Thursday 10 May 2018

Thursday

Today is the Thursday in the month when we play ukuleles at the retirement home in the village of Bainbridge in Wensleydale.   The residents gather in their lounge and we play tunes at their request and we all sing.   Everyone seems to enjoy it and it passes a lovely afternoon.

Going up the dale again after yesterday was yet another joy.   The 'candles' on the horse chestnut trees are in full bloom, the leaves on the other trees are almost all out and are still in pristine condition.   They are a joy to behold. 

Back (fingers crossed) to a corrected television as the engineer came this morning and fitted a new piece to my aerial.   Time will tell. 

Now a question for you.   Watching programmes like Breakfast, where folk are interviewed, something struck me this morning.   The language seems to be changing.   Previously ordinary folk like you and me seemed to start almost every sentence with the word 'well'.   Suddenly I noticed that this is changing.   This morning people seemed to start every sentence with the word 'so'.
Has anyone else noticed this - is it a trend or what? 

It is easy to criticise but I suspect that if most of us were suddenly thrown into the limelight over some issue we might forget syntax, grammar and the like and just try to struggle through what we wanted to say.   But you might all watch out for a day or two and then  let me know if I am imagining it.  It might also be interesting to know whether there is a commonly used expression, or word even, which irritates you in the English language and which is in common usage.


Beautifully sunny here today but a very cold wind
blowing - thermals have been looked out again.   How about you?

27 comments:

Sandi said...

You play the ukelele? That is pretty cool!

I have not noticed the well and so in language, except that my Dutch sister-in-law says "so" just when she is about to describe something or tell a story. Maybe it is a European thing? I am way over here across the pond, so...I don't know. ;-)

Well, time to go!

Rachel Phillips said...

I have heard other people talk about this but have not been aware of it myself as I do not listen to Breakfast tv or chat type radio or tv programmes. It is grammatically wrong if they do. However, to start a sentence with "well" as you mention, is probably little better in that it is a word that adds little or nothing when answering a question.

donna baker said...

It is quite irritating sometime. Over here," some say, shut up" when you tell them something. They use it as a form of surprise instead of meaning for you to really shut up. I think it is irritating and rude. Sometime, I cannot believe the things that come out of my mouth if flummoxed as I like to give a thoughtful reply. It's better that I am quiet. Sounds like another good day there, but summer has arrived here and I try not to do much outside during the middle of the day.

Sue said...

So, you are absolutely right. I've noticed young people using 'so' at the beginning of a sentence or answering a question.

jinxxxygirl said...

Gloriously cloudy somewhat cooler day... the humidity seems lower... so i spent the morning on yardwork..

So, ... lol I think especially when used during an interview situation it is used to stall while they gather their thoughts for an appropriate answer... What do you think ... could that be it? I haven't paid particular attention that it has switched from using 'well' to 'so'.. But you are no doubt right.

What irritates me...? The use of swear words... I like to think that someone has command enough of the english language to express their anger or frustration or whatever with other words than swear words... guess i'm a prude.. lol Big Hugs! Pat.. Snail mail letter on its way to you if its not already there.. :)

Rosie said...

Noticing a lot of people saying "to be honest" and "tbh" as the abbreviation. I quite liked it at first but it is irritating now,tbh!

Granny Sue said...

Yes, I've been noticing that for a while--it sounds like they are starting in the middle of a sentence. A couple years back, "absolutely" was on everyone's tongues. And after the last election, all the newspeople were "drilling down the data." Verbal fads come and go, and I guess this is just the latest one.

Humid and too warm for me today. I've been working in the gardens and am all sweaty and nasty. Shower time for me!

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

Ukelele Daily! All seems great fun

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

So, you've noticed it too. So it seemed to start with scientists and other such experts that the media like to interview, so now everybody's doing it. Cricketers being interviewed start every sentence with "Look,...." or "Look, mate". We also seem to be undergoing another vowel shift with the 'short e' being pronounced as an 'a', most noticeably as in "Can I halp?"

littlemancat said...

Yes, I've noticed the very frequent use of "so" to start off a sentence. Perhaps a bit more with younger folks, but not limited to them. For awhile, the word "actually" was getting a run, and I find that I use it far too much, actually.
Love your ukelele tales - such a wonderful thing to be involved in.
I do enjoy your posts so much, thank you for them.
Writing from Pennsylvania, USA.
Mary

Derek Faulkner said...

