1hundredsixty8

So, I’ve been wondering for a while why so many TV commentators, pundits and other talking heads begin a sentence with the conjunction “So”. I understand that the vernacular uses of language are constantly changing. In the 60’s, we said “man” a lot; somewhere in the late 80’s, “man” became “dude” and “hip” was replaced by the increasing use of “cool”. This transmutation of language seems to have become more rapid since the advent of the Internet and its insertion into popular culture: New memes constantly “go viral”. So, for example, we seniors probably think of “troll” as an ugly, hairy creature living under a bridge whose diet consists of small children. We are likely ignorant of its current use as a verb describing argumentative and disruptive postings to online newsgroups, forums or a social medium such as Twitter, or as a noun describing a person who engages in such behavior.

Perhaps I am too much of a language traditionalist, but it does sound a bit dissonant when someone begins speaking by saying “So”. I had begun to think that I was alone in this when Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) of BusinessInsider.com retweeted this the other day:

Peter Feld (‏@peterfeld)  

What is wrong with people who begin a talk or answer with the word "So"?

Zounds! I am not standing alone.

Or, I should say-

“So, I should troll those people who begin sentences with “So”.”