It's been a slice

13:55 Nov 6, 2013 

@ Piyush

I have to agree with Charles here. "we done good" or similar non-standard (grammatically) expressions ARE used in a humorous way on occasion by educated speakers who are mimicking lower-class speech. BUT only native educated speakers are able to pull this off without looking like twats, ignorant of all grammar rules (and also be in the company of educated natives). Not used for street cred at all but just showing language awareness. Thus, I know that many lower-class people misuse the Past Participle for the Simple Past "we done it/we seen it" or "of" for "have" in Present Perfect: "I would of done that..." or the Past Simple for Past Participle "I would of went" but am not likely to use any of these myself except in very limited circumstances. There are so many grammar errors made by native speakers that really highlight class status so, when "educated" speakers mimic these they hope to generate a humorous response amongst their own peers. As with all forms of mimicry it may not be fully PC, or may be considered to be disparaging, but no offence is intended. It's similar to mimicking in a playful way a French or Spanish etc or native regional accent

12:52 Nov 6, 2013 

“Non-standard uses. (a) done as irregular pa. t. This use is common in regional [my emphasis] and in uneducated speech in Britain and elsewhere. Examples: I think it done him good – M. Twain, 1873; … “

Fowler's Modern English Usage, Revised Third Edition, R. W. Burchfield.


I see “we done good” as a development of this use where “good” is also non-standard.


Despite the authority of Fowler, I do'nt think it likely that well educated people anywhere in Britain (regions included) would say “we done good”, but when they do, it is not as a joke but to suggest street-savvy.

(Sorry, this makes slightly less sense than I would have liked because italics and bold font have not been preserved.)

11:34 Nov 6, 2013 

So would I. That kind of deliberate use of ungrammatical expressions is something native speakers sometimes do as a joke and only in specific cases; it's best not to imitate it, or you are liable just to sound ignorant.

By the way, in this particular example ("we done good" for "we did well"), what is being humorously imitated is not the speech of third-world immigrants or foreigners of any kind but that of lower-class native British speakers.

10:52 Nov 6, 2013 

I would have said this usage is informal rather than humorous, and not exclusive to third-world immigrants.

10:45 Nov 6, 2013 

It's sometimes used humorously, as in "the boy done good", and I think that's how it's being used in the New Scientist article, but I agree with David that it wouldn't really be appropriate here.

10:30 Nov 6, 2013 

I am reluctant to use this phrase myself but please see the title of this 1995 article in a non-third-world-immigrant magazine:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg14719955.900-we-done-g...

There are many more examples on the internet. In recent years, I have also heard many well educated people say, "I am good".

09:41 Nov 6, 2013 

... but what's with the "guys"?

09:25 Nov 6, 2013 

is certainly not what I'd expect to hear from anyone claiming mastery - or even 'native speaker' talents - in English...but of course if they'e third-world immigrants and you want to make that obvious, possibly it's not such a bad idea?