Vexing phrases

[vetran]

When people use literally incorrectly. Only this morning some put in our chat they 'literally drank their bodyweight on Friday night'

You told him he was a lightweight?

[d000hg]

Exactly. It's an attempt to subliminally suggest "This is so", or "so be it", like an all-knowing oracle uttering unassailable words of wisdom.

Not in my experience. Younger people use it to demonstrate uncertainty or awkwardness. "soooo, I'm gluten-intolerant."

[OwlHoot]

Beginning with "so" is incorrect, if there is no preceding statement from which this statement follows on, or if "so" is followed by a justifying statement (as in, "So, because people start speaking with the word 'so', they are irritating f***wits"). "So, I'm James and I'm a f***wit" is grammatically incorrect.

Exactly. It's an attempt to subliminally suggest "This is so", or "so be it", like an all-knowing oracle uttering unassailable words of wisdom.

"So, I'm the departmental head. My name is Dee, and I'm part mental!"

[d000hg]

When people use literally incorrectly. Only this morning some put in our chat they 'literally drank their bodyweight on Friday night'

So that literally makes my blood boil.

[malvolio]

And why is that? It's not incorrect.

Beginning with "so" is incorrect, if there is no preceding statement from which this statement follows on, or if "so" is followed by a justifying statement (as in, "So, because people start speaking with the word 'so', they are irritating f***wits"). "So, I'm James and I'm a f***wit" is grammatically incorrect.

[northernladuk]

When people use literally incorrectly. Only this morning some put in our chat they 'literally drank their bodyweight on Friday night'

[Paralytic]

"To be fair...." - someone trying to justify something they know doesn't have support of others

"I, personally, ....." - as opposed to someone else personally?

[vetran]

Maybe he wanted to sound vaguely Japanese, in the (probably forlorn) hope of subliminally encouraging renowned Japanese speed and efficiency in his staff!

Fair you should be - Kaizen and Kanban make massive improvements implemented properly.

[northernladuk]

So, beginning a sentence with a conjunction really gets my goat

And why is that? It's not incorrect.

[OwlHoot]

A project manager used to always start his meetings with "okay..."

But, instead of pronouncing it okay he would, bizarrely, pronounce it "hock-eye" instead. Maybe he had some kind of speech impediment, or something, but it really got my goat.

Maybe he wanted to sound vaguely Japanese, in the (probably forlorn) hope of subliminally encouraging renowned Japanese speed and efficiency in his staff!