You Don't Say!

The following is a version of a conversation that I've had a hundred times over with my Louisiana friend, Tracy, since 1985.  It usually goes something like this:

"I love that bracelet!  When did you get it?"

"Oh, I've been having this bracelet for years."

"Had"

"Had what?"

"The correct grammar is 'I've HAD this bracelet for years'."

"That's what I said."

"You said, 'I've been having'."

"Same thing."

"NO, it's not the same thing!  'Been having' is WRONG."

"I don't think so..."

"It's like a double past tense or something...it's just wrong."

"Nope...I'm pretty sure it's right.  Yep, I've been having this bracelet...sounds right to me."

"No, no, no!  You have not 'been having', 'been knowing', 'been seeing', or 'been going'!  You have 'had', 'known', 'seen', and 'gone', God dammit!"

"Hey, I'm Cajun.  That's the way we talk."

"Well, I'm Texan.  I speak with a Texas accent, but I still use good grammar!"

"Oh, really?  Well, I will keep that in mind the next time you tell me you're 'fixin' to do something."

"Shut up."