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Tuesday 18 July 2017

So vs Well…..

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I’m not sure exactly when it happened, except that it seems that it was fairly recently when interviewees on the tellybox, when asked a question requiring an explanation, started beginning their narrative with the word “So…”   This was immediately annoying, so it was.

I’m now starting the “CAUSE” campaign. So What does it stand for? , Well, [glances briefly to the right and to the left, apparently to check nobody is earwigging], “CAUSE” stands for “Cease All Use of “So” in Explanations” (on the tellybox).

Instead, members of CAUSE will encourage the use of the introductory word “Well” in all explanations.

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Thus, “Well” can be used along with a brief glance to right and left, as above, to indicate that, perhaps a secret is to be told. It can be extrended to “Wellllll” to show that the narrator is not quite sure of his/her ground, or it can be used to raise interest, maybe in a conspiratorial way,in whatever it is the narrator is about to say. Other strategies are probably available. Feel free to to whatever you want, except use the “S” word.

Membership of CAUSE is free and there is no committee, no democracy, no subscription to be made, no quarterly magazine or annual general meeting and success will be measured whenever “Well” overtakes “So” in tellybox or radio interviews.

Pictures of buttercups and daisies are included in this blogpost for no good reason at all except that these highly evolved plants could well be seen as symbols of the Cause.

Well, I just thought I’d get that off my chest.

The flowers live on the bit of recreational ground between High Hope Street and The Farrers Arms in Crook, Co Durham. Other wild flowers also grow on this bit of grass, mainly clover, wild thyme and birds foot trefoil. LTD has a walk here every day.

6 comments:

Dawn said...

well now, that is an interesting bit of information.

John J said...

Well then.

I noticed the dramatic increase of the use of the 's' word to start sentences about 3 years ago. An interesting trend - but where did it come from? And why?

And you know you should never start your sentences with 'and' either. Bad form.

Unknown said...

Yes it is strange and mildly irritating that many people preface any statement with "So..". I say we should kill them. Kill them all now before the situation gets out of hand.

Mike Knipe said...

Dawn - I see you didn't use the "S" word... tar.
And you're correct, John. Well, who wuddder thowtit? So....
Peter - I've started a list.. I'm monitoring all TV programmes involvijg interviews and doing some shouting whenever the "S" word is mentioned. I have also thrown a bag of chips at the screen. LTD thought this was a good idea and has tidied up. Shouting at the tellybox may be annoying to other family members, but, somehow....

Peewiglet said...

So it's not just me.

Dave said...

"Look" is another of these devices for kick-starting a response. I think I first heard it used by Mitchell Johnson, the Australian fast bowler, as in "Look, mate, I was just trying to knock the stumps over..." but it now seems to be in common usage by all sorts of people who are neither Australian or capable of bowling at ninety miles an hour.

As it happens, I can live with 'look'. 'So' makes me wish I had a light sabre...