Di'n't is the world's only double contraction- that is, a shortening of the word
didn't, which is a shortening of
did not. Without sounding racist, I'd like to point out that it's most often heard from
overwieght black women in the context "
Oh no he di'n't." or similar; although others have been known to do the same jokingly. Even though the literal "translation" of the phrase would seem to indicate that the speaker disagrees with the fact that the indicated "he"
did something, it's actually meant as a way of saying that the speaker wishes that "he" hadn't done something.
The word is often accompanied by a hand motion. The hand is waved in the following pattern, snapping the fingers at the spots indicated with the letter "o."
>----o--------
/
/
/
o
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/
/----o-------->
The "Z" shape is comparable to the
Knock On Wood tradition, inasmuch as it is meant to stop the "he" from having done what he "di'n't" do, but it may have significance beyond that, perhaps even to the degree of the
catholic sign of the cross.
The author is not clear on whether the bastardization of the word "didn't" occurs due to laziness, apathy, or a mass speech impediment.