Talk:please

(inserted header) Use of "please" with commas

Shouldn't we separate interjunction "please" with commas from the rest of the sentence? E.g. "Can you, please, take it?". Without the commas it would behave as the verb "please", which we don't want, e.g. "Can you please him?". What do you think?

No, it isn’t set off by commas. You can tell whether it’s a verb or an interjection by the syntax and structure of the sentence: Can you please take it? Can you please it? Can you please him? Can you please smack him? There is no ambiguity. Setting it apart with commas is like inserting commas in "My, what a, tall, boy!" Not needed. —Stephen 16:16, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

Some dictionaries call that use adverbial, which might make the missing commas easier to accept. We should probably review this entry. DCDuring TALK 16:45, 18 December 2008 (UTC)

I know this is a very old comment but ... i think using commas can be used in writing to denote a strained or paused pronunciation. I think it's often a sign of non-native usage, but can be used by native speakers on occasion for various effects. e.g. I once said something like "Can you come, please, and help me with the boxes?" where I definitely paused before and after. But the only two examples Ive seen in print were in comic books where the speaker was clearly being portrayed as a non-native English speaker. —Soap— 23:21, 9 June 2020 (UTC)

Citations for comma separated use:

1. You will excuse, please, that I started to greet you in my own language. I now greet you in the English. --William W Johnstone, Code Name: Death. Apparently portraying a non-native speaker.
2. Madam, you will excuse, please, za war? --Betty Adler, Within the Year After. Again clearly portraying a nonnative speaker.
3. Give, please, directions to White House --Berkeley Breathed, Bloom County. This time the speaker was Russian premier Yuri Andropov.

Like I said, I've done this myself, fully conscious that it sounds odd. I note that in all three of my examples, the word "please" occurs right after the main verb of the sentence, but I think it can really go anywhere .... the post-verbal position might be more common however if there are other languages that use that formula natively. —Soap— 22:34, 12 June 2020 (UTC)

Here's the quote I was looking for:

1983 July 10, Berkeley Breathed, Bloom County, spoken by Yuri Andropov:

(Michael): Yuri Andropov! What are you doing in my closet of anxieties again?
(Yuri): Uh, oh. This is not 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D.C.?
(Michael): Does it look like it? You're in the wrong nightmare again!!
(Yuri): ★@#*!?! Soviet maps ... worth nothing! Give, please, directions to White House.

—Soap— 10:18, 1 May 2023 (UTC)

Etymology

I can't see why this couldn't be from Old French plaire. Without having any hard evidence, I'd say that (deprecated template usage) plaire and (deprecated template usage) plaisir conjugate the same, so the only difference is the infinitive form. Mglovesfun (talk) 17:12, 15 June 2010 (UTC)

The following information has failed Wiktionary's verification process.

Failure to be verified means that insufficient eligible citations of this usage have been found, and the entry therefore does not meet Wiktionary inclusion criteria at the present time. We have archived here the disputed information, the verification discussion, and any documentation gathered so far, pending further evidence.
Do not re-add this information to the article without also submitting proof that it meets Wiktionary's criteria for inclusion.

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please

Rfv-sense: (Cincinnati, OH, US) Said as a request to repeat information; excuse me. Said to be a calque of German Bitte.

I doubt that there is much higher frequency of usage in Cincinnati than elsewhere in the English-speaking world. I don't see why this merits a separate sense, let alone a separate PoS, still less a separate etymology, the third shown in this overwrought entry. DCDuring TALK 23:44, 10 March 2010 (UTC)

I worked for an American company years ago, and one of my coworkers explained this to us. She said it was quite common, and particular to that region. Not sure if it is only in one city though, maybe state wide. But she said that often, if it was said to a person from outside the state, it seemed like you were telling them to add "please" to the end of their question, and many of them would repeat it more politely.--Dmol 12:09, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

I think citation would definitely help, as it's not clear how or why this sense is different to the ones above. I have an idea, but no way of knowing if that idea is right or not. Mglovesfun (talk) 13:09, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

If it is worth a separate sense (preferably supported by something other than a local blog/free weekly), is it worth a separate PoS and Etymology? Is it used in Milwaukee or St. Louis (also with strong German influence)? If not, why not?

A usage note seems more appropriate. DCDuring TALK 13:19, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

I live in St. Louis and have not noticed its being used here.​—msh210℠ 16:42, 11 March 2010 (UTC)

RFV failed, sense and appurtenances removed. —Ruakh_TALK 20:20, 31 July 2010 (UTC)

Adverb? Or rather reply-particle / interjunction?

Is it really an adverb? 134.99.38.61 19:30, 24 March 2011 (UTC)

Cincinnati usage

Not having noticed the failed RfV above, I reintroduced an additional etymology and sense pertaining to the use of "please" in Cincinnati. There should be more than enough citations to surpass the criteria for inclusion. The word is used by itself, as in "please?", and it's difficult to search the Internet for punctuation, so these citations are about the best I can find. – Minh Nguyễn ^💬 09:13, 20 December 2014 (UTC)

Etymology 2: ....which replaced pray.

What is replaced by "pray"? --Backinstadiums (talk) 17:15, 1 December 2019 (UTC)

Pray was replaced by if it please you, which was altered to if you please, which was shortened to please. — TAKASUGI Shinji (talk) 02:34, 2 December 2019 (UTC)

@TAKASUGI Shinji: What meaning of pray was originally used and later replaced? --Backinstadiums (talk) 17:58, 6 December 2019 (UTC)

Pray come = “please come” [1]. See also prethee. — TAKASUGI Shinji (talk) 02:28, 7 December 2019 (UTC)

yes please

adv yes please ⇒ a polite formula for accepting an offer, invitation, etc
https://www.wordreference.com/definition/please

--Backinstadiums (talk) 17:56, 6 December 2019 (UTC)

(transitive verb) be what somebody wants

(transitive verb): to be the wish or will of somebody (formal or literary)
may it please Your Majesty
Microsoft® Encarta® 2009

--Backinstadiums (talk) 17:28, 5 February 2020 (UTC)

please do

Please do is a rather formal answer to a request for permission --Backinstadiums (talk) 12:28, 14 December 2020 (UTC)

PleHk

Hello. I see that "pleHk" does not have a page, nor can I find anything that mentions pleHk except xkcd: https://xkcd.com/2567/. You can probably see where I'm going here- there's no citation and I'm starting to find it dubious. 104.187.66.104 21:58, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

The capital-H reconstruction is explained here. It's a shot in the dark, but no more wrong than any of many other words where only one or two branches shows a reconstruction. It's possible that it would in fact be ḱ according to the standard notation, but that De Vaan doesnt believe in palatovelars and so uses the /k/ notation. When the only two attested branches are centum languages, it's impossible to tell the difference anyhow (but i think it's ḱ just because ḱ is far more common). —Soap— 17:33, 9 September 2023 (UTC)

Okay, thank you. 104.187.66.104 23:47, 27 September 2023 (UTC)

pleez (eye dialect)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronunciation_respelling#Literary_dialect JMGN (talk) 19:37, 28 April 2024 (UTC)