214 Forms of Say
what’s right (1854), I cannot help just saying that ... (1860), or I am just
saying ... why ... (1911).
7.3.4.1 Dating of I’m Just Saying. A search of electronic corpora and
databases provides very few examples of either I’m just saying or I was just
saying ; see Table 7.4. I was just saying never functions as a comment clause.
The earliest examples of I’m just saying as a comment clause in these sources
are the following:
(23) a. “And I’m not accusing you – or Derwatt. I’m just saying , I don’t think this
is a Derwatt. (1970 Highsmith, Ripley under ground [COCA])
b. Probably not as much as me. I’m just saying. (1999/ 01/ 18 TIME)
The earliest conclusive examples of I’m just saying as a comment clause that
I have found are in Google Books. In (24), it is in initial position, but followed
by a non- declarative clause, in (25), it occurs in fi nal position, and in (26), it
occurs independently:
(24) a. “Aw, Coombsy’s all right,” protested Coryell. “I ain’t sayin’ he ain’t. I’m
just sayin ’ how come it?” (1920 Argosy All- story Weekly, Vol. 129 (1), 41
[ https:// books.google.ca/ books?id=_ XBDAQAAMAAJ ])
b. For God’s sake get this through the ivory; I’m just sayin’ , don’t make
it ... (1932 Harvard Advocate , Vol. 118 (8– 9), 20 [books.google.com/
books?id=1t4mAQAAIAAJ])
c. I’m just saying , if you didn’t, do you know who did, and if you did, why
did you? (1945 Head, The devil in the bush , 168 [books.google.com/
books?id=j3UoIZK0KxMC])
(25) “I’m not complaining, Wilt, I’m just saying .” (1938 Boyle, Monday Night ; [books.
google.com/ books?id=P3AGAQAAIAAJ]; cited by Enge in Liberman 2012 ])
(26) a. You think Ease hasn’t one?” “I’m not thinkin’; I’m just sayin’ .” (1925
Saturday Evening Post , Vol. 198, 30 [books.google.ca/ books?id=
ISc7AQAAIAAJ])
Table 7.4 Frequency of I am/ ’m just sayin(g) and I was just saying in a variety of historical
corpora
Corpus I am/ ’m just saying (sayin’) I was just saying
ARCHER 0 0
CLMET3.0 0 7 (1738, 1850– 1920)
CEN 0 5 (1900– )
TIME 2 (1999, 2000) 2 (1993, 1997)
ED 0 5 (1810– )
COHA a 34 (1909 – ) 14 (1861– )
a. Search string: I ’m|am just saying|sayin ’ [y*] (August 14, 2015).