Why is it "Honey Badger don't care!" and not "Honey Badger doesn't care!" ?
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2Because it's meant to be pseudo-AAVE?– 3nafishCommented Sep 8, 2013 at 23:50
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4This question appears to be off-topic because it is about why an author chose a particular book title - not about language.– TrevorDCommented Sep 8, 2013 at 23:52
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3It is also a well-known internet meme not only a book title– mightyuhuCommented Sep 8, 2013 at 23:54
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7@TrevorD Actually, I disagree. The poster is clearly unfamiliar with this sort of non-standard language. This is not some request for literary criticism. This is a simple English question, and it is more on topic than most that pass this way.– tchrist ♦Commented Sep 9, 2013 at 0:02
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2If this mystifies the O.P., the O.P. may want to have a look at English Language Learners, especially for future questions.– J.R.Commented Sep 9, 2013 at 1:16
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2 Answers
The reason why don't is is used in that title is that is imitates certain non-standard dialects of English, where don't can be used with the 3rd person singular. It is similar to the way people jocularly use ain't: it has a certain irony and force that can be appropriate for rhetorical or artistic effect.
As Az Za said, the title is based on the famous video of the honey badger, in which Randall makes funny yet educational remarks about the behaviour of the honey badger.
answered Sep 9, 2013 at 0:47
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It's interesting that it's a regularization of the language: I/we don't, you don't, he/she/it don't. It's all don't.– dangphCommented Sep 9, 2013 at 3:21
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@dangph: Exactly! Natural changes usually either work towards regularisation (like analogy), or away from it (usually through contraction). Both are frequent in language. Commented Sep 9, 2013 at 5:21
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Honey badger don't care is a verbatim quote from an online video. If anything, the appropriate notation would be "Honey badger don't care![sic]" since it is a direct quote.
