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So . . . . !

Tiffy

By Tiffy,
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Tiffy

Tiffy

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Have I missed something up to now - or is this a relatively new phenomenon?

 

Every question asked by an interviewer on the radio seems to elicit a response which begins - "So...." in absolute disregard of what is to follow.

 

Surely it is poor grammatical practice to commence a sentence with a conjunction? I know we all have our pet foible (I keep mine under the sink in the kitchen and only take it out in the night when no-one is about!), but now that I have spotted it, it is driving me mad.

 

 I will apologise in advance if this brings to anyone's attention an annoying practice, which they might well have been unaware of - but now I have raised it - I bet you will spot it all the time.

 

I really must find more to occupy my time . . . . .  Maybe I could take up railway modelling!

 

Any other new foibles about?

 

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eastwestdivide

eastwestdivide

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Well, Peter Gabriel started it: http://petergabriel.com/release/so/

So it must be right.

 

More seriously, spoken English and written English have different conventions. It's OK to pause, umm and arr, and put in superfluous redundant words in spoken English. Or start with a meaningless word to gain someone's attention "Siri, so where's the nearest Chinese restaurant?"

 

It is relatively recent in my experience.

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Arthur

Arthur

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So, (sorry about that) it's become increasingly frequently used over the past four or five years. I've been aware of it for a while now.

 

I agree, it drives me nuts too, but it's become the fashionable way to start an answer to a question, particularly common on Radio 4 it seems.

 

.

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Rugd1022

Rugd1022

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So, (sorry about that) it's become increasingly frequently used over the past four or five years. I've been aware of it for a while now.

 

I agree, it drives me nuts too, but it's become the fashionable way to start an answer to a question, particularly common on Radio 4 it seems.

 

.

 

Often as not accompanied by the just as annoying upwards inflection towards the end of a sentence, which makes the person uttering it sound as if they're not sure whether they're stating a fact or asking a question. Tedious!

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Ramblin Rich

Ramblin Rich

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No worse than (in fact, equivalent to) the French use of 'Alors' at the start of sentences.

I notice myself over-using the word 'just' when describing procedures to patients, when it's probably more involved than using the word 'just' implies - but it's (just) a verbal filler / handle to work with.

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Tiffy

Tiffy

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It took a while for the first response - to the extent that I was beginning to think - Yes - it is me!

 

Arthur - Radio 4 is where I hear it most - so much for the BBC being a source of good English.

 

The temptation is to take out a needle and thread whenever anyone uses this conjunction - as if taking it as an instruction.

 

In the same way as back in my Army days, if anyone used the phrase "I turned round and said to him . . .. ", we would all get up and turn around - remarkable how soon the user stopped using the phrase.

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Horsetan

Horsetan

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Have I missed something up to now - or is this a relatively new phenomenon?

 

Every question asked by an interviewer on the radio seems to elicit a response which begins - "So...." in absolute disregard of what is to follow....

 

It's been around for at least a decade, and it seems to be a widespread American thing which has worked its way over here. I blame YouTube video presentation myself.

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Classsix T

Classsix T

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We recently had a (rather good, as it happens) young bar manager at my local, who(m) would start every other statement with, "To be fair though..." As you can imagine this rapidly got tedious, not quite as annoying though as now he's gone, it seems to have embedded itself into other staff member's vocabulary. Harrumph.

 

C6T.

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tractionman

tractionman

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It's been around for at least a decade, and it seems to be a widespread American thing which has worked its way over here. I blame YouTube video presentation myself.

 

It seems to have become very popular with my academic colleagues when they're being interviewed/asked qs, and when they do say 'So...' it really reminds me of this Fast Show character

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/fastshow/characters/denzil_dexter.shtml

 

I find it annoying too (and also constant 'likes' in every sentence) and make sure I avoid responding with a 'So...'.

 

all the best,

 

Keith

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Nearholmer

Nearholmer

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I've wondered whether it might be a result of 'media training', with people being trained to use it as a way of buying a few milliseconds in which to retrieve their "pat" answer.

 

If so, I'd rather they used an elongated 'weell', but that's just a matter of taste, I guess.

 

O

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Guius

Guius

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It's been around for at least a decade, and it seems to be a widespread American thing which has worked its way over here. I blame YouTube video presentation myself.

I agree, once I noticed this annoying prelude to many statements I now find myself too busy shouting at the radio and invariably miss the gist of the conversation.  Whilst in pedants corner, another  very annoying trait, that is creeping into Radio 4 land is the use of " wiv" instead of with, "ferd" instead of third, "monf" instead of month. You get ver drift. Even some older people have adopted this affectation in order, I fink, to be 'down wiv ve kids. Oh dear, I feel one of my turns coming on now.

 

Best

 

Guy

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tomparryharry

tomparryharry

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Expert:-"So Dave, going forward, we see a win-win situation directly offsetting the paradigm of constant negativity in the longer term vision of sustainable equity in this otherwise potentially period of inflation consequential output, in an otherwise diminishing return in the shorter term....."

 

Reporter:- "Hugh... You're talking absolute bo**ocks...."

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brianusa

brianusa

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Often as not accompanied by the just as annoying upwards inflection towards the end of a sentence, which makes the person uttering it sound as if they're not sure whether they're stating a fact or asking a question. Tedious!

Tell that to Canadians!

 

Brian.

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Ozexpatriate

Ozexpatriate

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I beg your pardon? I've always understood 'upspeak' to have originated in Southern California:

The rising inflection was common amongst younger Australian females in the 1980s as well.

 

Nothing really to do with starting a sentence with "So" - a mode which is not implicitly incorrect grammar, though I can imagine being grating (like anything) if clichéd.

 

I've not noticed it used out of place, so it's not an American thing.

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pH

pH

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I've not noticed it used out of place, so it's not an American thing.

 

I have to say I did first notice it being used by (generally) experts being interviewed on American TV programs.

 

I've wondered whether it might be a result of 'media training', with people being trained to use it as a way of buying a few milliseconds in which to retrieve their "pat" answer.

 

Given where I first noticed it being used, I'd agree with that. Though my BiL, living in Texas, uses it a lot. He's not retrieving a pat answer - he's just taking the few milliseconds to organise his thoughts for an answer.  

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Nearholmer

Nearholmer

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The few milliseconds, or even few seconds, is genuinely necessary when answering a complex question, even for someone well versed in the topic, so perhaps we should have a poll about our tastes in 'pause covers'.

 

Silence; throat-clearing noises; weeeell; errrr; ummm; hmmmm; so........

 

K

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ikks

ikks

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Have I missed something up to now - or is this a relatively new phenomenon?

 

Every question asked by an interviewer on the radio seems to elicit a response which begins - "So...." in absolute disregard of what is to follow.

 

Surely it is poor grammatical practice to commence a sentence with a conjunction? I know we all have our pet foible (I keep mine under the sink in the kitchen and only take it out in the night when no-one is about!), but now that I have spotted it, it is driving me mad.

 

 I will apologise in advance if this brings to anyone's attention an annoying practice, which they might well have been unaware of - but now I have raised it - I bet you will spot it all the time.

 

I really must find more to occupy my time . . . . .  Maybe I could take up railway modelling!

 

Any other new foibles about?

My Italian friend's father kept a small barrel of Barbera under under his kitchen sink..........first glass was partaken at brunch, then lunch and then dinner usually with something more interesting to follow.......much more tasty than foibles :imsohappy:

 

Mike.........Sorry!! 

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