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Original poster

So you know this latest trend of starting sentences with “So”

113 replies

123autumn · 13/09/2023 16:44

So you know how people do this? So I find it really annoying. So stop.

OP posts:
marshmallowfinder · 13/09/2023 22:52

Even worse is when British people seem to take on a fake Australian twang and say it as 'soi'. Was a previous Neighbours influence I think.

MistyTrains2 · 13/09/2023 23:38

Haha I was copied into an email today that started with So.

Gagagardener · 13/09/2023 23:53

Just saying: It's the opening word of Seamus Heaney's translation (published 1999) of "Beowulf' (composed somewhere vague towards the end of the 10th century). He was looking for a word that '... functions as an exclamation calling for immediate attention'. Not sure all sentences beginning with 'so' deserve that, but it's a less annoying usage to me than 'like' is. If you know what I mean, like.

Catsmere · 14/09/2023 00:00

SuddenlyOld · 13/09/2023 17:13

Not a recent trend at all and I mainly hear technical/scientist types use it.

Just like politicians who start their sentences with 'look'

I'm very intolerant of such grammar oddities

People who use 'of' instead of 'with' eg I'm fed up of this. 😬😬

Second only to "of" instead of "have" for me! It's "would've", not "would of"!

Airconner · 14/09/2023 03:07

doodlejump1980 · 13/09/2023 17:05

I always sing “a needle pulling thread” after someone pauses after saying “so” 😂

Which isn’t annoying at all!

EarringsandLipstick · 14/09/2023 04:52

Someone mentioned Ireland upthread. I love the habit among some Irish speakers of putting 'so' at the end of a sentence but hadn't noticed a specifically Irish usage of 'so' at the beginning of a sentence? Is it in fact just the same usage that has also become popular in the UK?

Like in the UK, the annoying 'so' as a filler, in response to a question, and typically in radio / TV interviews, has become common.

However, this is known as a 'discourse maker' and covered here: dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/so

There are many others eg 'y'know' or 'look' or 'well'. They vary with time & region but function as a marker for 'I'm about to say something requiring attention'.

The traditional Irish 'so', as others have said, is much more used, at the end of sentences:
'I did, so I did'

'Sure I will, so'

(Having been through a Schitt's Creek binge, once again, I now horrifyingly find myself using all David & Alexis's discourse makers, unintentionally, including the dreaded 'I mean...' 😮‍💨)

EarringsandLipstick · 14/09/2023 04:52

PosyPrettyToes · 13/09/2023 22:46

@Whataretalkingabout I was explaining that the habit in French is why I, personally do it. That was the whole point of what I said.

I understood your point perfectly!

stayathomer · 14/09/2023 05:32

Not a teen- I’ve done it all my life. Am Irish. So. No😉

madroid1 · 14/09/2023 05:45

@SuddenlyOld and @Catsmere

People who use 'of' instead of 'with' eg I'm fed up of this.

Fed up of is grammatically correct! Why do you think it isn't?

What are you fed up of?

nzborn · 14/09/2023 06:01

so what ( giggle )

SlippySarah · 14/09/2023 06:04

My DC preface everything with "wait". Along with all the "um"s it does my head in but I bite my tongue and hope they'll start speaking properly eventually.

See also: "I'm good" instead of no thank you and "I'm done" at the end of a meal, like we need that announced to the table. I do correct these ones.

43ontherocksporfavor · 14/09/2023 06:34

‘Wait!’ Is a big primary school trend at the moment.

fairyfluf · 14/09/2023 06:37

It's a Breath before the answer. A brief pause. A ok..I'm going to answer that now. Here is the answer.

I don't mind it if it helps people

DrDiva · 14/09/2023 07:14

my two most hated are the already-mentioned “I mean” (said often even when the speaker has not yet said anything), and the MN favourite, “think”.
”I went for a long walk, think 10k” - was it 10k or not?

PurpleChrayne · 14/09/2023 07:32

Some Australian people start sentences with 'Look', which is horrifying. So aggressive.

EarringsandLipstick · 14/09/2023 07:34

PurpleChrayne · 14/09/2023 07:32

Some Australian people start sentences with 'Look', which is horrifying. So aggressive.

A bit OTT! 'Horrifying'? 'Aggressive'? They are words!

sep135 · 14/09/2023 07:40

PurpleChrayne · 14/09/2023 07:32

Some Australian people start sentences with 'Look', which is horrifying. So aggressive.

And mate. Eugh. (Eddie Jones I'm looking at you).

I hate FB posts that start with so. It implies we're already having a conversation and it follows on from the previous sentence.

I know I'm being irrational but I can't help it.

LeoDiCapricorn · 14/09/2023 07:45

A woman I work with uses "I'm not going to lie" all the time. I want to scream I should hope you're not going to tell me the truth.

Eh
Me: How was your weekend?
Her: I'm not going to lie, it was really quiet

Me: Hmm

GoodOldEmmaNess · 14/09/2023 07:54

43ontherocksporfavor · 14/09/2023 06:34

‘Wait!’ Is a big primary school trend at the moment.

I love the way small children sometimes massively overuse a particulr word because they have recenty discovered it and it feels like a lovely new toy in their pocket, a way to feel all grown up and accomplished.

My DC once made friends with a little boy who was addicted to beginning almost everything he said with "Technically ...". He was thrilled by how it made him feel.

It was very sweet. But it did grate after a while. I wonder if he is still going it in team meetings at work.

ThelmaBorden · 14/09/2023 08:19

Underthemagnificentbeechtree · 13/09/2023 16:53

The first person I remember doing this (around 20 years ago) was a French speaker living in the UK. I assumed that was a direct translation of French turns of phrase, but my French isn’t good enough to know!

I don’t mind the “So…” thing - I’m much more bothered by everyone saying “Can I get…” rather than “please may I have”.

French people say, donc ; in the middle of a sentence it means ‘therefore’
used to validate an opinion, SO, you are quite correct

JassyRadlett · 14/09/2023 08:49

YorkieTheRabbit · 13/09/2023 17:00

So, when beginning to answer a question, annoying, but not as much as…
How are you? Good.
Good?? What at? I asked how you are not if you’ve an above average ability at something Confused

Hello Mrs Williams, my Year 3 teacher from the mid-80s.

JassyRadlett · 14/09/2023 08:54

PurpleChrayne · 14/09/2023 07:32

Some Australian people start sentences with 'Look', which is horrifying. So aggressive.

Not in Australian English. In Australia, it's as mild as 'so'.

There was a whole Thing around this in 2012 when Ian Thorpe was doing BBC commentary at the Olympics. Much horrified pearl-clutching from some British audiences while Australians were mystified.

I'd already learned this to my cost in a work situation as a newish immigrant, unfortunately.

Twoshoesnewshoes · 14/09/2023 09:10

Where I live we like to add ‘to’ at the end of a question, or at the start, in the middle, or all if the above?
’where‘s she to?’

YorkieTheRabbit · 14/09/2023 09:13

@JassyRadlett Good Morning. How are you? 😂

fungibletoken · 14/09/2023 09:15

I'm generally a bit of a stickler for correct grammar (e.g. "should of" vs "should have" - it's clearly a mistake), but I can't really get worked up over things like this where something has clearly emerged to fill a gap. "So" seems to be used as a filler whilst the speaker considers their response and/or to emphasise the response that will follow. Both useful things in conversation.