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So

Tony L

Administrator
So judging from watching my TV most sentences today start with the word ‘so’. So where does this irritating affliction originate?

PS I’m not even doing it right; one needs to stick the ‘so’ at the start of a sentence where it has absolutely no logical context.
 
So, it's an Americanism; a bit of verbal punctuation.

The best theory I have heard about its rise to prominence is that it's an attempt by the speaker to subconsciously add emphasis / imbue importance to what follows.

It's annoyingly catching; my team have my permission to call me out if I ever use it because when I hear others use it it really gets on my tits.
 
If you watch Huw F Edwards reading the news then every sentence begins with "Now". Not "So".
 
To be fair, most news presenters (as opposed to teenagers) don't then finish their sentences with "riiight".
 
So, it's an Americanism; a bit of verbal punctuation.

The best theory I have heard about its rise to prominence is that it's an attempt by the speaker to subconsciously add emphasis / imbue importance to what follows.

It's annoyingly catching; my team have my permission to call me out if I ever use it because when I hear others use it it really gets on my tits.
Spot on.
 
Its only three years old, but i heard its a thinkin pause..

I find its often a statement being delivered and annoying for that reason too
 
This increasing misuse of the conjunction 'so' (but can be an adverb) annoys me intensely. Supposedly educated people on TV (as mentioned here) use it.

A conjunction JOINS phrases or sentences, so CANNOT LINGUISTICALLY START A SENTENCE. The most common usage I've noticed is in answer to a question, as though the answer logically ensues from it.

As least 'like' was an excuse by ignorant (mainly) young people who found it difficult to string a sentence together. 'So', though, is catching on like a wildfire in the business world. Pretentious ? Well, yes, I think that's part of its allure, as it possibly sounds authoritative.

I've only noticed one thread on pfm beginning with 'so', and I expect the erudite members here probably will allow that one slip.:D
 


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