# Why Do People Here Use 'Said' As An Adjective? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 10, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691 "2002-10-10T15:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/1 "2002-10-10T15:46:54Z")
Before coming here, I don’t recall ever hearing the word ‘said’ being used as anything other than a verb. But here, for some reason, the word ‘said’ is frequently used as an adjective, indicating that you are referring back to something you said earlier- “_I went to the store to buy some groceries. While in SAID store, I bought SAID groceries. I took SAID groceries from SAID store out to my car. I then drove SAID car with SAID groceries from SAID store and … SAID … SAID … SAID …_” Why is this necessary? Why don’t you ever hear people using it this way in everyday conversation?? Why not just use a pronoun, or use the word ‘aforementioned’, or just leave it alone??? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/2 "2002-10-10T15:58:48Z")
[Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary](http://www.m-w.com) said[adjective,2] Main Entry: **[sup]2[/sup]said** Pronunciation: 'sed ([Guide To Pronunciation](http://m-w.com/pronguid.htm)) Function: _adjective_ Etymology: past participle of _say_ Date: 14th century : **[AFOREMENTIONED](http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=aforementioned)** Why would someone want to use aforementioned instead of “said”? It’s a lot more typing. ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/3 "2002-10-10T16:01:26Z")
> [@](#): > > _adj. Law_ > > Named or mentioned before; aforementioned: \*Said party has denied the charges. \* > > Usage Note: The adjective _said_ is used primarily in legal and business writing, where it is equivalent to _aforesaid: the said tenant_ (named in a lease); _said property_. Outside of these specialized contexts _said_ is usually unnecessary, and _the tenant_ or _the property_ will suffice. [http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=said](http://www.dictionary.com/search?q=said) ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/4 "2002-10-10T16:10:41Z")
You don’t provide a link, so I’m unable to say that in the instant case it’s an affectation. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/5 "2002-10-10T19:49:52Z")
Surreal, this isn’t yesterday where you are, is it? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/6 "2002-10-11T05:26:22Z")
Depends on where you are. I _have_ heard it in everyday conversation, in the same context. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/7 "2002-10-11T05:34:02Z")
Depends on where you are. I _have_ heard it in everyday conversation, in the same context. ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/8 "2002-10-11T05:36:08Z")
It’s a fairly common use of the word here, too. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/9 "2002-10-11T06:18:08Z")
As it is in this part of the former British Empire, too. “Said this, said that” is used for clarity by the legal profession, and emphasis by others. Why do we use it? Because it’s there, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/10 "2002-10-11T07:07:15Z")
Surreal is in Gobblers Knob, PA. IIRC it’s the **real** Gobbler’s Knob, as opposed to the one in West (by God) Virginia. :rolleyes: [sub]Maybe they talk that way in those parts. [/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2002, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/11 "2002-10-11T23:40:25Z")
I have employed the word “said” with that usage in regular conversation. 'Course, I’ve been known to drop in the occasional “eschew” and “ubiquity,” too. ---
**Author:** ![shamrock227](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@shamrock227](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shamrock227)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-here-use-said-as-an-adjective/131691/12 "2002-10-15T19:33:30Z")
I use it regularly and in that context, as well. In fact, I thought everyone used it that way before reading the OP 🙂