# "The thing is..." **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 27, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670 "2014-10-27T18:09:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/41 "2014-10-29T16:44:13Z")
Do they use discourse markers in Canada, eh? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/42 "2014-10-29T17:01:54Z")
I say “Well” way too often. “Well, that depends…” “Well, does it work that way?..” “Well, the car’s broken…” ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/43 "2014-10-29T17:23:18Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Listen kids, you shouldn’t use discourse markers. They’re bad, m’kay? Let me tell you about “the thing is” and “see, the thing is”. They’re bad. You shouldn’t say “the thing is”, m’kay? Cause that would be bad. And you don’t want to be bad. People who say those things are bad, m’kay? Let me also tell you about “like”. “Like” is bad, m’kay? Kids, you shouldn’t say “like”. You also shouldn’t say “nome sane”. Nome sane? ---
**Author:** ![Hooleehootoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eada6e/32.png) [@Hooleehootoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hooleehootoo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/44 "2014-10-29T17:50:26Z")
This thread seems to have a population of people annoyed by certain types of speech, perhaps some of whom try to stop their children from speaking in those ways. Thus I would like to ask for comment here: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17855977#post17855977](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17855977#post17855977) ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/45 "2014-10-29T18:07:00Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > As I said in my original post, while discourse markers were once thought to be meaningless language errors, that is no longer the case. The fact that a word or phrase is a discourse marker does not mean that it doesn’t play a signficant role in expressing the speaker’s thoughts. I did a little more research on discourse markers yesterday, and found sites (particularly sites for English teachers), that categorized various discourse markers as to their specific role and usage. I even found a discourse marker quiz for speakers of English as a second language. Cites for your sites? 😃 Seriously, though, I would love to read about the categorizations and usage. Sounds fascinating. My New Guy throws around “You know” and its cousin “KnowwhatImean” all the damn time, to the point where I scream-think “No! I don’t know what you mean, because you haven’t said it yet!” Took me a while to realize that for him specifically, it’s a barometer of his internal mental state. If he’s agitated or upset, it crops up so often that I’ve heard him say it three times in a row, almost like a stutter, before he can move on to the thing he’s trying to say. If he’s calm and confident, you almost never hear it. I think his thoughts get more scattered the more upset he feels, and the phrase is a filler while he gathers what he’s trying to convey. > [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Of course this doesn’t mean that a discourse marker can’t be used excessively or inappropriately. I had to consciously train myself out of using the word “actually” in every sentence, and occasionally more than once in the same sentence. I came in to say the exact same thing! Never noticed it until my mother pointed it out, and then HOOO was I self-conscious about it for a while. Now, I’m actually not worried about it at all, and actually feel free to use it all the time. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/46 "2014-10-29T18:31:51Z")
Mine is “just”. I just use it all the time and then when I re-read my posts it just jumps out at me and I just have to go back and edit it out. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/47 "2014-10-29T18:36:48Z")
[It’s time for the “apparently kid” again.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz5TGN7eUcM) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/48 "2014-10-29T18:38:28Z")
Mine are “so” and “anyhow,” and in moments of great linguistic prowess (not), “so, anyhow…” Useful or not,I find them cringe worthy, especially when I’m doing it. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/49 "2014-10-29T19:25:12Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Do they use discourse markers in Canada, eh? > :rolleyes: It actually is astounding how frequently “eh?” does slip out. I never really noticed it until Bob and Doug McKenzie (who purposely overuse it incorrectly as satire) started their Great White North show. I used to travel frequently in the US back in the 1990s and had to really watch myself so I didn’t come across as some dimwitted Canucknucklehead. “Nice day, eh?” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/50 "2014-10-29T19:39:45Z")
I don’t know when it started, but “at the end of the day” has so infested sports commentary that I can hardly bear to listen to it anymore. You can’t go 30 seconds without some athlete or commentator sprinkling it into whatever they’re saying. It drives me crazy, it does. ---
