Why do smart people speak so poorly ?

[glenn/dallas]

I have notice it more and nore over the past year. Live conversations on TV, a one on one conversation, is where I hear it the most:

Interviewer: Why did you scale the cliff ?
Responder: So, I did it because it was there...

Interviewer: Who is your favorite screen actor ?
Responder: So, After considering all the choices...

Interviewer: Can you tell me how nuclear fisson works ?
Responder: So, its sorta like cracking an egg....

You get the idead, it happens all the time. Why do so many preface their statement with "So" ?

[BillB]

They pick it up listening to TV.
It's a fad. They think it sounds cool.

[GFB]

Millennial thing

[crocmommy]

They can't write either.

[BillB]

Here's another one to look for:

Young people start almost every other sentence with "actually".
"Do you go to school?"
"Actually, I do."

"Do you have siblings?"
Actually, I have a brother and sister"

It isn't grammatically incorrect, it's just sounds redundant and gets old.

Hillary Clinton is the worst I've heard for a professional politician.
She's addicted to salting her sentences with "you know".
Listen to her the next time you hear her speak or be interviewed. Count the "you knows"s.
It's almost comical.

[crocmommy]

I'm guilty of the "actually" thing...so now i am a young person? Cool!!!

The overuse of "awesome" annoys me. Not every little thing can be AWESOME. I've noticed my kids teachers use it a lot.

ONE MORE THING ABOUT ACTUALLY....With my kids, I find myself using it as a substitute for REALLY. Here's an example: Actually, you need to clean your room, or you won't be going anywhere this weekend.

[millergrovesue]

"Like" "So" "sort of" 3 things used too often and improperly.

I think "sort of" is a Britism that has invaded the US. It's sort of a wooden door. No, it's either a door or it's not.

A trip to almost anywhere, but I've really noticed it at the doggie ophthalmologist's, is a decent into "like" hell. The younger women can't speak a single sentence without inserting numerous "like"s. Sadly, "like" has been around for more than a decade and shows no signs of going away.

"So" seems to have come about in the past 5ish years. Yes, I often hear otherwise very intelligent people using it inappropriately. Heard a college dean, on the radio a couple of weeks ago, use it 3 times in a sentence including at the beginning and the end of the sentence. I could hardly listen to the his content because I was so distracted by "so".

And "awesome". Every thing from metor showers to a clean pair of socks is "awesome".

[millergrovesue]

And while we're complaining - over pronunciation of the letter D. "How are you?" "GooD." " What's your name?" "JorDan."

[mayhem]

I noticed this 'so' thing just a week or so ago while watching the Today Show. What's the sense in it? Egad!

I can't figure out a couple other things:

1. Why do so many say "went" missing? Isn't 'she's missing' all you need? 'She went missing.' I don't think so.
2. Some friends of mine end every damn sentence with 'and stuff' (More irritating to me than you-know, you know, you know).
3. At a crime scene someone almost always says, "This guy is DOA" when what he is is "DOS" ... it makes a real diff.
4. What about we find a dead body? Why don't we say 'found a body' instead? If it's a close call, the context should make
it clear.
5. My name is 'Major Paint in the Ass!' No, it's not. One's name is one's name and in this instance it's 'Pain in the Ass.'

For examples: Golly, she's got such a beautiful (live) body! or Her (dead) body was found in a ditch!, or Her (dead) body was found all over the
highway. The first one is OK but redundant, the second one maybe OK but, seriously, the context helps a lot,
and the third one clearly informs the 'state' of the body.

One that really grates on my nerves is the constant din of "No, problem." It's not a big deal, but when someone is being paid
to do something, it doesn't matter whether it's a problem or not. If you are asking for a favor, no problem is AOK.

But when a server says "no problem" if I make a request (say more coffee), I want to say,"Why's I no problem? Isn't
that why you are here. (Yeah, I know. Picky, picky, picky.)

[GFB]

Another annoying Millennial thing..

..at the end of a sentence, your voice raises in pitch.

[Red Oak]

However they have very agile thumbs.

[BillB]

I found myself hooked on saying "basically" all the time. I was giving presentations all day long and "basically" became a habit.
It took awhile, but I broke the habit.
That kind of thing is easy to pick up and hard to stop.

[BillB]

Another annoying Millennial thing..

..at the end of a sentence, your voice raises in pitch.

Yes. It sounds like every sentence is a question.

[millergrovesue]

I noticed this 'so' thing just a week or so ago while watching the Today Show. What's the sense in it? Egad!

