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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsWhen did everyone begin starting sentences with the word "so"?
Did I miss a memo?
I opened an email today that began:
So a family member died....
(Just one example of many I've seen recently)
lapfog_1
(29,205 posts)Do, a deer, a female deer
Re, a drop of golden sun
Mi, a name, I call myself
Fa, a long, long way to run
So, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow So
Ti, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do, oh, oh, oh
pandr32
(11,588 posts)So, we have for you today...
I hate it.
spooky3
(34,458 posts)Have also heard it a lot on NPR.
Really annoying.
pandr32
(11,588 posts)It seems to be a trend of sloppy English.
rsdsharp
(9,186 posts)I used to count the number of times he said so in each segment. OK, so Chris. . .
pandr32
(11,588 posts)MLAA
(17,298 posts)Like nails on a chalkboard to me. I finally stopped answering with so what? I have to bite my tongue every time.
Coventina
(27,121 posts)I have a co-worker who does a variation, she ends almost every sentence with "so, yeah."
Hugh_Lebowski
(33,643 posts)Bit of a 'let the person figure out what the point is to what you previously said' type of deal.
It's a way to tell the person you trust their intelligence, so ...
intrepidity
(7,307 posts)MLAA
(17,298 posts)LuckyLib
(6,819 posts)List left
(595 posts)Right is another..Not so bad when an agreement from another person but annoying when it is the original speaker. Right?
LakeArenal
(28,820 posts)Decorator says Its really nice, right?
What is homeowner supposed to say on tv? Hell no?
List left
(595 posts)What really bothers me is the use of te instead of to. I heard myself say it and was shocked. "I am going te the store" No idea when I started and now it seems ubiquitous.
Also the conflation of then and than I believe began or at least was promulgated through WOW and other mmorpg. (massively multiplayer online role-playing games)
Linguistic drift...
LakeArenal
(28,820 posts)Thats like annoying I guess. So, you know what Im like sayin? Edit to add: Right?
Doc Sportello
(7,522 posts)I like him and he has done great work but almost every response to a question begins ... "So," ...
intrepidity
(7,307 posts)Truly, abiut the only two linguistic things that *really* bother me are: 1) "nu-ku-lar" (which I was extremely dismayed to read, on the Merriam-Webster site no less, was an "acceptable" pronunciation now because it is so ubiquitous, grrrrrrrrrr!) and 2) vocal fry.
Most everything else I tolerate and likely even employ myself. But those two just really rile me up.
rsdsharp
(9,186 posts)It seems ubiquitous with young women. I especially hate it when it results in the word you being pronounced as yow.
The other thing is the trend of PA announcers holding the last syllable of the last word. Its a threeeeeeerreeeeereeeeeee!!!!!!! I guess it started with the Lets get ready to rumbllllllllllle! guy but I hate it. It sounds so unprofessional to me. The first aircheck I cut had me saying Good afternooooooon! It was embarrassing, and I never did it again.
Doc Sportello
(7,522 posts)Which is a stupid way to get included in the dictionary.
Farrow's use of 'So' doesn't so much bother me as I think it is funny that someone so articulate would use it so often. We all use what are called filler words like 'ahh' or 'like', but he starts his sentences that way.
I didn't even know what vocal fry is till I looked it up. Reminded me of the old Smothers Brothers joke when Dickie told Tommy to lower his voice (meaning volume) and Tommy started talking in a deep voice. That always made me laugh.
Bev54
(10,053 posts)LuckyLib
(6,819 posts)mnhtnbb
(31,392 posts)callous taoboy
(4,585 posts)Just as annoying. I've been gently trying to get a friend to refrain from saying it.
yellowdogintexas
(22,264 posts)confusing, I will use that. Especially when trying to make a point in a discussion
jcgoldie
(11,631 posts)Maybe I get a small reprieve since I'm a HS math teacher actually checking for comprehension.
callous taoboy
(4,585 posts)I'm also a teacher, younger kids, so I don't say "Does that make sense" because I always assume that to half of them it doesn't make sense until they've had more time with an idea. I say, "Thumbs up if you get it, thumb sideways if you sort of get it, thumbs down if you don't get it." Gotta check for understanding frequently with the young ones.
a kennedy
(29,672 posts)Emile
(22,789 posts)Maybe it's your location?
Hotler
(11,425 posts)It was so heavy.
It was so long.
It's so hot.
I'm so happy.
The "so" Nazi are in the house.
yellowdogintexas
(22,264 posts)The comparison ("it was so hot" for example) seems to be kind of an abbreviation. Example: It was so hot I baked an apple in my car. It was so cold the dog caught a frisbee and it snapped in half. I was so angry I could have spit nails.
This grammar discussion may be helpful
http://partofspeech.org/what-part-of-speech-is-so/
Also this: So is one of seven coordinating conjunctions represented by the mnemonic FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, and so. When these coordinating conjunctions connect two independent clauses, the conjunction is always preceded by a comma.
if you google on uses of 'so' there are lots of interesting articles. This ancient English major found them to be a great deal of fun
So what are you waiting for?
3catwoman3
(24,006 posts)
jack of all trades.
Interesting link. Thanks for posting it. I love stuff like this.
sl8
(13,786 posts)I really didn't care for my English classes in school, because it just seemed so darned arbitrary, unlike math and science.
Over time, my attitude has changed and posts like yours and articles like the one you linked are largely responsible.
frogmarch
(12,154 posts)people began starting sentences with "But" and "And."
pressbox69
(2,252 posts)targetpractice
(4,919 posts)Here's an article about it...
Like [so, and well are] often found grazing at the beginning of sentences, in a position that is generally thought of as a discourse marker. A discourse marker is the word you use at the beginning of a sentence when you say "Well, I think that using like in that way makes you sound foolish." It serves a very similar role to the word at the beginning of the sentence uttered in response to your disapproval: "Like, thats just your opinion."
https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/read-this-if-you-hate-the-word-like
LudwigPastorius
(9,155 posts)this very thing when they would answer a question. Once I became aware of it, I started to notice it everywhere, and it really started to get under my skin.
I guess the written use of this unnecessary sentence starter is just taking things to the next level.