So... What's with the fad of cable talking heads starting every sentence with "So... "?

[UTUSN]

So... it's been going on for most of this year. Yakker host asks a question and yakker guest starts the answer with, "So... " .

It seems to have dropped off recently SO it might have peaked.

[Hoyt]

1. They do seem to follow fads, like weatherpeople fighting hurricane winds, whether blowing or not.

[PJMcK]

2. It's a millennial thing

My 22-year old son and his friends often start a sentence with the word, "So,..."

The first few times I heard it, I'd ask, "So, what?"

My kid wasn't as amused as I was.

[UTUSN]

6. "a millennial thing" - sounds reasonable to me since I'm out of touch.

[Dave Starsky]

20. Millennials are also big into "up-speak" these days.

That's when you end a declarative sentence with an "up" tone, like you would a question. It's sort of a variant of "Valley Girl" talk.

"So, I went to the store today? And I tried to cash a check? And the clerk told me they didn't take checks, but I could use a credit card?"

It's like nails on a chalkboard after the first time you hear it.

[UTUSN]

23. Another excellent observation. I was struggling with whether this thread was a "grammar nazi" topic

but it's more like, what, diction? Rhetoric?

[Dave Starsky]

24. Elocution errors, maybe?

Eliminating these bad habits from your speech makes you a more effective speaker.

These are the things they bust you for when you go to Toastmasters.

[wasupaloopa]

3. The reply starts with "I mean"

[Croney]

4. Ugh. I hate this. Another filler word like basically and like.

One of my FB friends with a Master's Degree in Business Communication starts every other post with the word so. Very annoying.

[UTUSN]

5. Uh oh, *I* use "basically/totally, like" a lot!

[Croney]

7. Next time you're about to say basically, say

spiderpoop instead. You'll have that habit broken in no time. You're welcome. 😁🕷🕷🕷

[sweetroxie]

8. "So" is the next "um"

[k8conant]

9. or "Well,..."

which is what I'd probably say but my 26-year-old daughter says "So".

[enough]

10. I've been wondering this. It seemed to arrive recently, then took over very suddenly. NT

[UTUSN]

25. "enough" says it all!1

[KT2000]

11. "having said that"

is what gets to me. Seems like everyone says that. Also - it seems like the word "tremendous" shows up a lot.

[tblue37]

17. Or "That being said. . . ." My college students use all of these filler words in their essays,

and I work hard to break them of the habit.

[KT2000]

19. Thank you

[kwassa]

12. So, journalists on NPR say this all the time.

as they are asked to explain a situation.

So, it drives me nuts.

[left-of-center2012]

13. You hear "So" a lot on C-SPAN interview-call in shows too

or : "That's a good question ...."

I also get sick of :

Moderator: "We're going to Tom in New York"

Tom: "Uh, hello. Am I on? Can you hear me?"

Moderator: "Yes, go ahead caller"

Tom: "Uh, this is Tom in New York. I'd like to ask a question."

Moderator: "Yes go ahead. What is your question?"

Tom: "Well, uh ..."

[UTUSN]

14. Haha, nicely done - I thought Tom at the end was going to say, "So... "

[Fla Dem]

15. "We'll have to leave it there" drive me nuts. nt

[OilemFirchen]

16. I stil don't know...

what happens at the end of the day.

I literally don't, in the scheme of all things considered.

[Hotler]

18. Ya.... and when did the word "so" become

a unit of measure? It was so hot. There were so many people there. The trip was so long.........

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

21. Yeah, so, I think I know this one ...

It's not just cable talking heads. It seems to be a generational thing.

[Iggo]

22. I just hate it when the first words out of someone's mouth are "I mean..."

What the fuck?

You haven't SAID anything yet! You don't have to tell me what you mean. Just say it!

[rickford66]

26. What irks me is Nicolle Wallace.

Instead of asking a simple question, she pretty much covers what the answer would be and then she tells the guest to "talk about" it. Otherwise good show if she quits laughing so loud I miss some of the commentary.

[get the red out]

27. It drives me nuts

I imagine my 7th grade English teacher rolling in her grave.