AIBU to think that people who start a conversation with 'Listen' are being rude?

[BeRudeNotTo]

I mean seriously i'm stood here listening to you please don't take the Michael by asking me to blooming well listen when i'm already listening to you for crying out loud and for heavens sake all at the same time.Same applies to people who say 'LOOK' at the start of a conversation.

[squeakytoy]

Davina McCall is one of the worst for doing that.. it irritates the hell out of me when she is shouting it at the camera.

[BeRudeNotTo]

Many Irish people tend to do it aswell which doesn't make it right in any way whatsoever

[InSPsFanjoNoOneHearsYouScream]

Listen right, Yeh

^ that is my brother when he's fucked up and been caught and is trying to worm his way out of it. The minute he says that the family zone out

[bogwobbit]

Very common in Australia and they're genuinely not being rude, it's just how they talk. Took a bit of getting shed to though.

[bogwobbit]

That should be 'used' to not 'shed' to - predictive texting

[fortyplus]

What about people who say 'I'm sorry but...' and then proceed to say something rude/offensive/racist that they're not sorry about at all!

[ChippingInLovesAutumn]

I don't think it's rude. and that has nothing to do with the fact that I find myself saying it quite a lot

[BeRudeNotTo]

Lol are u Aidan O Brien?

[BeRudeNotTo]

[nemno]

I was going to say that Australians do it a lot and that yes I found it quite aggressive until I realised it is just a manner of speech there. Without the Aussie 'free pass' I still find it rude though.

[BeRudeNotTo]

here here nemno well said. I don't think AP O brien means to be rude and i have the upmost respect for the man but he does say 'Listen' alot (scratches head)

[RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief]

South Africans say "Listen, I must tell you....." which also sounds really aggressive until you get used to it.

I do use it quite a lot- usually, "Hey, listen...."- I dont know why. Maybe cos I hang out with a lot of Australians

[deleted203]

Hmm...I don't know about rude, but an irritating habit, certainly. I cringe when people start a conversation with, 'With all due respect...' and you know damn well they are about to be extremely rude.

[nemno]

I find "Look" worse than "Listen" though. Seems more imperious.

[kiwigirl42]

Drives me nuts. I listen to a lot of podcasts from Radio Australia and boy, do they say it a lot. You can guarantee that if they interview someone, the first word out of their mouth will be 'listen.....'

[BeRudeNotTo]

ttt

[MyLastDuchess]

Ha, I never realised it was an Australianism (I'm Australian but haven't lived there for many years) . I use it a lot, it's a bit of a filler word really. Like saying, "You know what?"

I agree that in the wrong tone/context it would be very rude though.

[SavoyCabbage]

That's what I was going to say Wombat. It's 'look' that I notice all the time.

[SomersetONeil]

Kiwis do it as well - but 'look' more than 'listen'.

[cheekybaubles]

What about people that begin a conversation with "tell me to butt out if this is not any of my business but....."? I just want to interject with " "stop there then!

[FellatioNelson]

Yes, listen and look, both rather aggressive and bossy, unless being used in a genuinely tongue in cheek way.

[sleeplessinsuburbia]

Ooh that's funny I was about to say must be an English thing as I don't remember anyone ever starting a discussion with either but it seems people think its Australian! Must be habits for different areas. I would think it was very odd for someone already engaged in conversation to say either to me.

[CailinDana]

It can be an Irish thing but usually only when acknowledging that someone is right or playing along with a joke, so it's not aggressive - along the lines of "You were pretty merry last night" "Ah, listen, don't we all do that sometimes." I can't say I've noticed it much in the UK and I didn't realise it was also an Australianism.

[karatekimmi]

My DS and I had a "listen" count on Ian Thorpe during the Olympics. He said it A LOT!!!