Expand common (and some very uncommon) english contractions

contractions.py

"""
this code is not mine! i shamelessly copied it from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19790188/expanding-english-language-contractions-in-python
all credits go to alko and arturomp @ stack overflow.

basically, it's a big find/replace.
"""

import re
cList = {
  "ain't": "am not",
  "aren't": "are not",
  "can't": "cannot",
  "can't've": "cannot have",
  "'cause": "because",
  "could've": "could have",
  "couldn't": "could not",
  "couldn't've": "could not have",
  "didn't": "did not",
  "doesn't": "does not",
  "don't": "do not",
  "hadn't": "had not",
  "hadn't've": "had not have",
  "hasn't": "has not",
  "haven't": "have not",
  "he'd": "he would",
  "he'd've": "he would have",
  "he'll": "he will",
  "he'll've": "he will have",
  "he's": "he is",
  "how'd": "how did",
  "how'd'y": "how do you",
  "how'll": "how will",
  "how's": "how is",
  "I'd": "I would",
  "I'd've": "I would have",
  "I'll": "I will",
  "I'll've": "I will have",
  "I'm": "I am",
  "I've": "I have",
  "isn't": "is not",
  "it'd": "it had",
  "it'd've": "it would have",
  "it'll": "it will",
  "it'll've": "it will have",
  "it's": "it is",
  "let's": "let us",
  "ma'am": "madam",
  "mayn't": "may not",
  "might've": "might have",
  "mightn't": "might not",
  "mightn't've": "might not have",
  "must've": "must have",
  "mustn't": "must not",
  "mustn't've": "must not have",
  "needn't": "need not",
  "needn't've": "need not have",
  "o'clock": "of the clock",
  "oughtn't": "ought not",
  "oughtn't've": "ought not have",
  "shan't": "shall not",
  "sha'n't": "shall not",
  "shan't've": "shall not have",
  "she'd": "she would",
  "she'd've": "she would have",
  "she'll": "she will",
  "she'll've": "she will have",
  "she's": "she is",
  "should've": "should have",
  "shouldn't": "should not",
  "shouldn't've": "should not have",
  "so've": "so have",
  "so's": "so is",
  "that'd": "that would",
  "that'd've": "that would have",
  "that's": "that is",
  "there'd": "there had",
  "there'd've": "there would have",
  "there's": "there is",
  "they'd": "they would",
  "they'd've": "they would have",
  "they'll": "they will",
  "they'll've": "they will have",
  "they're": "they are",
  "they've": "they have",
  "to've": "to have",
  "wasn't": "was not",
  "we'd": "we had",
  "we'd've": "we would have",
  "we'll": "we will",
  "we'll've": "we will have",
  "we're": "we are",
  "we've": "we have",
  "weren't": "were not",
  "what'll": "what will",
  "what'll've": "what will have",
  "what're": "what are",
  "what's": "what is",
  "what've": "what have",
  "when's": "when is",
  "when've": "when have",
  "where'd": "where did",
  "where's": "where is",
  "where've": "where have",
  "who'll": "who will",
  "who'll've": "who will have",
  "who's": "who is",
  "who've": "who have",
  "why's": "why is",
  "why've": "why have",
  "will've": "will have",
  "won't": "will not",
  "won't've": "will not have",
  "would've": "would have",
  "wouldn't": "would not",
  "wouldn't've": "would not have",
  "y'all": "you all",
  "y'alls": "you alls",
  "y'all'd": "you all would",
  "y'all'd've": "you all would have",
  "y'all're": "you all are",
  "y'all've": "you all have",
  "you'd": "you had",
  "you'd've": "you would have",
  "you'll": "you you will",
  "you'll've": "you you will have",
  "you're": "you are",
  "you've": "you have"
}

c_re = re.compile('(%s)' % '|'.join(cList.keys()))

def expandContractions(text, c_re=c_re):
    def replace(match):
        return cList[match.group(0)]
    return c_re.sub(replace, text)

# examples
print expandContractions('Don\'t you get it?')
print expandContractions('I ain\'t got time for y\'alls foolishness')
print expandContractions('You won\'t live to see tomorrow.')
print expandContractions('You\'ve got serious cojones coming in here like that.')
print expandContractions('I hadn\'t\'ve enough')