I have recently started noticed this use of “trying” that I was unaccustomed to. So far, it seems like it appears in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE). Example I just encountered:
“I’m not trying to wait eight months to get that.”
Is it exactly equivalent to “I don’t want to wait eight months”? Or are there other nuances here?
Does anyone know the history of this usage?
I’ve heard that usage for a long time. I agree that it’s part of AAVE. I’m not an AAVE speaker, but I’ve never noticed a distinction between that usage of “not trying” and “don’t want to”.
“I’m not trying to wait eight months” means that you have no intention of taking actions that will contribute to that wait. It is more descriptive than “I don’t want to wait eight months.”
Yep, it’s pretty much what it sounds like. Whatever is being considered just isn’t worth the effort. It’s often used facetiously, so context and discernment are important.
I’ve never personally encountered “trying” in that context, but I use a very similar construction: “I’m not planning to wait eight months to get that.”
The usage, as @Johnny_Bravo noted, includes the connotation that not only am I not waiting, I’m not putting forth the preliminary effort (planning*) to wait. It’s semantic enhancement for emphasis.
* even when an activity cannot rationally be planned for
It seems to have been used in an unaired part of the theme song for the original Fresh Prince of Bel Air TV show (“I ain’t trying to get arrested”). So its origin is 1990 or earlier.
That usage is not something I’d even notice as being remarkable, and I’m a middle-aged white guy (46). That said, where I live (Chicago), there’s a lot of urban slang that I don’t notice.
Seen it on occasion. It could be redirected as a question, “Do you think I’m trying to wait 8 months to get that?”. It’s sarcasm.