is all / That is all. (2025)

T

ticcota

Senior Member

Japanese

  • Nov 21, 2010
  • #1

Hi,

I often hear a Canadian friend say "is all" at the end of a sentence where "THAT is all" is needed. For example: he'd say some sentence like this:

"I just come by and return the note is all." (for me, it should be "I just come by and return the note. that's all.")

I wonder if there is this way of saying a sentence like that, or if it's just simply wrong?

Thank you.

  • Copyright

    Member Emeritus

    Penang

    American English

    • Nov 21, 2010
    • #2

    "is all" is an ending formation that reinforces the simplicity or innocence of what you're doing: I was just walking by is all (I was doing) -- when the ladder fell, the paint bucket dropped, the dog ran through it and the lady screamed.

    "is all" is added to suggest or reassure another person that there is no other intention. It's colloquial and perhaps regional in my experience.

    pops91710

    Senior Member

    Chino, California

    English, AE/Spanish-Mexico

    • Nov 21, 2010
    • #3

    No, is all is quite a common way to say nothing else, or only.

    B

    Bigote Blanco

    Senior Member

    Omaha, Nebraska, USA

    english

    • Nov 21, 2010
    • #4

    pops91710 said:

    No, is all is quite a common way to say nothing else, or only.

    Pops,
    I believe Copyright's response is quite clear and quite correct. You might re-read

    your response

    and compare it to the previous post by Copyright.
    You both said the same thing, but his answer was clearer.
    Regards,
    Bigote Blanco

    P

    Parla

    Member Emeritus

    New York City

    English - US

    • Nov 21, 2010
    • #5

    ticcota said:

    I often hear a Canadian friend say "is all" at the end of a sentence where "THAT is all" is needed. For example: he'd say some sentence like this:

    "I just come by and return the note is all." (for me, it should be "I just come by and return the note, that's all.")

    I wonder if there is this way of saying a sentence like that, or if it's just simply wrong?

    One hears this in the US, too. You're right: it does mean "that's all". It's very casual, informal speech; it's not used in writing, even in informal writing. I wouldn't say your friend is wrong, just speaking colloquially.

    pops91710

    Senior Member

    Chino, California

    English, AE/Spanish-Mexico

    • Nov 21, 2010
    • #6

    Bigote Blanco said:

    Pops,
    I believe Copyright's response is quite clear and quite correct. You might re-read

    your response

    and compare it to the previous post by Copyright.
    You both said the same thing, but his answer was clearer.
    Regards,
    Bigote Blanco

    Sorry, Bigote, my response was written just before Copyright posted his. It was a response to the question, not to Copyright. By the time I hit submit, it was there. I should use the quote option in these cases.Copyright is just quicker, not wrong..

    A

    aurora068

    Member

    Croatian

    • Mar 2, 2011
    • #7

    Added to previous thread.
    Cagey, moderator

    Hi, everyone! Can someone, please, explain what does ''is all'' mean in the following context:

    ''It's a money job, is all, but just between us, this film is going to rule.''

    Thanks in advance is all / That is all. (4)

    Last edited by a moderator:

    Loob

    Senior Member

    English UK

    • Mar 2, 2011
    • #8

    aurora068 said:

    Hi, everyone! Can someone, please, explain what does ''is all'' mean in the following context:

    ''It's a money job, is all, but just between us, this film is going to rule.''

    Thanks in advance is all / That is all. (6)

    It means "that is all"is all / That is all. (7)

    A

    aurora068

    Member

    Croatian

    • Mar 2, 2011
    • #9

    thank you, loob is all / That is all. (8)

    btw, great signature is all / That is all. (9)

    Phoebe1200

    Senior Member

    Russian-Russia

    • Apr 12, 2017
    • #10

    Added to previous thread.
    Cagey, moderator

    Copyright said:

    I was just walking by is all

    And in sentences where "is all" is used, it's OK to use "That is all", right?
    And if it's used, should it start a new sentence, like this: I was just walking by is all. That is all.

    Last edited by a moderator:

    kentix

    Senior Member

    English - U.S.

    • Apr 13, 2017
    • #11

    You can't repeat it like that.

    -- I was just walking by is all.
    -- I was just walking by. That is all (I was doing).

    I wouldn't say the second way is very natural and probably doesn't have the exact same intent as the first.

    ewie

    Senior Member

    Manchester

    English English

    • Apr 13, 2017
    • #12

    is all is one of those North-Americanisms that still feels

    very

    foreign to meis all / That is all. (13) (In the UK we might say All I was doing was walking by ... though that sounds a lot more defensive to me than I was just walking by is all.)

    Copyright

    Member Emeritus

    Penang

    American English

    • Apr 13, 2017
    • #13

    Phoebe1200 said:

    And in sentences where "is all" is used, it's OK to use "That is all", right?
    And if it's used, should it start a new sentence, like this: I was just walking by is all. That is all.

    if you use the second one, do this: I was just walking by, that's all.