I never watch Breakfast TV so can't comment on your the thing that irritates you. What always gets me is when people regularly answer a question with two words, "yes-no".
The weather here on Sheppey began chilly and grey with a few spots of rain, as I walked round the reserve at 05.15 but eventually the day was very warm with good sunny periods.

Heather said...

Cooler than of late down here but still comfortable without a coat. I can't say that I have noticed the use of 'so' to start a sentence. I must pay more attention. John's comment has reminded me how I used to cringe every time a clerk at the bank said 'can I halp' instead of help. She spoke with a very dreary tone which didn't 'halp' at all!

Dahlia88 said...

Yes, it seems to be younger people who start their sentences with "so...". I also dislike people saying "see you later" . I have always used this as meaning later in the day, now it seems to mean anytime in the future. The letter"v" seems to have taken the place of versus, and we seem to be adopting the American "two times" instead of "twice". Oh, and another is saying "off of" instead of just "off" as in "I got off of the bus". Drives me insane!

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Ooh, you touched a nerve there. Yes I've noticed the use of the word, "so", to start a sentence and makes me crazy. Could just be a sign I'm getting older, but it borders on rudeness to me. But it's everywhere so I guess I should just accept it.

Marion said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rambler said...

What irritates me is the excessive use of the word 'like', usually in a young person's speech. Also, when did Harrassment (with the emphasis on the 2nd syllable) become Harrassment with the emphasis on the 1st syllable?
The pronunciation of 'aitch' as 'haitch'. Grrrrr!
"I wouldn't of done that." instead of "I wouldn't have done that."

Chris said...

I`ve noticed that some people from your part of the world use the wrong verb tense such as `I've been sat (instead of `sitting`) at the computer all day.` Have you noticed that. (Sorry, question mark not working on my keyboard.) Maybe it`s a local thing.

Elizabeth said...

So, at the end of the day, I'm, well, going to excuse all lazy speakers......
Most of these verbal tics seem to wear off after a bit!
I do rather hate the use of swearwords on the street.

Think of you often.
Post photos of the progress in your garden when you get the chance.

thelma said...

'See you later' gets my goat. So when is the shop assistant/anyone expecting to see you when you might never see them again?

the veg artist said...

'So' is very much a thing on television, I'm afraid, and really annoys me, but not as much as the way that many people reply to a question. The question might be "What got you into this activity?" Why on earth do people then reply "What got me into this activity was ..."? What is wrong with giving a direct answer? Everyone already knows the question!

Andie said...

Not noticed the 'so' but will take notice from now. Hate it when people are asked a question and they start with 'Basically' these words are called 'filler words', like 'you know' 'like' and a few others which of course I cannot remember at the moment. I also hate unnecessary swearing and why the audiences laugh and scream hysterically when someone uses the 'f' or 'c' word baffles me. I also have become very sloppy with the use of English and I check everything I write but miss loads.
I was informed many years ago that English was a moving language but I do wish it would move in the right direction. Love Andie xxx

Librarian said...

Some time ago, another blogger whose blog I read regulatürly wrote about the "so". The words/phrases I don't like are "at the end of the day" and "like", as in "i was, like, really hungry."

My home town has many streets lined with horse chestnuts, they are still in bloom, but only just - most of it happened about 2 weeks ago.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Interesting the words and phrases which irritate us isn't it? Almost everyone round here says
'see you later' when it is obvious they are unlikely to.
Thanks for your comments everyone.

Share my Garden said...

Yes, I've just become aware of, and irritated by, the use of 'so' to start a sentence. Do they mean, "So here goes, this is my attempt at a response"? A living language is evolving all the time, but it doesn't mean that I like what I hear!

Gwil W said...

I couldn't help overhearing a group of American girls in the street who were speaking loudly enough for anybody within a hundred feet to hear their chat. It seemed to me that every third or fourth word was 'like' . It was like do you know what like it was like I said like and she was like . . . aaargh! The word I don't like is like.

World of Animals, Inc said...

Thanks for the share. It is lovely that you play music at the retirement home. We here are so happy Spring weather is here, but looks like rain for us this weekend. Hope you have a great Mothers Day weekend.
World of Animals

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks everyone.