224 Forms of Say
7.3.5.2 Source(s) of All/ What I’m saying (is). Again, a number of
possible source(s) for all/ what I’m saying (is) present themselves:
(a) full pseudo- cleft structure: all I’m saying is (that) S, what I’m saying is
(that) S
(b) that is construction: that’s all I’m saying. that’s what I’m saying
(c) reversed pseudo- cleft : ... is all I’m saying , ... is what I’m saying
(d) simple present- tense form: all/ what I say (is)...
Source constructions for all I’m saying (is) : Citing the example in (44),
Traugott ( 2008 : 163) sees this construction arising in the nineteenth century
and being largely associated with the progressive:
(44) All I am saying is that goodness and foolishness are so often combined to such
an extent that it is sometimes impossible to separate them on a short acquaintance
(1817 Austen, Sanditon [Traugott 2008 : 163])^36
Using Google Books, I have been able to date the construction all I’m say-
ing is (that) S to the mid nineteenth century (45). That’s all I’m saying , a fairly
common construction containing all I’m saying , can be dated to the early twen-
tieth century (46), as can the reversed cleft , is all I’m saying (47). The present-
tense form, all I say is , which occurred already in the seventeenth century
(see 38), fi rst appears as a comment clause in late eighteenth/ early nineteenth
century (48):
(45) a. “God! all I’m saying is , that the English Lord, would be far behant him, in
regard of a husband for Miss Isabel – ” (1835 Banim, The mayor of Wind- gap
[books.google.com/ books?id=3VBMAAAAcAAJ])
b. All I am saying is , I think this distributor is too smart, (1857 Hearing,
reports and prints 866 [books.google.com/ books?id=Tgw2AAAAIAAJ])
(46) a. Good luck! That’s all I’m saying , as you sail across the sea (1916 Railway
Life 62 [books.google.com/ books?id=IQk9AAAAYAAJ])
b. That’s all I’m saying .” Roger laughed grimly. “You talk like you’d had
dealings with Garman before, White?” “ That’s all I’m saying ,” repeated
the man. (1919 Oyen, The plunderer [COHA])
(47) a. Professor Whitman: That’s about the only other idea I’ve got, I guess is all
I’m saying. (1923 Proceedings, American Law Institute , 282 [books.goo-
gle.com/ books?id=L45JAQAAIAAJ])
b. It really was a very good idea, is all I’m saying. (1941 Brush, You go your
way [books.google.ca/ books?id=dSIOAAAAMAAJ])
36 I cannot fi nd this example in the unfi nished text of Sandition ( http:// gutenberg.net.au/ ebooks/
fr008641.html ). It may come from a modern completed text. I have found examples in Google
Books, however, that are almost equally old (see 44).