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0 pointsemmelaich5y ago0 comments

There was an article in Salon (or was it Slate?) in 1996 on beginning sentences in "So".

So, it's interesting it goes that far back.

Update: the language log says it goes back before the 1850s. With an early peak around 1870.

https://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2570

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kbelder5y ago

One usage of it that I find particularly annoying is in answer to questions. For instance:

"Where did you go to lunch?"

"So, we headed downtown..."

I think it's aggravating because it feels evasive, as if the person is pretending they're not answering a question and are instead just starting a new story.

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