I can't figure out a couple other things:

1. Why do so many say "went" missing? Isn't 'she's missing' all you need? 'She went missing.' I don't think so.
2. Some friends of mine end every damn sentence with 'and stuff' (More irritating to me than you-know, you know, you know).
3. At a crime scene someone almost always says, "This guy is DOA" when what he is is "DOS" ... it makes a real diff.
4. What about we find a dead body? Why don't we say 'found a body' instead? If it's a close call, the context should make
it clear.
5. My name is 'Major Paint in the Ass!' No, it's not. One's name is one's name and in this instance it's 'Pain in the Ass.'

For examples: Golly, she's got such a beautiful (live) body! or Her (dead) body was found in a ditch!, or Her (dead) body was found all over the
highway. The first one is OK but redundant, the second one maybe OK but, seriously, the context helps a lot,
and the third one clearly informs the 'state' of the body.

One that really grates on my nerves is the constant din of "No, problem." It's not a big deal, but when someone is being paid
to do something, it doesn't matter whether it's a problem or not. If you are asking for a favor, no problem is AOK.

But when a server says "no problem" if I make a request (say more coffee), I want to say,"Why's I no problem? Isn't
that why you are here. (Yeah, I know. Picky, picky, picky.)

I think "went missing" is another Britism. Irks me when we adopt Britisms and Aussieisms "no worries" - which I'm hearing frequently.

The DOA thing has always mystified me too. Unless they are saying the victim was dead on OUR arrival..........which I don't think is the case. Yes, DOS makes much more sense.

I'm guilty of "no problem", mostly when responding to client requests. You are right about it. I'll quit using that term.

Well, why do we call it a hot water heater? Yep, I do that frequently and most always catch myself.

[millergrovesue]

I found myself hooked on saying "basically" all the time. I was giving presentations all day long and "basically" became a habit.
It took awhile, but I broke the habit.
That kind of thing is easy to pick up and hard to stop.

AMEN to that! I'm guilty of the "basically" thing too and am working on it. Heck, I catch myself saying "like" also.

[BillB]

I noticed this 'so' thing just a week or so ago while watching the Today Show. What's the sense in it? Egad!

I can't figure out a couple other things:

1. Why do so many say "went" missing? Isn't 'she's missing' all you need? 'She went missing.' I don't think so.
2. Some friends of mine end every damn sentence with 'and stuff' (More irritating to me than you-know, you know, you know).
3. At a crime scene someone almost always says, "This guy is DOA" when what he is is "DOS" ... it makes a real diff.
4. What about we find a dead body? Why don't we say 'found a body' instead? If it's a close call, the context should make
it clear.
5. My name is 'Major Paint in the Ass!' No, it's not. One's name is one's name and in this instance it's 'Pain in the Ass.'

For examples: Golly, she's got such a beautiful (live) body! or Her (dead) body was found in a ditch!, or Her (dead) body was found all over the
highway. The first one is OK but redundant, the second one maybe OK but, seriously, the context helps a lot,
and the third one clearly informs the 'state' of the body.

One that really grates on my nerves is the constant din of "No, problem." It's not a big deal, but when someone is being paid
to do something, it doesn't matter whether it's a problem or not. If you are asking for a favor, no problem is AOK.

But when a server says "no problem" if I make a request (say more coffee), I want to say,"Why's I no problem? Isn't
that why you are here. (Yeah, I know. Picky, picky, picky.)

I think "went missing" is another Britism. Irks me when we adopt Britisms and Aussieisms "no worries" - which I'm hearing frequently.

The DOA thing has always mystified me too. Unless they are saying the victim was dead on OUR arrival..........which I don't think is the case. Yes, DOS makes much more sense.

I'm guilty of "no problem", mostly when responding to client requests. You are right about it. I'll quit using that term.

Well, why do we call it a hot water heater? Yep, I do that frequently and most always catch myself.

I can understand that one. Hot water heater distinguishes it from any other type of heater.

[millergrovesue]

Another annoying Millennial thing..

..at the end of a sentence, your voice raises in pitch.

Yes. It sounds like every sentence is a question.

Yes it is. Couple it with a bunch of "so"s and "like"s and you can hardly pay attention to the content. Wasn't the voice raising thing originally a part of Valley Girl speak?

[millergrovesue]

I can understand that one. Hot water heater distinguishes it from any other type of heater.

But, why do you need to heat hot water? Unless you want it boiling.

[mayhem]

One more, please....

"... at this point in time ..." which just means 'now'

[millergrovesue]

One more, please....

"... at this point in time ..." which just means 'now'

Aren't the politicians the ones responsible for starting that?