Page 2 | Personally, I don't see the need...

bigcushionlover · 2025-03-25T17:02:13+00:00

I'm personally seeing this all the time now and it irks. I have personally even found myself saying it and I personally feel I might need to personally cut my tongue out. Is it just me or is it being overused? I don't normally complain about language use so please don't send me to pedant's corner as they scare me!

merrymelodies · 26/03/2025 04:39

I had a therapist who liked to say “I’m not being funny”. At first I had no idea what she was talking about. It’s a strange expression.

ohyesido · 26/03/2025 04:57

My ex boss used to preface everything with “in terms of”

“in terms of today, I have a meeting at 9”

”in terms of later, let’s have a catch up”

SoManyTeeth · 26/03/2025 05:55

nomas · 26/03/2025 04:31

I can’t bear ‘honestly’.

Every other post on MN seems to be begin with ‘Honestly’.

The worst was a recent post by someone who said something like ‘Honestly, this wouldn’t bother me, tbh’.

It's better than "Gently, [brutal comment]". You can't make something gentle by lobbing "Gently" in front of it and hoping it stops people noticing you're being a cunt.

stayathomer · 26/03/2025 05:59

Personally just tells everyone I’m not trying to say I’m the world’s leading expert on this, they’re saying’this is just how I think’. I think nowadays it’s a caveat that’s needed before everyone hops on you!!

jellyfishperiwinkle · 26/03/2025 06:08

Shitmonger · 26/03/2025 04:22

I’ve used this in lectures/discussions/presentations to invite questions or clarification, which is the only way I’ve heard it used. Usually it’s because either a) there are many/multiple people and, since people process information differently, you want to make sure that it was clear for everyone or b) you genuinely aren’t sure if the person is going to understand your explanation/idea/etc. After all, perfectly clear to one person can be confusing to another.

It is less abrasive than asking “Do you understand?”

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I use it a lot as a lawyer. I might be making sense to me but might be talking a lot of gobbledegook to my audience for all I know.

I really don't get these threads questioning perfectly reasonable turns of phrase people use on a daily basis for emphasis or clarity of expression in speech. It seems rather solipsistic to me. A lot of people saying stuff is how language develops.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/03/2025 09:53

SoManyTeeth · 26/03/2025 03:03

But communication is more than just the literal meaning of the words. I could say something in different ways because I want it to come across slightly differently, like:

Shoplifters should get a life sentence.
This is my opinion. I have spoken. Prove me wrong.

I think shoplifters should get a life sentence.
This is my opinion. I understand it's just what I think, and maybe I'm open to a sensible discussion.

Personally, I think shoplifters should get a life sentence.
Either: I've heard your opinion, and disagree. This is my opinion and I think it's better than yours.
Or: This is my opinion, but I want to emphasise that it's only a personal perspective, and that I don't imagine it's some objective truth that everyone should agree with.

In my opinion, shoplifters should get a life sentence.
I'm trying to sound ever so reasonable, informed and balanced.

In my personal opinion, shoplifters should get a life sentence.
Either: This is my opinion, but I want to cushion it upfront by using TWO words to doubly emphasise that I'm not trying to impose it on anyone else. I don't want too much backlash.
Or: I think I'll sound posher/smarter/more important/more formal if I add more words.

I'm not being funny but shoplifters should get a life sentence.
…I actually have no idea why people say this.

I get why OP is irritated, because once you notice a change like this, you start to see it everywhere, even though people used to get along fine not saying <whatever it is> every three minutes. But I disagree with your opinion that people should always stick to what's "sufficient". Redundancy can be annoying but it's not automatically functionless. There's lots of times people add extra words that say the same again, to add emphasis or adjust the meaning. Like the difference between
"My brother was caught for speeding last week" and
"My own brother was caught for speeding last week".
They mean exactly the same thing, but would be said in different contexts with different underlying meaning and emphasis.

And you say that you can't hold any opinion other than a personal one, but what about the distinction between personal opinion and e.g. professional opinion? When you've heard enough times about somebody getting a legal opinion on something, or talking about medical opinion or some kind of other opinion, then it might feel natural to use "my personal opinion" to signify what kind of opinion you're sharing.

