# So, the use of the word "So" in the US. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278 "2015-01-08T00:55:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/21 "2015-01-08T15:56:36Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > So, I take it you’ve never been to Minnesota, then? Minne **so** ta ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/22 "2015-01-08T16:48:55Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I argue that it isn’t really about pure grammar or transient style but really about immutable linguistic concepts. The issue with starting a new thought or conversation with the word “So” can indicate only a few things and none of them are good for the speaker/writer or the listener. > > 1. The speaker/writer is insecure about what they are about to communicate. > > 2. They used the word as a marker to let you know what they are about to communicate is prepared beforehand and they are just delivering the scripted message (most common when answering questions under pressure). > > 3. They are being condescending to the audience and think that they need to dumb things down to provide something like a technical explanation but without giving all the necessary details (therefore subtly announcing beforehand that they are jumping from a premise to a conclusion and you better just accept what they say in the next few sentences). > > All of those problems can be avoided by avoiding the construction entirely and by communicating in direct sentences that treat the intended audience with respect and make the person communicating sound both more confident and competent. I think this is a bit harsh, there is a place for ‘so’ in casual conversation. There is nothing wrong with being insecure about something one is about to say, it is the nature of conjecture for example. A mature person realizes they do not know everything. If someone actually thinks every thing that comes out of their mouth is immutable I want nothing to do with them. It is not so much a marker to indicate something is prepared beforehand but that it is something they have been thinking about and want to discuss. It is not necessary, there are other ways to say it. Language is funny that way. Even pedants do not have the context to understand concepts from areas outside their familiarity. You can call it dumbed down all you want, but if you are going to introduce a new concept to somebody you do not talk to them as if they are an expert on that concept. If someone uses ‘so’ to introduce a concept, a premise, or a conclusion it does not instantly mean ‘you better just accept what they say’. That particular dynamic has a lot more going on with it than the use of the word ‘so’. It certainly is a crutch word, has a long history of overuse, and isn’t going to win you accolades at Toastmasters. It is not completely toxic either and there is nothing wrong with occasional use of ‘so’ as a bridge. ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/23 "2015-01-08T19:44:35Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > I think this is a bit harsh, there is a place for ‘so’ in casual conversation. There is nothing wrong with being insecure about something one is about to say, it is the nature of conjecture for example. A mature person realizes they do not know everything. If someone actually thinks every thing that comes out of their mouth is immutable I want nothing to do with them. > > It is not so much a marker to indicate something is prepared beforehand but that it is something they have been thinking about and want to discuss. It is not necessary, there are other ways to say it. Language is funny that way. > > Even pedants do not have the context to understand concepts from areas outside their familiarity. You can call it dumbed down all you want, but if you are going to introduce a new concept to somebody you do not talk to them as if they are an expert on that concept. If someone uses ‘so’ to introduce a concept, a premise, or a conclusion it does not instantly mean ‘you better just accept what they say’. That particular dynamic has a lot more going on with it than the use of the word ‘so’. > > It certainly is a crutch word, has a long history of overuse, and isn’t going to win you accolades at Toastmasters. It is not completely toxic either and there is nothing wrong with occasional use of ‘so’ as a bridge. I think this pretty much is it. It can be used as a verbal cue that conveys “I’m now about to introduce a new concept, and the following is my topic statement.” The conversation might be about where to go for lunch, then one conversant could say “So… I’m thinking of getting a dog.” Meaning: _I now consider our conversation about lunch successfully concluded, and the following is my proposed new statement, for which I’d like your input_. If you reach the logical conclusion of a topic and want to introduce a new one, blurting out “I WANT A DOGGIE” is an odd and awkward turn. It can change the meaning. If I’d started this post with “So… I think this pretty much is it.” because I’ve signaled I’m about to say an independent thought, that sentence means I’m going to go jump off a bridge or we’re breaking up or something. Without the so, I’ve only said “Yup. That.” It’s not always perfectly removable, as some have indicated. FWIW Spanish, as I’ve noticed, has a similar trend with “Entonces”, which roughly translates as sort of “well/therefore…” ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/24 "2015-01-08T21:21:27Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > 1. The speaker/writer is insecure about what they are about to communicate. > > 2. They used the word as a marker to let you know what they are about to communicate is prepared beforehand and they are just delivering the scripted message (most common when answering questions under pressure). > > 3. They are being condescending to the audience and think that they need to dumb things down to provide something like a technical explanation but without giving all the necessary details (therefore subtly announcing beforehand that they are jumping from a premise to a conclusion and you better just accept what they say in the next few sentences). How do these examples fit with the use of “so” at the very start of an interaction, for example at an interview as soon as the interviewee sits down: “So, tell me about your prior experience”, or the psychiatrist who says, “So, Mr Smith, tell me about your relationship with your mother”. In neither of these cases does “so” mean “therefore”, and I don’t think this usage is a recent development. ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/25 "2015-01-08T21:22:53Z")
You know how you just don’t notice certain things until someone mentions them? Then someone mentions it, and then you can’t STOP noticing it? A few months ago, I read or heard someone talking about people using “So,” to begin a sentence. Since then, every time I hear anyone use that word, I cannot help but groan, “Not another one!” I will ask you nicely, please knock it off! ---
**Author:** ![OffByOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/45deac/32.png) [@OffByOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OffByOne)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/26 "2015-01-08T21:27:47Z")
It really is not similar to “like”, because “like” can be used, like, anywhere in a sentence, not just at, like, the beginning. It is much more similar to “Well,”, although I have noticed that people that say, “Well,” usually pronounce it “wull”. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/27 "2015-01-08T22:07:59Z")
