all the sudden he's a person

[Mike Hussey]

Sam and Kaffee training defendants, who is responsible for Santiago's death:

Sam: This Iowa farm boy thing will play for a while, but in the end, it sounds like he's searching for the truth.
Kaffe (To Downey & Dawson): He's right. And Willy is Private Santiago. You start calling him Willy and all the sudden he's a person who's got a mother who's gonna miss him.

What does "all the sudden he's a person" mean?
What it mean is if you call him Willy instead of private Santiago, you humanize him?

Source: A Few Good Men (a 1992 American legal drama film was adapted for the screen by Aaron Sorkin from his 1989 play of the same name)

 

[jutfrank]

all of a sudden (not all the sudden)

all of a sudden = suddenly

Calling him by his first name makes him seem like a human being, whereas calling him by his rank and surname makes him seem like a faceless soldier.

 

[GoesStation]

all of a sudden (not all the sudden)

Americans are rapidly (and illogically) changing the idiom all of a sudden to all of the sudden, sometimes omitting the preposition. Learners should not emulate this but they shouldn't be surprised to hear it.

In spite of the firm protest I've lodged with the United Nations, I'm pretty sure all of the sudden has become the dominant expression.

 

[jutfrank]

Americans are rapidly (and illogically) changing the idiom all of a sudden to all of the sudden, sometimes omitting the preposition. Learners should not emulate this but they shouldn't be surprised to hear it.

In spite of the firm protest I've lodged with the United Nations, I'm pretty sure all of the sudden has become the dominant expression.

Really?! This is all quite shocking news to me.

What's the world coming to? I'm just going to pretend I didn't read post #4.

 

[GoesStation]

Really?! This is all quite shocking news to me.

Think of how I feel about it, what with my protests going nowhere and all. It's downright disheartening.

 

[SoothingDave]

Americans are rapidly (and illogically) changing the idiom all of a sudden to all of the sudden, sometimes omitting the preposition. Learners should not emulate this but they shouldn't be surprised to hear it.

In spite of the firm protest I've lodged with the United Nations, I'm pretty sure all of the sudden has become the dominant expression.

I can't like this post hard enough. "The sudden" grates. Can't tell if it's regional or generational.

 

[SoothingDave]

Really?! This is all quite shocking news to me.

What's the world coming to? I'm just going to pretend I didn't read post #4.

I've also heard people use "scissor" as a singular. "Do you have a scissor?" Ugh.