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?

Yes Nick Clegg tends to space his words out so that us idiots can get the message.

"Look, it's about you and your jobs"

The insincerity and the patronising tone as if speaking to children, just can't be beaten.

It's conversational fluff, used as filler to give the illusion of substance.

I think it's also sometimes used as a 'ramp' or a kind of softener.

Because getting straight to the point can feel abrupt we use phrases like, 'the thing is' or 'well'.

When frequency of use passes a certain point it becomes irritating.

So, look, let me be clear - all smack of insincerity when used by politicians. You just KNOW they have been coached in "appeal to voters" speak. The verbal version of Gordon Brown being forced to smile...

Definitely a bad habit of mine. I don't know why. It's to replace uhmm Just seems like a good start to a sentence.

When a person speaks in clichés it feels as if they are not making the effort to engage with the individual situation. Or they lack the intellect to properly weigh up the matter in hand.

Instead you are delivered a cut and paste, one size fits all response.

Labour politicians, espcially Milliband and Ball and Conservatives such as Grant Shap answer the question with

LOOK

which makes me want to SCREAM.

It's rude, it's trying to belittke the questioner and I hate it.

Of course it was started by Blair who was a profligate 'Look' user.

Anyine noticed that poor old Ed was really struggling to maintain his Estuary English yesterday? Almost as bad a Osborne's attempts at it and Dave doing his man-of-the-people-trying-to-lose-my-Eton-accent act.

So, look, basically, in reality what you are trying to say after a long convoluted build up is that you haven't a scooby about the question and were buying time by flinging useless words together, like so?

So that is it

Hands up here, I do it. I start threads and post with so all the time.

Has someone mentioned people starting their answer with "Look..."

Oh sorry I see that I just needed to RTFT