My English teachers harped about “so” used in this fashion 40 years ago. Not a new issue whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/28 "2015-01-08T22:31:59Z")
> [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](#): > > My English teachers harped about “so” used in this fashion 40 years ago. Not a new issue whatsoever. I agree. Just looking through my emails, I see the construction there as far back as my emails are archived (which is only early 2000s, but it’s there all the way back to 2002.) I’ve never noticed this being a particularly new phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/29 "2015-01-08T23:29:19Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > …should be stamped out… I support and aid the Allied Coalition for Stamping Out and Abolishing Redundancy. It’s a multi-person group that plans and schemes ways and means to reduce the number of superfluous and/or unneeded words that people use, hopefully bringing down their count. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/30 "2015-01-08T23:31:08Z")
So I says to Mabel, I says. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/31 "2015-01-09T02:49:14Z")
> [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](#): > > My English teachers harped about “so” used in this fashion 40 years ago. Not a new issue whatsoever. Yeah, people have used so this way all my life, and if your English teacher hated 40 years ago, even longer ago than that. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/32 "2015-01-09T02:59:45Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > 1. The speaker/writer is insecure about what they are about to communicate. > > 2. They used the word as a marker to let you know what they are about to communicate is prepared beforehand and they are just delivering the scripted message (most common when answering questions under pressure). > > 3. They are being condescending to the audience and think that they need to dumb things down to provide something like a technical explanation but without giving all the necessary details (therefore subtly announcing beforehand that they are jumping from a premise to a conclusion and you better just accept what they say in the next few sentences). 1. They are beginning a stand-up routine. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/33 "2015-01-09T04:09:09Z")
> [@hibernicus](#): > > How do these examples fit with the use of “so” at the very start of an interaction, for example at an interview as soon as the interviewee sits down: “So, tell me about your prior experience”, or the psychiatrist who says, “So, Mr Smith, tell me about your relationship with your mother”. > > In neither of these cases does “so” mean “therefore”, and I don’t think this usage is a recent development. They don’t really. That is a different use of the term and not nearly as objectionable. The use people are complaining about requires additional tone and intonation. This isn’t a simple grammar issue. Let’s say you are at a party and ask someone what they do for a living. They answer “Sooooo…I am the CEO of my own company that I founded 5 years ago and we already do a million dollars in sales a year…” as if you were expected to know that already before you even asked. I have had it happen to me several rimes before and it is never from real CEO’s from major companies. It is always the poser that use the terms that way. It is very condescending and always unwarranted because the people that talk that way are almost invariably on the verge of bankruptcy. Truly successful people don’t speak that way (except for Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame but he is an anomaly because he is a billionaire that can’t speak worth a damn). ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/34 "2015-01-09T05:18:30Z")
So. Now vee may perhaps to begin. Yes? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/35 "2015-01-09T05:37:53Z")
What’s new is educated people, talking heads on television in particular, beginning their responses to interview questions with “So…” Until fairly recently, the placeholder you would typically hear there would be “Well…” ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/36 "2015-01-09T05:46:14Z")
What’s arguably more annoying than the leading “so” is the trailing “so”. It’s more often encountered in verbal conversations. The word is appended to the end of a statement like verbal ellipses, as if the speaker couldn’t be bothered to complete their thought, so… ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/37 "2015-01-09T06:52:14Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > What’s new is educated people, talking heads on television in particular, beginning their responses to interview questions with “So…” > > Until fairly recently, the placeholder you would typically hear there would be “Well…” Yes, exactly. We’re not talking about those other ways of using _so_, but this particular one–interviewees on TV and radio–using _so_ where normally people use _well_. I don’t think this is happening in every-day, face-to-face conversation. And this isn’t what your English teacher talked about 50 years ago, either–that was about writing, and the use of conjunctions, an entirely different thing. I have checked archives of radio interviews and have concluded that this particular use _so_ is fairly recent. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/38 "2015-01-09T07:10:06Z")
BTW, if you want to hear exactly what we’re talking about clearly demonstrated, you can get that from [Le Show](http://harryshearer.com/le-show/), the weekly radio show by Harry Shearer (satirist and voice of many Simpsons characters). He has started a feature, almost every week, where he does a compendium of interviewees who do this in the most egregious ways, beginning every answer to every question with _so_, without any regard to the contingency of the larger discourse–ignoring that the question is a new topic. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/39 "2015-01-09T21:26:07Z")
I think Seamus Heaney would argue it’s much more than just a recent phenomenon. (Not just a joke — it’s arguably something that’s been perfectly normal in some English-speaking circles, and is merely gaining broader acceptance now.) [Link](http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/beowulf/introbeowulf.htm) if you don’t know the reference (see section 2). ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278/40 "2015-01-09T22:26:30Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > We’re not talking about those other ways of using _so_, but this particular one–interviewees on TV and radio–using _so_ where normally people use _well_. And just to be clear, I am not arguing that “Well…” has any moral or linguistic superiority over “So…” When you get right down to it they’re both just placeholders, used to give the speaker a moment to collect his or her thoughts. Having said that, I do find “So…” jarring in an interview. It makes me expect the interviewee also to be smacking their gum between responses. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-the-use-of-the-word-so-in-the-us/709278.md?page=3)