The epidemic of starting sentences with the word 'So'

[wobblywinelover]

I'm expecting a backlash of abuse for this one but it's a mild to moderate irritation of mine that everyone seems to be using the word 'So' when they start a conversation/post/sentence/explanation. It seems to have started this year and escalated.

examples-
'SO... today I went to visit xxx and did blah blah blah and it was amazing'

When asked a question -
'SO... it was like this, I had this problem and that problem so I did this and that and the other'

All the flipping time of late. AIBU to find this annoying? Everyone seems to have jumped on the bandwagon with this one and I can't help it makes people look like they're a bit full of themselves. Apologies if this has been done before

So what?

I don't think you're going to get a backlash of abuse but I don't think it makes people seem full of themselves. The one time I frequently use so at the start of a sentence is "so I was thinking".

“it makes people look like they're a bit full of themselves.”

How so? What a strange thing to say.

So, you didn't do a search on MN to see if this has been posted before? It has btw.

@KurriKawari

So what?

🤣🤣🤣

It's not new!

'So' to begin a sentence functions like 'well' used to.

I heard Professor David Dennison talk about 'so' at the British Library Grammar Day last year. Really interesting!

See his talk here: www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/files/158005104/Paris_so.pdf

@KurriKawari

So what?

Howling

You think it makes people look full of themselves? Ok...

So, what exactly is your problem?

So, the list of innocent figures of speech we irritate each other with on here seems to expand by the day...what do we all think?

It turns out words like these are just filler words because it's become taboo to say er and um so people say like and so and however more often.

You're right, it's terrible. What gets me is people saying "goodbye" instead of "God be with you". Very irritating.

I think it's more to do with the tone of voice people use whilst doing it. Some people can sound patronising using it. It is very overused.

SO... so far I have been told i'm 'STRANGE' and that I should have searched for the post before. With only a few replies. Haha. Gotta love mumsnet

I seem to do this when conversation isn't flowing that well, when there is a lull. Sooooo

It’s beginning to annoy me too OP and only during the last week. I was listening to a podcast with two journalists talking to each other and the one answering the questions began each answer with so. For some reason it really grated on me and now I’m seeing it everywhere! Adam Buxton does a Squarespace ad where he takes the piss out of it. I don’t know if I see it as condescending or anything but I’m starting to hear it as a contrived attempt at sounding casual and colloquial instead of actually sounding like someone in easy conversation.

So..... Annoying!!

Not just me then! Thanks for all the replies so far

@BigSandyBalls2015 I would say that's an acceptable way to use it. It's a filler word, not something which should be used all the time.

I don’t think it makes people sound full of them selves, I think it makes people sound like they never read a book and like they definitely don’t know how to correctly use an apostrophe.

I agree, OP.

I’ve had to stop listening to the Today programme because of it.

It can somehow make an otherwise perfectly average answer seem really, really patronising.

It’s the implied sigh...

I agree but have literally just started a thread that begins with it! I think my use is acceptable tho because it introduces a scenario I'm questioning ... I do not find it an acceptable start to ( what should be a straightforward/ specific) answer

@LunaNorth, if they took out all the Sos, Literallys and Absolutelys, how long would the Today programme be?

I find the "epidemic" of people not using punctuation properly far more annoying.

It's one of the irritations that stops me listening to radio 4 as much as I used to. A lot of academics, scientists and medics use it and it really grates.