It might also imply that this subject is somehow emotionally personal to you, maybe?

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Ah, I see. You are not disagreeing that the use of "personally" in those examples is a pleonasm. You are stating that you believe using it suggests you are not trying to impose it on others whereas I believe it makes the speaker sound a little pompous and that they believe because it it their opinion it carries more weight.

Different opinions, both perfectly valid.

Re your examples:

Shoplifters should get a life sentence.
This is being stated as fact, rather than opinion. Unlike opinions, individuals do not get to have their own facts.

I think shoplifters should get a life sentence.
I agree with your analysis of this one.

In my personal opinion, shoplifters should get a life sentence.
I agree with your second assessment "I think I'll sound posher/smarter/more important/more formal if I add more words." However, I also agree that people may believe they are cushioning it but not realise how it comes across to some of us. Equally you could argue that if I said "In my opinion, shoplifters should get a life sentence", I am pushing my opinion as valid.

Re But I disagree with your opinion that people should always stick to what's "sufficient".

I don't think that. There are times when a bit of wooliness and extra emphasis is helpful. i just don't think that is the case with the use of personal/personally in many of the instances in which they are used.

Re the professional/medical/legal opinion, they are still the personal professional/medical/legal opinion of the individual. That is why we are frequently told to get a second opinion.

The pleonasm is between "my" and "personal" or "I" and "personally". The word opinion is irrelevant to it.

But the great thing about opinions is that I respect your right to have your opinion on whatever you like. I also know that me disagreeing with you or you disagreeing with me doesn't invalidate either of our opinions. It simply means we have different opinions.

The13thFairy · 26/03/2025 10:06

OchonAgusOchonOh · 25/03/2025 23:39

I have no problem with someone saying "in my opinion...." or "I don't see the need" or whatever. It's the adding in of personal or personally to make it into a pleonasm that I dislike.

Disclaimer: I have only just learned the word pleonasm. I wanted to write tautology but I knew that wasn't right so googled it. I like it. I think I, personally, will look for as many opportunities as possible to use it.

Ochon, I love you.

DappledThings · 26/03/2025 10:16

Maitri108 · 25/03/2025 23:26

I felt physically sick.

As opposed to mentally?

Yes. You can feel emotionally sick about something by finding it repellent or distressing. Which is different to feeling physically sick. Feeling physically sick can be a significant reaction to being sickened by something.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 26/03/2025 10:20

DappledThings · 26/03/2025 10:16

Yes. You can feel emotionally sick about something by finding it repellent or distressing. Which is different to feeling physically sick. Feeling physically sick can be a significant reaction to being sickened by something.

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I also think the term 'physically sick' is to differentiate from the American use of 'sick' to mean 'ill'. So someone feeling physically sick would be what the Americans would call 'sick to my stomach' - ie, feeling as though you might vomit. As opposed to having a temperature or feeling a bit 'off'.

So I'd give this one a pass.

Maitri108 · 26/03/2025 10:42

DappledThings · 26/03/2025 10:16

Yes. You can feel emotionally sick about something by finding it repellent or distressing. Which is different to feeling physically sick. Feeling physically sick can be a significant reaction to being sickened by something.

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Gosh, I've never heard that expression, I feel mentally sick. I've never heard someone say it, who knew?

Idontjetwashthefucker · 26/03/2025 10:50

Personally is the new basically

DappledThings · 26/03/2025 11:08

Maitri108 · 26/03/2025 10:42

Gosh, I've never heard that expression, I feel mentally sick. I've never heard someone say it, who knew?

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That's just silly. There not being a phrase "I feel mentally sick" doesn't mean that people don't feel sicked by something and feel upset, or sick, at it. Which means that saying you feel physically sick is a reasonable emphasis or difference to a purely emotional response.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/03/2025 11:12

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 26/03/2025 10:20

I also think the term 'physically sick' is to differentiate from the American use of 'sick' to mean 'ill'. So someone feeling physically sick would be what the Americans would call 'sick to my stomach' - ie, feeling as though you might vomit. As opposed to having a temperature or feeling a bit 'off'.

