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Ugh! Yes I've noticed "right" and was going to post about the rend of leading sentences with "so". In response to a question or just leading into the next topic. "Tell us about x". "So, I heard about x from..." Oy. It's like everyone learned not to use filler sounds like "ummm" and now make up for it with these intro and exit fillers.
I see "so" as a way to get someone's attention and have a habit of using it for that purpose, but I think because you usually try to get people's attention when you're starting a conversation I'll sometimes subconsciously use it when I start to say something even if it's not necessary.
If someone asks me a question and I need to think about but want to let them know I heard and understood their question I usually say "well..." instead.
I noticed "so" five or six years ago, watching a trial on Court TV. There was an expert witness on the stand, a doctor, and every time he was asked a question, he started the answer with "So...". It was SOOO annoying (see what I did there?)! I then noticed it more and more frequently, mostly among the young yuppie types but also TV commentators and such. It's rampant now. If you haven't noticed it, you're just not observant.
As for "right?" in the middle of sentences, I noticed that trend maybe a year or two after "so". It's such a cheesy way of getting affirmation from your listener, right? especially if you're trying to convince them of something. It is also now rampant.
I have to chuckle at these terms that become the latest trend. I actually remember when "folks" came into vogue....mid-90's....everyone at work started saying stuff like, "I was talking to the folks over in Sales....". I was like, FOLKS??? Are we on the farm in Nebraska???
"Let me ask you this." "What if I asked you this..." "Well, let's put it this way." Shut up! Just say it! I don't need a preamble!
"Can I ask you something?" NO. Just ask.
"The reason we're doing this is because..." No. "We're doing this because..."
I've noticed (college-age/young) people starting sentences with "So....we met at noon." And it's not 12:00 pm, it's NOON.
Everyone who says "That said" or "Having said that" should be immediately flogged.
Maybe my biggest peeve is "have got." You either have something or you "got" (as in "received" something). And "I'm loving that new..." No, you're not, unless you are physically attracted to inanimate objects, places, or trends.
And I am tired of acronyms and lazy writing with no punctuation or all lowercase ("Oh, but I was texting.") Don't text, then, and butcher language.
I've noticed lately several folks in management who often speak in front of larger teams/groups have what I would call a sort of nervous tick, where as they are speaking in mid-sentence they'll nod their heads and ask "Right?". I've noticed this odd and annoying way of speaking has now seemed to have caught on with others and almost no one who gets up to speak speaks normally any longer, it's always "Right.......RIGHT????" with a weird smile and a invitation to nod. Most are women on the East coast, but I've seen this on newscasts as well.
Anyone else notice this at their place of work? Can we agree, RIGHT? RIGHT?, to put a stop to this???
I know, right?!
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