So, Why Do Interviewees On The Tv Preceeed Every Answer With So....

[ToraToraTora]

There's a bloke on BBC News 24 at the moment, aaaarrrrgggghhhh!

[naomi24]

I agree with you Vulcan. I think it's said mainly to seek clarification.

[Denton]

Don't forget the word Drawing,most people on TV say: DrawRing,annoys the hell out of me.

[vulcan42]

Another annoying dropping a letter is the T from twenty, more and more people on the radio say twenny. The travel update announcers seem to be the biggest culprits.

[fiction-factory]

The SO thing started about 3 years ago. Listen to any interview on Radio 4's Today or PM or Money Box and almost every answer will start with 'so'. I have occasionally caught myself saying it. It's a good way to get your answer started as it's an easy word to stay- we have all at some stage started to speak and stumbled over the opening words.
The other thing that started about 10 years ago was people saying Absolutely instead of Yes. I tried it but I just couldn't make it sound convincing- just felt and sounded weird

[vulcan42]

Saying "So" at the start of a sentence is just a habit, just how much thinking time does it give to precede a sentence with "So"?

[fiction-factory]

It may give a bit of thinking time but I don't see that as it's main purpose. It could just as easily be okay or right or now then or I'm glad you asked me that. If you start an answer confidently it's easier to carry on in the same way. It is easier to say "So, when I said, .." than to start with "When I said", for example

[fiction-factory]

(its not it's)

[KARL]

This started in the USA not many years ago, I think it followed closely on the other recent fashion: "What happens is is...." (yes, a double "is"), again first in the USA but it is now gaining momentum in the UK also.

[andy-hughes]

naomi - // I agree with you Vulcan. I think it's said mainly to seek clarification. //

Not on here it's not!!!

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - // I agree with you Vulcan. I think it's said mainly to seek clarification. //

If that was the case, the interview or exchange would go like this -

Interviewer - Blah blah blah?

Interviewee - Blah blah blah.

Interviwer - So blah blah blah then?

Interviewee - Yes that's right.

But the reality is -

Interviwer - Blah blah blah?

Interviewee - So blah blah blah.

It is the interviewee's answer that starts with the 'So ...', not the clarification follow-up from the interviewer.

That means it is not 'mainly used to seek clarification at all'.

[Cloverjo]

I think the ‘So’ is more annoying when it’s in the form of (eg)
Person A: Who is your favourite [whatever]?
Person B: So, I really love X.
A: Not Y at all?
B: So, he’s ok, but I think ...blah blah

[sevenOP]

It is like, you know, like aping.
I like, thought you Tora, you know, would be well aware of like these conditioned action, you know, as you exhibit, like as we all do you know, certain indoctrinated like traits, like you know, stereotyping, you know, like you exhibit.

Absooooolutely. { ¦; o )

[vulcan42]

andy-hughes, it took you over twenty four hours to come up with your Explanation, however I wasn't talking about people being interviewed but everyday conversation.

[Spicerack]

24 hours and it's still blah, blah, blah.

[zebo]

Seems to go with the antipodean interrogative, sets my teeth on edge. From the same stable as 'end of' and 'wotevva'.

[andy-hughes]

vulcan - // andy-hughes, it took you over twenty four hours to come up with your Explanation, however I wasn't talking about people being interviewed but everyday conversation. //

No, it didn;t, it took me twenty-four seconds to come up with it, twenty-four hours before I could be bothered to post it.

Everyday conversation is influenced by television- and vice versa.

[andy-hughes]

ZEBO - // Seems to go with the antipodean interrogative ... //

I always remember Rory McGrath referring to it as 'the moronic interrogative' which I really liked!

[andy-hughes]

Naomi - any response to my post at 20:09 on Thursday?