Use of the word "hence"

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

I find it really irritating for some reason...I see it on here a LOT but never hear anyone use it!

Are people using it incorrectly and that's why it annoys me?

"I had no money, hence I went to my Mum's to ask for help."

"She's a CF, hence I wanted her out of my life."

And so on ....

Well I probably wouldn’t use it on MN, it’s rather formal, but those are correct.

It sounds like 'so' would work better in those sentences, so that's why it annoys you.

You do realise that there's now going to be umpteen posts with the word hence, don't you?

Maybe it's the formality annoying me...it's often used when people are defending themselves.

I always wonder why people use 'obligated' instead of obliged.

I.e. I'm not obligated to babysit for her.

"I had no money, so like I went to my Mum's to ask for help" would be so much better! Let's dumb down and criticise people for using the language correctly.

I use it loads in maths proofs where it is standard and non-poncey

Baby is obligated a more American way of saying it I wonder?

Yar I didn't suggest any "likes" be included thank you. You keep those for yourself.

'Hence' meanings:

1. 'from here' (as in 'get thee hence'). Old-fashioned usage.
2. from now (as in 'three months hence')
3. As a result / for this reason.

There is nothing at all wrong with the examples you quote in your OP.

Ergo...

Pengwyn I don't mind your use of it for some reason! That example is fine to me!

I'm just over-sensitive I think and some sentences annoy me!

A colleague uses 'hence because' is meetings.

'Queue numbers are up this week hence because we have three team members off'.

in meetings

I too think Pengwyn's example is correct. I would say the example's in the OP should be so not hence but I can't really explain why...

Iklboo! NO!

Those are all fine. What isn't fine is 'hence why' which drives me bonkers. You don't need the why!

"hence because"

Ghoul I can't either! Maybe someone will come along who can! I was taught to use the simpler word when faced with a choice....if we replace "hence" with "so" in Penguin's example then we sound like we've not got a good grasp of English.

There will be a real reason why this is so! Someone explain! Thanks for uncovering the nub of my issue!

I can't get worked up about stuff like this, hence yabu.

I like it.

There is so much atrocious SPAG on here - we should embrace any poster with a vocabulary beyond basic.

I like it.

It has a use.

Spag. ...but it's not being used correctly in all cases so it's NOT something to embrace.

I quite often use it in real life.