To not like all these people answering questions with 'so'

[claig]

So what is this all about?

Paxman asks a John Lewis bigwig
"what is this John Lewis model all about?" or something like that, and the answer starts with "so"

"what would you like John Lewis to do?"
"So ...."

So is this about yuppies, muppets and so and sos?

So what is going on?

So is it contagious?

So. The thing I like less is fucking politicians answering every question with 'look'.

So you have a point, but surely look is better than so, or no?

And people starting a sentence 'Listen'.

And politicians saying "let me be clear on this" then proceeding to be completely opaque

Glad Geri Halliwell is no longer on the scene as she was the worst offender for saying "y'know" every two bloody seconds!

Also people saying "at the end of the day" - what is wrong with ultimately?

DON'T GET ME STARTED!

I thought it was just me that had noticed this! It seems all of a sudden everywhere. I first noticed the sciencey bods on radio 4 doing, then everybody else. Even in real life.

Politicians doing look, is irritating also, but at least hasn't infiltrated rl. Or then, maybe it just shows how depressingly divorced they all are from reality.

I so knew this would turn up on mn eventually!

I think it must be the new thing in media training because I notice it most when experts come on to the radio to explain a particular topic. I think the idea is that they can sort of reframe the question but appearing to state the context of their answer in their own terms. It drives me mad; particularly as I've now started doing it too.

Can we all stop doing it on mumsnet too please?

YANBU

People keep starting threads with 'So' too

It makes me teeth itch

So yes, no, totally. Let's be absolutely clear on this okay? The thing about this is....

It's incredibly annoying! The cast of the 2012/ W1A comedies parodied that kind of management gibberish really well. Their characters tend to use it as a way of sounding authoritative, or making lots of noise while actually saying very little.

'I notice it most when experts come on to the radio to explain a particular topic'

Yes it is all over Radio 4 and the BBC. But it just sounds so wrong and is jarring and makes these "experts" look like so and sos.

YABVVU because everybody knows politicians never actually answer questions.

Oh god yes! its infuriating,

On DigiSpy I've had a few posts answered/quoted with 'see post 31' right away master

Oh and newreaders/tv presenters emphasising EVERY other WORD regardless OF context. Radio 1 newsbeat is the worst for that yeah i know I'm not their target audience but the point still stands

So. It is a thing.

It's replaced Well hasn't it. I hate it. Really hate the threads like So,he's been sleeping with his secretary/ex/mother etc. A very cute linguist was on BBC Breakfast the other week blaming young American females for this

It gets on my nerves.

I must be getting old because I have radio 2 on in the house. A while ago Steve Wright banned any academic/expert from coming on the show and starting their explanation with 'so...'. I was quite pleased!

Thanks, ViviPru. That is a good article by Oliver James.

He says
"Frank authenticity has almost disappeared."

It does seem to be educated people, experts and Chief Executives who use "so" so often at the start of sentences and in response to questions.

But it just makes them sound inauthentic and diminishes their message and yet they seem to all think it does the opposite.

So sad.

I've noticed this too, it is driving me mad.

I first noticed it in an interview with Naomi Wolf and thought how peculiar she sounds, I wonder why she's doing it, and now it is everywhere. Great British Menu - "What are you cooking today?" "So I've got some lovely sea bass"

Arghh

It's the ending of a sentence with so... that annoys me.

Yes I agree, YANBU or whatever, but please, PLEASE will someone agree with me on this because nobody seems to notice (apart from me) the constant use of TOO MANY 'IS's.
What I mean is:

"The thing is is that we have too much emphasis on blah blah blah..."

Oh god I hate it, YANBU. 'So' - means 'therefore' doesn't it?

"Can you tell me how flour is made?"

"Therefore, you take one part water and one part flour.."

Sounds wanky. Sounds even wankier when you swap "therefore" for "so" just to sound cool.

So it is therefore, so it makes no sense

I thought that article was interesting too. Before I read that, I had been thinking back to the little bit of linguistics I did at uni (along time ago). I think 'so' is performing what is called a phatic function- language that is there not really for its meaning but in a 'I am about to launch into a complicated explanation of something therefore I am checking you are listening and prepared for it' kind of way. That would make sense for the scientist type origins of its use.

Parliamo, I think you are right. But using so in that way seems to be both patronising and pretentious at the same time and makes the speaker sound like a teenager trying to impress.

Definitely! Although I still don't find it quite as patronising or as awful as Nick Clegg's 'look'. Why his is worse than Tony Blair's or Cameron's, I'm not quite sure. Maybe it's the extra tone of irritation he gets in there, a hint of (why are you asking such a stupid question, stupid non politician person?)

Nick usually has an air of irritation Paliamo.

I use "Well..", it's just as bad really.