So, Have a Happy New Year?
So Have a Happy New Year?
I'm trying to find some significance to the recent practice of inflecting the ends of statements as though they were questions. As far as I can gather this is a phenonmenon of the last 10 or 15 years and is now so common that we don't even notice it. An example:
"So, I'm not sure I agree with that? We've got to consider other options? I've got some additional ideas?" Just about any declarative sentence can be treated in this manner. At the risk of committing sociology, I'll suggest that it's something we've developed in our touchy world to take way the edge of presumption from our speech, i.e. "I'm not really THAT convinced of what I'm saying, but here's something to consider--it's quite tentative--please continue to like me." On the other hand, I also seem to hear this technique used with the most innocuous statements: "So I went to the other store? And the same thing was on sale there too?" Maybe we're just pleading for attention and acceptance--"Please keep listening to me. I'll check in every other sentence with a question mark at which point you can confirm your continued interest with a nod of the head or....something." If you're reading this blog, your job, should you decide to accept it, it to take note of this practice when it occurs and to draw your own conclusions. "I expect you to do your duty?"
I'm trying to find some significance to the recent practice of inflecting the ends of statements as though they were questions. As far as I can gather this is a phenonmenon of the last 10 or 15 years and is now so common that we don't even notice it. An example:
"So, I'm not sure I agree with that? We've got to consider other options? I've got some additional ideas?" Just about any declarative sentence can be treated in this manner. At the risk of committing sociology, I'll suggest that it's something we've developed in our touchy world to take way the edge of presumption from our speech, i.e. "I'm not really THAT convinced of what I'm saying, but here's something to consider--it's quite tentative--please continue to like me." On the other hand, I also seem to hear this technique used with the most innocuous statements: "So I went to the other store? And the same thing was on sale there too?" Maybe we're just pleading for attention and acceptance--"Please keep listening to me. I'll check in every other sentence with a question mark at which point you can confirm your continued interest with a nod of the head or....something." If you're reading this blog, your job, should you decide to accept it, it to take note of this practice when it occurs and to draw your own conclusions. "I expect you to do your duty?"
posted by unca | 3:40 PM
2 Comments:
Well, like, I don't have a problem with it?
I find myself doing this. Of course if someone chooses not to this that’s just another way of communicating.
Post a Comment
<< Home