**Author:** ![llcoolbj77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb9ed0/32.png) [@llcoolbj77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/llcoolbj77)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/51 "2014-10-29T19:49:28Z")
My brother, sister, and I (all terrible know-it-alls) were going to start a periodical called, “well actually…” The title of each article would be some mistaken premise, and then each article would begin with the phrase, “well actually…” Genius. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/52 "2014-10-29T19:52:08Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > And I feel it’s a useful phrase that isn’t mere fluffery. It’s a way of saying “here is the central point of my argument.” This. This has become a thread about discourse markers, but “the thing is . . .” isn’t necessarily one of them. It can have meaning, such as “My main point is . . .” or “The bottom line is . . .” (which I tend to say). ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/53 "2014-10-29T21:59:48Z")
There’s a poster here who repeatedly says “and et cetera.” I’ve told him “et means and,” but he won’t quit. Another mentions Spain in every post. A third won’t quit throwing things into a quarry. Regards, Chessic Sense ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/54 "2014-10-29T22:03:11Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > There’s a poster here who repeatedly says “and et cetera.” I’ve told him “et means and,” but he won’t quit. Another mentions Spain in every post. A third won’t quit throwing things into a quarry. > > Regards, > Chessic Sense Let’s go to Spain and through shit and et cetera into the quarry, you hear what I’m sayin’? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/55 "2014-10-29T22:23:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Is it me? I know I use that phrase. > > And I feel it’s a useful phrase that isn’t mere fluffery. It’s a way of saying “here is the central point of my argument.” It could be me, except I am not a “he” but noone here seems to notice that because of my username. The thing is I am not sure if I use it in posts as much as I do just talking. I do work with someone who says “know what I’m saying?” a lot and it is annoying. I guess I will have to pay more attention to my phrasing. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/56 "2014-10-29T22:53:37Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > This. This has become a thread about discourse markers, but “the thing is . . .” isn’t necessarily one of them. It can have meaning, such as “My main point is . . .” or “The bottom line is . . .” (which I tend to say). “The thing is” is a discourse marker. The phrase is frequently included in lists of discourse markers ([here](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/discourse-markers-so-right-okay) it is listed under “discourse markers that monitor what we say”). As the linked article explains, discourse markers have a number of uses. Although they can be overused and even used incorrectly, calling a word or phrase a discourse marker doesn’t mean that it is meaningless. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/57 "2014-10-29T23:04:06Z")
This one gets under my skin — “The thing is, is that …” ---
**Author:** ![Filbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/filbert/32/3433_2.png) [@Filbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Filbert)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/58 "2014-10-29T23:58:09Z")
The most annoying one I’ve come across was ‘Believe it or believe it or not’. I was forced to listen to a, supposedly, ‘motivational’ talk by the guy, and he said that about once every 5 minutes. _twitch_ ---
**Author:** ![Clawdio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d07c76/32.png) [@Clawdio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clawdio)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/59 "2014-10-30T15:55:45Z")
I agree that discourse markers can often be annoying (and take your focus away from the person is actually saying), but for some reason i find that Google App commercial (that shows a bunch of people startring their sentence with "OK… ") really charming. Its like a little idiosyncrasy that seems to exist across many borders & boundries. [Google App Commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqKovGMx9xo) ---
**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:** [October 31, 2014, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670/60 "2014-10-31T05:28:41Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > “The thing is” is a discourse marker. The phrase is frequently included in lists of discourse markers ([here](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/discourse-markers-so-right-okay) it is listed under “discourse markers that monitor what we say”). As the linked article explains, discourse markers have a number of uses. Although they can be overused and even used incorrectly, calling a word or phrase a discourse marker doesn’t mean that it is meaningless. Right–as I mentioned above, they’re non-propositional, but they’re highly functional. What most folks are complaining about here are _ **not** _ discourse markers per se, but rather personal language quirks. When someone repeats the same phrase so much, it no longer serves as a discourse marker. Discourse markers are the way we show that we are aware of the context in which we speak–who we’re talking to, what we expect them to be thinking about what we say, what their motivations are. Speech without discourse marking is kind of like the stereotypical way the robots speak in old science fiction movies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-thing-is/702670.md?page=4)