I would like to stand up for the phrase, “Where are you at?”
If you’ve been taught to “omit needless words” then you probably think the trailing preposition in “Where are you at?” is needless because it doesn’t change the meaning. Better to say, “Where are you?”
But this is a perfect example of how a supposedly “needless” word might be doing more than we think. I’d argue that while the at doesn’t affect the denotation of the phrase, it does affect the connotation, so it’s not truly extraneous.
Notice that there are only three places the stress can land in “Where are you?” and each implies a different sentiment.
- “Where are you?” suggests anxiety or concern. It could be followed by a question, “How did you get lost?”
- “Where are you?” suggests impatience. It could be followed by a complaint, “I’ve been waiting so long. You were supposed to be here already.”
- “Where are you?” suggests disapproval. It could be followed by a scold, “Everyone else is here already. Your absence is glaring.”
Adding a preposition at the end gives us a new place to put the stress:
- “Where are you at?” suggests casual curiosity. It could be followed by a friendly remark, “I’ll meet you there, wherever it is.”
Of course, “Where are you at?” is not appropriate for a formal writing or speech. But it might be right if a casual, laid-back attitude is what you want to convey.
Don’t leave off the at when it’s what you really want. To do so could lead to a disastrous misunderstanding:
“Where are you?”
“What? You’re upset?”
“No, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mean to sound impatient. I’m just asking so I know where to meet you.”
“I can tell you’re pissed.”
“Not at all, sweety. I meant to say, ‘Where are you at?’”
“Then why didn’t you?”
“I was omitting needless words.”
“It’s over.” ■