    The contracted "that's" is a must. That said, I would generally stick with the "is all" form.

    kentix

    Senior Member

    English - U.S.

    • Apr 13, 2017
    • #14

    How about this, Ewie. Would you have a set way of responding?

    You go to someone's house to return the drill you borrowed. They say, "Hey, why don't you stay for dinner." You respond, "Thank you, but I just came by to return the drill is all." No negative connotation whatsoever.

    "All I was doing" doesn't really fit there.

    ewie

    Senior Member

    Manchester

    English English

    • Apr 13, 2017
    • #15

    kentix said:

    You respond, "Thank you, but I just came by to return the drill is all."

    Maybe: Thanks but no thanks, I just came round to return the drill.is all / That is all. (17)

    Phoebe1200

    Senior Member

    Russian-Russia

    • Apr 14, 2017
    • #16

    Thank you all very much for your answers.is all / That is all. (19)

    kentix said:

    You can't repeat it like that.

    is all / That is all. (20)Sorry, I didn't mean to repeat it. I just copied the sentence from Copyright and forgot to leave it out.is all / That is all. (21)

    Copyright said:

    The contracted "that's" is a must.

    It would be wrong to say the full version?
    I was just walking by, that is all.

    Copyright

    Member Emeritus

    Penang

    American English

    • Apr 14, 2017
    • #17

    Phoebe1200 said:

    It would be wrong to say the full version?
    I was just walking by, that is all.

    Not wrong, but a bit stiff sounding.

    Phoebe1200

    Senior Member

    Russian-Russia

    • Apr 14, 2017
    • #18

    Thank you for the answer.is all / That is all. (24)

    VicNicSor

    Banned

    Russia

    Russian

    • Oct 12, 2017
    • #19

    Added to previous thread.
    Cagey, moderator

    A boyfriend to his girlfriend:
    BRET: So your mom was in a mental institution when she was younger?
    REBECCA: Yeah. Yeah, looks that way.
    BRET: You just never talked about it, is all.
    REBECCA: Neither did she.
    Lights Out, movie

    Please, explain to me thw "is all" part.
    Thanks.

    Last edited by a moderator:

    se16teddy

    Senior Member

    London but from Yorkshire

    English - England

    • Oct 12, 2017
    • #20

    Are you sure it's not that's all? Is all makes no sense to me. (Maybe it's just a clumsy cut in the sound track?)

    VicNicSor

    Banned

    Russia

    Russian

    • Oct 12, 2017
    • #21

    I'm not sure, he didn't say it very clearly, but another transcript I just checked does say "that's all", so maybe that's it. Thank you.

    velisarius

    Senior Member

    Greece

    British English (Sussex)

    • Oct 12, 2017
    • #22

    It's colloquial AE usage, and I believe it has the same meaning as "that's all".

    VicNicSor

    Banned

    Russia

    Russian

    • Oct 12, 2017
    • #23

    velisarius said:

    It's colloquial AE usage, and I believe it has the same meaning as "that's all".

    Thank you.

    RM1(SS)

    Senior Member

    Connecticut

    English - US (Midwest)

    • Oct 12, 2017
    • #24

    velisarius said:

    It's colloquial AE usage, and I believe it has the same meaning as "that's all".

    is all / That is all. (31)is all / That is all. (32)

    C

    Cagey

    post mod (English Only / Latin)

    California

    English - US

    • Oct 13, 2017
    • #25

    Copyright said:

    "is all" is an ending formation that reinforces the simplicity or innocence of what you're doing: I was just walking by is all (I was doing) -- when the ladder fell, the paint bucket dropped, the dog ran through it and the lady screamed.

    "is all" is added to suggest or reassure another person that there is no other intention. It's colloquial and perhaps regional in my experience.

    This explanation seems to me to explain the nuance of an inserted 'is all.'

    "Is all" sometimes is used ironically to draw attention to something that the speaker thinks the other person should have known or done. I think this is the case in the example VicNicSor offers: Bret thinks that Rebecca should have mentioned her mother's time in the mental institution, given Bret's and Rebecca's close relationship.

    dojibear

    Senior Member

    Fresno CA

    English (US - northeast)

    • Oct 13, 2017
    • #26

    VicNicSor said:

    BRET: You just never talked about it, is all.

    I think this means:

    "You just never talked about it" is all that happened.

    I don't think I hear this often, but I think it means about the same as "that's all".

    velisarius

    Senior Member

    Greece

    British English (Sussex)

    • Oct 13, 2017
    • #27

    Copyright's explanation (quoted in post #25) jibes with how I've heard (or seen) the phrase used. There's a special nuance to it that isn't present in "that's all", which may explain why I very occasionally find myself using it, though it's really quite alien to me as a Brit.is all / That is all. (35)

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