So I'd give this one a pass.

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Yes. Hiberno-English is the same. Sick means ill and can refer to any illness. Phrases like "sick with the flu" wouldn't be unusual and wouldn't suggest vomiting. That would be referred to as "getting sick". I haven't heard anyone say sick with the vomit in years but it used to be used to mean getting sick.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/03/2025 11:13

The13thFairy · 26/03/2025 10:06

Ochon, I love you.

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I'm a pedant at heart😀

Turmericcall · 26/03/2025 11:20

Oh I say that. I think I do it when I'm making a fairly lighthearted point that I know the person I'm talking to probably won't agree with. I.e. I'm not making an intellectual point or stating a fact, I'm opening a discussion.

RaraRachael · 26/03/2025 11:23

My mother had a friend who started sentences with, "Personally myself.......

AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta · 26/03/2025 11:27

In my personal opinion (😂 sorry OP) the one that does my head in is someone describing something embarrassing that happened to them and finishing with "I literally died". I mean, did you? Really? Your heart stopped beating, you collapsed and required CPR did you?
Can you not say "I was so mortified, I could've died".

BobbyBiscuits · 26/03/2025 11:33

I kind of see why people say this. There's a type of person who phrases things in such a way that their own opinion is projected as actual fact, that everyone feels that way or does that thing.

So by saying, I personally think/do this, you are making it plain that it is only your opinion and nothing more. And are willing to listen to other opinions on the subject.

OhHellolittleone · 26/03/2025 11:37

I use it to differentiate from my professional opinion… something I’m saying as a layman and not a qualified professional. For example, I work in education but am not a history teacher… I might say ‘personally I feel there should be topics like the Egyptians taught in key stage 1.’

squashyhat · 26/03/2025 11:40

Thanks OPI have learned a new word (neoplasm) which I will fling at my DH when he next talks about booking air flights (as opposed to....space flights?)

Maitri108 · 26/03/2025 11:41

DappledThings · 26/03/2025 11:08

That's just silly. There not being a phrase "I feel mentally sick" doesn't mean that people don't feel sicked by something and feel upset, or sick, at it. Which means that saying you feel physically sick is a reasonable emphasis or difference to a purely emotional response.

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I'm confused, I thought you said there was a phrase, "I feel mentally sick."

You don't need to add 'physically' to the sentence, I feel sick. Feeling sick is physical. We all know it's physical.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/03/2025 11:41

AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta · 26/03/2025 11:27

In my personal opinion (😂 sorry OP) the one that does my head in is someone describing something embarrassing that happened to them and finishing with "I literally died". I mean, did you? Really? Your heart stopped beating, you collapsed and required CPR did you?
Can you not say "I was so mortified, I could've died".

Except so many posters on here seem to think mortified means horrified. It took me a while to realise that and I spent a lot of time puzzling over why people were embarrassed by the behaviour of other people towards them.

LlynTegid · 26/03/2025 11:44

Agreeing it is overused, does not irk me as it does the OP. Probably wouldn't even make a top 10 of overused or exaggerated words for me. Overuse of big, little, literally and very come higher up.

DappledThings · 26/03/2025 11:46

Maitri108 · 26/03/2025 11:41

I'm confused, I thought you said there was a phrase, "I feel mentally sick."

You don't need to add 'physically' to the sentence, I feel sick. Feeling sick is physical. We all know it's physical.

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No, I said you can feel mentally or emotionally sick, not that there is an established phrase saying that. Feeling physically sick is a different sensation/emotion/reaction and a reasonable clarification or emphasis.

OchonAgusOchonOh · 26/03/2025 11:46

squashyhat · 26/03/2025 11:40

Thanks OPI have learned a new word (neoplasm) which I will fling at my DH when he next talks about booking air flights (as opposed to....space flights?)

Glad to be of service. It's a lovely word, isn't it? I'm adding it to "plethora" as one of my favourite words that deserve to be used more frequently.

Except, not wishing to be pedantic, not true, it's pleonasm, not neoplasm. IA neoplasm is, according to google, "An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should".

Will we just blame autocorrect? I find that's usually the best approach when I misspell.