I bloody HATE the phrase 'Could you just'

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

It almost always turns out to be a pain in the neck beyond all expectation, and the person you're doing it for isn't even grateful (well, not grateful enough anyway) because they have presented it as a trivial task. Whereas things that people ask of you as a favour and are grateful for afterwards often turn out to be a lot less effort than they think they are asking for, and even if it is a lot of effort at least I am aware when I agree to it that it will be difficult and/or time consuming and they are grateful.

I feel better for venting. My DM just asked me to do a trivial thing that has turned into a 30 minute struggle and required several messages back and forth between me and her because she didn't give me the relevant information.

Yes!

I used to have a job where I had that question multiple times a day. Apparently, I can do those things in much less time than anyone else. My Mum asks too because, although she can, she can't be bothered most of the time!

Unless it is your job, consider all requests carefully is my advice!

My teenagers constantly say "could you not" which is one step beyond " could you just"

“Gonnae no dae that” is the only response.

at JessicaDay I don't think I could pull that off in a Dublin accent, nor do I think it would be worth the quietly appalled push-back from my Mum, but I'm tempted to give it a go anyway.

I hate it.
My mum used to say it and it was always a big deal, rarely a little job and whenever I did it, it was always wrong anyway because I didn't do exactly as she would.

I did find myself saying it to my son though but learnt not to when he would respond 'Yes Grandma!' .

To be fair, unless it really is a 'just' (like reaching something off a high shelf or knocking in a nail when I have the appropriate tools ready and waiting). I try and talk to him about something I hope he will do for me but say it can be done at a time that is convenient to him and if he doesn't want to or feels he can't then I'll sort something else out.

For me, there’s a list of phrases from various people, which always precede onerous requests. From my mum, it’s any phrase which begins with “at some stage...”

Our choir director always says “could I just... do... The problem there is not what he asks us to do again that was less than perfect, but he waffles so very very slowly, and it takes him ages to get anywhere near the point.

Yes!!!
When I first became self - employed, customers would agree a price for a commission, then once it was a signed contract would then come back with 'could you just' !! agghh! cost me time and money in those early days.

Now if anyone dares to, I bat back with 'certainly, I shall get back to you with a price for that'........funnily enough, they rarely follow through now.

To be fair, I also use the phrase but it's normally in the context of 'could you just open the back door so I can take the bin out' or similar.

It didn't happen to me much at work, or at least it didn't happen from the same person twice, because I was a stroppy cow and they needed me much more than I needed them.

Yup.

Also, 'Do you want to.....' when it means 'I want you to....now'

I agree OP. In my mind I call people who say it 'cudjers' - like cadgers. People who think your time and energy are infinitely available to them for free.

can you/could you mean that they are asking if you are able to...I always respond with "I can, but "WILL I ?" is a different matter entirely.

Ah
“Could you just” in the same way as tradesmen get “while you’re here”?