| Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993. |
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| yay, yea (adv., demonstrative, intensifier) |
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| There really is no Standard spelling for this word (pronounced to rhyme with say), since it occurs only in the lower levels of the spoken language, accompanied by hand gestures to indicate size, as in That fish was yay big, I’ll swear. It functions as a kind of substitute for this, but carries stress and emphasis as an intensifier or demonstrative can. | 1 |
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| | | The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. Copyright © 1993 Columbia University Press. |
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