purpose, if I just want to--as someone else said--make a point. Actually, I rarely ever hear it in general use around here these days.

my "leavings" in my post, should read "leavins" I put the g in out of habit. :)

"I don't use it, unless I choose to use it consciously to make a point. It's just never been part of my vocabulary."

Thank you Joann23456

No I don't use it and it's not acceptable where I live. I rarely hear anyone use it here. If I do hear it I tend to think the person is not very well educated. I don't mean advanced education just basic grade school/ junior high school education.

I grew up with it in my house since it was part of my dad's vocabulary. He didn't speak English until just about out of school, and he only went through 8th grade. He always had a lot of trouble with English, just never had the education. However growing up where I did, we had an excellent educational system and English, grammar and math were all high priorities. We were taught from kindergarten on that ain't ain't a word and I ain't gonna use it anymore...

I'll give my dad credit though. He always wanted to learn. He never thought he was too old or too good to learn something. However, there was bullheadedness that took command at times! LOL

I too use "ain't" occasionally for certain purposes, whether quotes, making a point or whatever. Often demonstrating the lack of education is a popular use.

Absolutely do not use it. I grew up with the saying "ain't ain't in the dictionary because ain't ain't a word". Now am I to understand that it IS in the dictionary? Ew.

I am in agreement with what gibby said.

I'm another one who only uses "ain't" as a joke or to make a point. I rarely hear someone use it as part of regular conversation.

Something that I hear occasionally, and I guess you have to be in the south to hear it, is HAINT - sort of a contraction of IT AINT

"Haint gonna happen around here"

and sometimes

"Taint gonna happen"

My late mother and her friends would sometimes deliberately use some slang phrases. I think they meant to show that they didn't live in some rarified world where everyone always spoke Received English. (Embracing reverse snobbery? Something left over from the Roaring Twenties?)

I was shocked when I came across it many times in a Charles Dickens novel (Bleak House). Even the finer folk used it in sentences it seems:

"And you see, a foreign female of that genteel appearance coming into the shop, and hovering--I should be the last to make use of a strong expression if I could avoid it, but hovering, sir--in the court-- you know it is--now ain't it? I only put it to yourself, sir."

I don't use it at all except when I'm joking. :)

Blessings,
Haley

No, don't use it.
I've heard haint up here.

I never use it. It is used so infrequently here that it startles me when I hear it, more than the F word. I'm NOT saying it is worse than the F word, I'm saying it is used less frequently.

Guilty.

"Am I reading that some people think it is acceptable to use ain't in some regions of our country? FYI: it is improper English all the time, any where. It is used on TV when trying to make a point that someone is uneducated. A good rule of thumb, if you do not hear a major net work TV anchor use it, it is not proper English."

Seriously?

The english language is always changing. I mean look at the way the language was written or spoken a century ago, it is spoken differently. I think ain't and fixin', and other unknown words will be accepted since our world has gotten smaller by the use of the internet. I am on a forum with many different english speaking countries are represented there. They all write differently and use different words than I do, but I can figure it out. I actually like the differences and how words are used in different areas. But, that is just me. :-)

It is used so frequently in my area and among my friends that I hardly give it a second thought.