222 Forms of Say
By the later part of the seventeenth century, all - pseudo- clefts are conventional-
ized with clausal focus; all I can say is often formulaic (Traugott 2008 : 158).
In fact, both all I can say and all I say clefts occur in the seventeenth century:
(38) a. All I say is , that Force may be used; (1644 Hunton, A vindication of the trea-
tise of monarchy [EEBO])
b. All I say is , His Ldp. is a well- meaning Man; (1695 Tindale, The refl ections
on the XXVIII propositions touching the doctrine of the Trinity [EEBO])
c. All I can say for my selfe is , I desire to doe good (1619 Adams, The hap-
pines of the church [EEBO])
d. all I can say is , that I saw You not since I left You in the Arbour, (1675 de
Montfort, The circle [EEBO])
From the beginning, all- pseudo- clefts are evaluative and express what Bonelli
( 1992 ) calls “negative attitude,” that is, evaluating a situation as unfortunate,
undesirable, insuffi cient. Bonelli describes the “damage limitation” use of all-
clefts: “a fairly negative attitude towards something is admitted but the state-
ment is toned down considering the conditions affecting the particular situation
and suggesting that in the circumstances there is no alternative” (1992: 33).
Traugott ( 2008 : 155, 163– 165) notes that wh- clefts arose around 1680, fre-
quently with say and do , and surpassed all - clefts only in the latter half of the
twentieth century. Early examples of what I (can) say are rarer than examples
of all I (can) say :
(39) a. Of the Bishop of Ardagh, what I can say , is, That notwithstanding his
untrue relation, and rash and violent carriage in the Congregation all along,
yet his restraint was soon over, (1674 Walsh, The history & vindication of
the loyal formulary, or Irish remonstrance [EEBO])
b. What I say is , that he who holds all Humane Authority Fallible (1688
Sergeant, Five Catholick letters concerning the means of knowing [EEBO])
7.3.5.1 Dating of All/ What I’m Saying (Is). Both all I’m saying and
what I’m saying is are less often used in pseudo- clefts (i.e., as sentential sub-
jects with is ) than in other constructions (e.g., that is what/ all I am saying,
do you know what I saying , what/ all I saying is true ). The frequency fi gures
in Table 7.6 show that pseudo- cleft all I’m saying appears in the 1930s, and
pseudo- cleft what I’m saying appears earlier, in the mid nineteenth century.
The earliest unequivocal examples of all I’m saying is as a comment clause ,
where it is followed by a non- declarative clause, occur in the mid twentieth century
(40). The earliest examples of all I’m saying without is are somewhat later (41):
(40) a. All I’m saying is, What good is sixty dollars as long as you’re in those
clothes (1944 Saroyan, The getaway [COHA])
b. All I’m saying is, why let this deplorable system seep into our courts of law
(1949 Adam’s rib [COHA])