A trend away from answering "yes" or "no"

[pulykamell]

@Nava

I’d find the kind of responses mentioned in the OP unusual, but they convey the desired meaning, so it’s ok.

What drives me up a wall and down the other is people who answer an “A or B” question with “yes”. Yes what? Yes A, yes B, or yes you may give me a swift kick on the behind to help me wake up?

The answer “yes” to a question with multiple options is also often a slightly cheeky way of saying “all options sound good,” at least in English.

[ThelmaLou]

@Cheshire_Human

Incidentally, I’m named for the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, not for the cheese. I never knew there was a Cheshire cheese. I’ll have to look for it and try it like you suggest.

I knew that… I could tell by your smile. I just happened to think of the cheese.

[GreenElf]

A trend away from answering “yes” or “no”?

Well, I’d say “yes” and “no”.

[kemosabe]

That could be better than having someone spell out a three hour explaination of why the chose the car and all the events that lead them to it. just saying.

[Senegoid]

@pulykamell

ETA: Also, I seem to remember in Catholic grammar school in the 80s being drilled in responding in full sentences to yes-or-no questions.

That’s right! As educated citizens (well, those of us who are, anyway), we’ve had it engraved into our engrams by our English teachers: A complete sentence and nothing less than a complete sentence expresses a complete thought!

What about all those court trial scenes we see on TV shows where the crafty lawyer manipulates the witness by asking (sometimes convoluted) yes/no questions than can’t possibly be meaningfully answered with just yes or no, and then demanding a yes/no answer while the witness squirms, while the judge demands “witness will answer the question” – Does that kind of thing really happen like that in real live courts?

[Nava]

@Cheshire_Human

This one peeves me too, but from the opposite direction. The people asking the question start out with “A” and then pause, so I answer with “yes or no”, but then as I am answering, they add the “B” option, and then get upset that my answer was “yes or no” to the first, rather than the “A or B” that they wanted. Look, people, if you’re going to phrase your question as “A or B”, don’t pause between the options, and then complain when people answer the first half as “yes or no”. If you are getting a lot of those types of responses, you might want to examine how you are asking the question. It may well be your fault that you get so many of the type of response you are objecting to.

I’ve never gotten the “yes” halfway through the question, I begin by saying “there’s two options”, and often the question and the answer are both in writing. So while I understand why someone who behaved as you explain would be irritating, I don’t think it’s my case.

@pulykamell

The answer “yes” to a question with multiple options is also often a slightly cheeky way of saying “all options sound good,” at least in English.

In my mother’s case it’s Spanish for “I’m not really listening”. In business settings (the other place where I encounter it often), slightly cheeky doesn’t seem the proper tone when the difference between getting things right the first time or having to redo them can mean millions. Many, many millions…

[ThelmaLou]

@Jenaroph

The peeve I have about people in NPR interviews is when they’re asked a question, and they start their answer with “So”, no matter the type of question. I’d think it was some kind of regionalism, but I’ve heard tons of interviewees from all over the country doing it.

“How are the scientists sure this plant is really from these 30,000 year old seeds and not from some sort of contamination?”
“So the researchers made sure by blah de blah blah…”

“Do you think the increasing violence in Homs will force foreign powers to intercede?”
“So the French and Polish governments have said blah blah blah…”

“What applications do you think this new technology might lend itself to in the future?”
“So Apple has already contacted us expressing interest in blah blah blah…”

Drives me up a wall. Stop doing that.

Since you said this I’ve been noticing it all the time! Yes–they must stop annoying us!

What if during the next pledge drive we get everyone to call in and say they won’t contribute until people STOP answering questions beginning with “So” AND the women (announcers and guests) must ditch vocal fry (see my other thread). THAT would get their attention.

[TBG]

I tend to say “I guess so” instead of yes. Is that better than “it is”?

[guizot]

Do you really think that “I guess so” is functionally the same as “yes”? There’s reason we have these different expressions.

[Jasper_Kent]

Does it bother me that people don’t say “yes” or “no”?

Well, it does and it doesn’t.

[TBG]

@guizot

Do you really think that “I guess so” is functionally the same as “yes”?

I guess so.

[Jasper_Kent]

@TBG

I guess so.

Ya reckon?

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Jasper_Kent

Ya reckon?

Could be.

What annoys me are MS computer prompts such as, “Do you want to shut down your computer?” and the options are “Shut down” and “No.” Why not have the first option just be “Yes”?