Turbohot

A question away from the usual materialism here on Scoobynet:

Is starting your answer to every question with 'So...'a new trend in spoken language? If it is, then it's quite an irritating one.

I was watching Roald Dahl birthday celebrations in Cardiff on TV. Almost every interviewee; from a prop maker to a dancer- they all answered the media interviewer's questions starting with 'So...' and so on.

To exemplify:

Media interviewer to a puppet maker: "How do you make this puppet work?"

Puppet maker: "So, it has been first designed, constructed limb by limb and then put together with motorised control systems installed inside it".

Media interviewer to a costume maker- "How do performers move with these complex costumes on?"

Costume maker: "So, in designing and putting them together, we make sure that the performers can do all sorts, with them on".

I have also heard some politicians starting their answers with 'So...' as well as some real life people doing the same; as a compulsory habit, not just occasionally.

I sounds odd to my ears. It sounds as if the person is having to make an effort to answer. It just doesn't flow.

What do you think?

jonc

So, this is just as bad as using "like" in like every sentence.

SJ_Skyline

So what...

Turbohot

Yes, totally agree.

Girls on 'This is Essex' keep going 'like', 'like', 'like' after every two words, and it's...like...so...fekcing annoying, like!

Turbohot

That's different and fully acceptable. "So what..." as "It matters not" is not annoying at all. It's just your opinion, and I respect that.

ossett2k2

iTrader: (9)

So,if so was replaced with well then would this be more acceptable like?
The evolution of language can be quite annoying,is this possibly due to the more diverse and multicultural society we live in,picking up words,phrases etc?

Sorry my bad.....now that's annoying.
Starting a sentence with 'obviously' when it's clearly not obvious,equally as annoying.
I have leant to chillax and just go with the flow

markjmd

iTrader: (11)

My guess is this is in part due to "cross-pollenation" from other languages, for example German, where it's not uncommon to start a sentence with "Also, ..." or French, where you'd say "Alors, ...". As ossett2k points out, the more traditional rendition of these in English would have been "Well then, ...", but with the increasing numbers of non-native speakers now coming to our shores, perhaps they find "So, ..." easier to manage

Paben

iTrader: (5)

'Frigging' and 'freaking' are two of my (many) pet hates. If you're going to swear at least have the courage to do it properly for **** sake!

dpb

its almost the opposite of 'take care' after every encounter

So , is used to drag you into / contextualise without ever getting personal

Rusti

iTrader: (4)

I blame the Americans and their terrible use of the English language.... like ya know!

dpb

https://cdn.meme.am/instances/500x/60443327.jpg

Rusti

iTrader: (4)

exactly.

Turbohot

[QUOTE=ossett2k2;11878142]So,if so was replaced with well then would this be more acceptable like?
The evolution of language can be quite annoying,is this possibly due to the more diverse and multicultural society we live in,picking up words,phrases etc?[quote]

I see that you started your statement with 'So...' in a fully acceptable way. You used 'So...' as an expansion prompt, and that reads and would sound fine. The problem will arise when you say everything or answer everything with 'So...'.

Yes, people who keep going or even occadially use the word 'obviously' for something that's not obvious, are obviously a pain in the butt.

Have I used 'obviously' there ^ erroneously and unnecessarily?

I am quite chilled about this 'So...' business, not exactly breaking objects over it or anything. But I cannot deny that unnecessary use and compulsory use of 'So...' does sound silly to me.

Using 'Sorry, my bad' occasionally is fine. This phrase, no matter how pedantically wrong it may be, sounds creative to me. It's not that bad to my ears.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

I f**king hate the constant use of "I was like" or "it was like" et al.

Makes my p&ss boil.

Turbohot

Good post but I wouldn't blame the foreigners for this. Born in Wales Dahl's parents came from a foreign land called Norway, and their child didn't try to make the English launguage a mish-mash. He wrote (and probably spoke) better English than the natives of today. I don't know how well the natives from yesterday wrote and spoke.

I know one interesting word sounding like 'thingamajeek' and a phrase 'Oh, my!' that my daughter (when she was little) learnt of her great grandma, who overused them all the time. It was really funny to see a 2 yr-old toddler going around, shouting 'thingamajeek-thingamajeek-thingamajeek!' and 'Oh, my!', 'Oh, my!' for sod all every so often.

Turbohot

I think the society has progressively become more unsure and hesitant than ever. Use of 'It's like...' or 'It was like...' indicates that one isn't sure what exactly it was and finds it difficult to articulate. For example, someone saying- 'It was like...really freezing!'. If it was really freezing, then why are you looking for something else with your 'like', which is better being used to demonstrate the likeness to something similar? To add to their foolishness, they even skip that object or whatever it is; which they try to compare their freezing experience. Honestly, it's (like....) really annoying.

Similar is the story with this 'So...'. Starting their answers with 'So...', they show their lack of certainly and use 'So...' as a crutch; in order to bring their knowledge to the surface, which they are reluctant to share. It may not be the case. However, this 'So...' to answer everything shows them somewhat hesitated for one reason or other. Some even say it as 'Soooooo....' because their brain is being taxed big stylee; in order to find an answer to your question.

Blue by You

iTrader: (23)

If we're having a moaning session about the use of grammar and language in general, my pet hate (apart fom everything written above) is the dropped 'Th' as in Thursday for example, where people seem to think it's cool and fashionable to say Fursday. In personal conversation it may be fine if it's the accepted way of speaking amongst peers, but it's all over the TV as well.
It's neither cool nor fashionable. It's just fukcin LAZY!

legb4rsk

I find this thread a bit so so.

I-am-Cos

iTrader: (6)

Often hear many that change the letter G for a K!


I've recently noticed people say somethink & anythink - drives me to bleeding distraction


You will all notice it now I've mentioned it.................... at least I thing you will