Pages in topic:   [1 2 3] >
Off topic: So...
Thread poster: Tom in London
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:50
Member (2008)
Italian to English
Jan 20, 2016

Funny cartoon in the latest edition of "Private Eye" (unfortunately posting an image here is like going back to DOS, so I'm not going to try).

The drawing is quite simple: one man talking to another, saying

"So my New Year's resolution this year is to stop saying 'so' at the beginning of every sentence".


 
Merab Dekano
Merab Dekano  Identity Verified
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Honestly, frankly speaking, actually... Jan 20, 2016

Tom in London wrote:

Funny cartoon in the latest edition of "Private Eye" (unfortunately posting an image here is like going back to DOS, so I'm not going to try).

The drawing is quite simple: one man talking to another, saying

"So my New Year's resolution this year is to stop saying 'so' at the beginning of every sentence".


"So" is funny, but there are others.. Even though not a native speaker, it does bother me when I hear:

- Actually, ... (why, would it otherwise be a false affirmation?)
- Honestly,... (why, were you otherwise going to be dishonest with me?)
- Frankly speaking,... (what? Are you usually that unforthcoming?)

In Spanish we use a lot "sinceramente". I once heard a humourist saying "sinceramente sí, pero sin sinceramente no", which pretty much describes how pathetic the expression is.


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:50
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
Quite Jan 20, 2016

So to be perfectly honest with you, I have to quite literally say, sort of, you know....

[Edited at 2016-01-20 11:19 GMT]


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 00:50
Spanish to English
+ ...
Peccata minuta Jan 20, 2016

The way I see it, minor foibles like the ones mentioned are simply part and parcel of normal speech. Not worth getting one's knickers in a twist over, vamos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phatic_expression

PS: Some people even get irritated by the three dots...

[Edited at 2016-01-20 11:36 GMT]
PPS: Or "moist"...

[Edited at 2016-01-20 11:37 GMT
... See more
The way I see it, minor foibles like the ones mentioned are simply part and parcel of normal speech. Not worth getting one's knickers in a twist over, vamos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phatic_expression

PS: Some people even get irritated by the three dots...

[Edited at 2016-01-20 11:36 GMT]
PPS: Or "moist"...

[Edited at 2016-01-20 11:37 GMT]
http://mentalfloss.com/article/64984/science-behind-why-people-hate-word-moist

(My own personal bugbear is apostrophe abuse... but don't get me started on that!)

[Edited at 2016-01-20 11:41 GMT]
Collapse


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:50
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
You're not here Jan 20, 2016

neilmac wrote:

The way I see it, minor foibles like the ones mentioned are simply part and parcel of normal speech. Not worth getting one's knickers in a twist over


You're in Spain, so you're not hearing it every day, all the time.


 
Noni Gilbert Riley
Noni Gilbert Riley
Spain
Local time: 00:50
Spanish to English
+ ...
Frequently heard on the lips of candidates at interview... Jan 20, 2016

"To be honest....."

So [sic], were you not being honest up until now?


 
Daniel Bird
Daniel Bird  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:50
German to English
It's a funny/peculiar usage; how did it creep into such widespread use? Jan 20, 2016

I think I first noticed it being used some years ago, overwhelmingly by technocrats, scientists and the like, groups that are typically seen as poor communicators (however unjust that might be). Maybe it was originally a jargon or trade lingo usage that existed in the academic echo chamber but escaped.
It's most certainly out in the wild now so we'd best get used to it.


 
Marco Solinas
Marco Solinas  Identity Verified
Local time: 16:50
Italian to English
+ ...
? Jan 20, 2016

So...what?

 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:50
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
It will disappear Jan 21, 2016

Daniel Bird wrote:

I think I first noticed it being used some years ago, overwhelmingly by technocrats, scientists and the like, groups that are typically seen as poor communicators (however unjust that might be). Maybe it was originally a jargon or trade lingo usage that existed in the academic echo chamber but escaped.
It's most certainly out in the wild now so we'd best get used to it.


Only those living in an English-speaking country will be aware of it.

Like so many linguistic fads, I'm willing to bet that people will eventually stop saying it.

.....I hope.


 
Lingua 5B
Lingua 5B  Identity Verified
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Local time: 00:50
Member (2009)
English to Croatian
+ ...
Precisely. Jan 21, 2016

Marco Solinas wrote:

So...what?


You hit the nail on the head : )


 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:50
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
It's not just "so..." Jan 21, 2016

Tom in London wrote:
Like so many linguistic fads, I'm willing to bet that people will eventually stop saying it.
.....I hope.

As do I.

Unfortunately "So..." often seems to be accompanied by uptalk - another annoying mannerism.

Dan


 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:50
Member (2008)
Italian to English
TOPIC STARTER
Fry Jan 21, 2016

Dan Lucas wrote:

Tom in London wrote:
Like so many linguistic fads, I'm willing to bet that people will eventually stop saying it.
.....I hope.

As do I.

Unfortunately "So..." often seems to be accompanied by uptalk - another annoying mannerism.

Dan


Yes -and uptalk PLUS the dreaded glottal fry.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7BBNEwyOjw

[Edited at 2016-01-21 09:21 GMT]


 
Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 00:50
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Anything is better than øøøøøøøøøh Jan 21, 2016

English doesn't really have an equivalent for this Danish vowel, but it is ugly if unnecessarily prolonged. Something in the direction of eu in French neveu, perhaps.

We had a politician who could go on and on with the 'Øøøøøøøøøøøøøøøø...' when interviewed, and used it as a comma mid-sentence. Someone told her in the end, and then we could go back to laughing at the really odd things she said. She ended up as a comissioner in th EU.

Many Danes wh
... See more
English doesn't really have an equivalent for this Danish vowel, but it is ugly if unnecessarily prolonged. Something in the direction of eu in French neveu, perhaps.

We had a politician who could go on and on with the 'Øøøøøøøøøøøøøøøø...' when interviewed, and used it as a comma mid-sentence. Someone told her in the end, and then we could go back to laughing at the really odd things she said. She ended up as a comissioner in th EU.

Many Danes who ought to know better say 'Yes, but' (Jamen...) at the beginning of every utterance. It drives others mad, and often sounds silly in answer to a question. (Hope I don't say it too often myself!)
Collapse


 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 00:50
French to English
so like Jan 21, 2016

Tom in London wrote:

neilmac wrote:

The way I see it, minor foibles like the ones mentioned are simply part and parcel of normal speech. Not worth getting one's knickers in a twist over


You're in Spain, so you're not hearing it every day, all the time.


So I'm in France, but I'm hearing and reading it plenty, it's all over FB for ex and I do have native English speaking friends here. Wouldn't say it was worth getting uptight over, although I certainly would refrain from using it like that in a translation, unless specifically required to use teenspeak.

I did laugh at the joke though.


 
Balasubramaniam L.
Balasubramaniam L.  Identity Verified
India
Local time: 05:20
Member (2006)
English to Hindi
+ ...
SITE LOCALIZER
So I am not the only one Jan 21, 2016

I use so quite liberally myself, especially in unguarded writing as in forum posts. I often come back to my posts later to extirpate them.

I am glad to learn that this is not my foible alone and natives too are prone to this tendency.


 
Pages in topic:   [1 2 3] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:


You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

So...






Anycount & Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000

Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.

More info »
Trados Business Manager Lite
Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio

Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.

More info »