# English Use Of "BUT" At the End of A Sentence **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 20, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545 "2011-11-20T12:54:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/41 "2011-11-21T03:09:58Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > It is not specifically an NSW linquistic quirk. It is a socio-economic quirk, if anything. It’s commonplace amongst a certain demographic in Qld. I suspect similarly everywhere else in Australia also. The soap character I particularly associate it with is Irene in Home and Away. She definitely belongs to a particular demographic (older woman, a bit rough around the edges) and she isn’t native to the show’s setting so they may be deliberately using it as a marker for the character. I don’t know where she’s supposed to be from but. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/42 "2011-11-21T03:11:35Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > It is not specifically an NSW linquistic quirk. It is a socio-economic quirk, if anything. It’s commonplace amongst a certain demographic in Qld. I suspect similarly everywhere else in Australia also. It’s definitely not a socio-economic linguistic quirk in SA, WA or any parts of Vic that I’m familiar with. I stand corrected in that it’s in use in QLD as well, but it’s certainly not a nationwide linguistic quirk at all. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/43 "2011-11-21T04:44:09Z")
Stand up comics use it as a a way to imply that he is “just saying something” presumably funny or witty, and he’s got more to say but the laughter prevents him from continuing, and he graciously drops the topic. He then goes on to another set-up. Once you notice it, you realize how ingrained it is in the comic’s craft. This is in America, at least. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/44 "2011-11-21T04:48:17Z")
I think it might be similar to the use of “only” in Indian English. It has no grammatical role, it’s difficult to define it’s meaning, and it’s mainly used as an intensifier. “What to do? He is like that, only, no?” (“Nothing can be done about it. That’s just the way he is. Am I right?”) ---
**Author:** ![JessMagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@JessMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessMagic)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/45 "2011-11-21T06:02:14Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Rocket. Hingmy. “But” at the end of a sentence is definitely a Glasgow and surrounding areas thing. Nobody says it in Aberdeen. “Like” at the end of a sentence, serving no real purpose, is pretty common though. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/46 "2011-11-21T06:09:20Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I think it might be similar to the use of “only” in Indian English. It has no grammatical role, it’s difficult to define it’s meaning, and it’s mainly used as an intensifier. > > “What to do? He is like that, only, no?” (“Nothing can be done about it. That’s just the way he is. Am I right?”) No, as other have said, the OP usage in Scots and Australian english does not involve an ellipsis and it is not merely an intensifier or excess verbiage. It is not “I don’t mind looking at TV but…” I don’t doubt that usage exists. That is not what the OP is talking about, but. The usage the OP is describing simply involves using “but” instead of “though” at the end of a sentence. It is a purposive grammatical construction, unconventional as may be. If you haven’t heard this then I expect it’s hard to fathom, but it is certainly not merely people trailling off their sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/47 "2011-11-21T06:24:20Z")
For the ending ‘but’, sounds like it is used like it _should_ be at the front of the sentence. Interesting, and now I’ll know what someone means if I hear them say it. ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/48 "2011-11-21T08:51:51Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > I will point out that even in Australia it’s very specifically a New South Wales linguistic quirk. After I spent a few years living in Sydney and picked it up from my friends there, when I came back to Adelaide there was merciless ribbing when I finished my sentences with ‘but’. And I still do it from time to time, if I’m not thinking about it. > > The more I think about it, the weirder it sounds but. > > And it’s very much not a trailing but. The sentence is terminated. You know now that you mention it, I recall an old Aussie sitcom “Hey Dad” where the secretary, Betty always did this. Betty was from the country and the other characters would make fun of her for dong it. I’ll see if I can locate some examples on YouTube. It’s definitively not a trailing off thing though ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/49 "2011-11-21T09:15:29Z")
Betty is ostensibly from country New South Wales, a town called [Walgett](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walgett,_New_South_Wales) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/50 "2011-11-21T09:29:51Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > … a town called [Walgett](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walgett,_New_South_Wales) Interesting town. I wouldn’t want to live there but. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/51 "2011-11-21T10:20:59Z")
Says the Novocastrian 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BeaMyra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@BeaMyra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeaMyra)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/52 "2011-11-21T10:51:36Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Interesting town. I wouldn’t want to live there but. OK this is a perfect example of how I hear it being used ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2011, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/53 "2011-11-21T10:54:20Z")
Betty’s a nice girl. A bit dim but. ---
**Author:** ![rootz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@rootz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rootz)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/54 "2012-10-29T20:44:01Z")
When I was a child in Corby (England), in the 1950’s, about half of the people who lived there had actually come from Scotland. I used to start arguments with my friend, who was from Edinburgh, when we were about eight years old, because she ended sentences with ‘but’ (meaning ‘though’). It definitely was not a trailing off kind of ‘but’! However, having moved to Corby when I was six, after a few more years of living amongst all these Scots, I got into the habit myself, and all these years later, I sometimes hear myself ending sentences with ‘but’. My husband happens to be Scottish, from Montrose. However he never ends his sentences with ‘but’! He does say some other things which sound a bit strange, but! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545/55 "2012-10-30T04:29:12Z")
If I heard anyone doing this, I would kick them in the but. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-use-of-but-at-the-end-of-a-sentence/603545.md?page=2)