SATURDAY NIGHT OPEN THREAD

Our theme tonight is: Things people say that don't seem to actually mean anything.

Consider, for example, the phrase "that being said." We have never understood the point of saying it. Of COURSE whatever you just said has been said. Why do you need to SAY it has been said? That being said, maybe you have some other examples.

Comments

[JustSomeGuy]

It is what it is.

[Mr. Mundane]

Be advised: truly GENIUS!

[Chris Knight]

"That being said" has the logical grammar of "however". Sorta like: "Bob's cows are brown. That being said, they really aren't cows".

If you want something that doesn't mean anything in common parlance, try "actually". :)

[man tom]

A drunk person repeatedly asking after every remark, "you know what I mean?"

[man tom]

"As far as I can see."

[man tom]

Doesn't mean much to say, "our turnoff was seventy miles back the way we just came from."

[man tom]

"So, how things stand...blah, blah, blah"

[Howard from Broward]

That's what I'm talking about.

[Le Petomane]

I believe Hannibal Lecter's great ending line in the movie, The Silence of the Lambs is a good exmple:

"I'm having an old friend for dinner."

[Qaz]

"Needles to say..... "

[Ralph]

"Like" when used as an interjection. It's, like, overused in spoken English when people can't, like, coherently express themselves.

[man tom]

"Blessed, your sparkly armpits are to die for."

[man tom]

"This is literally the worst, I am literally dying."

[man tom]

"Sorry not sorry."

[man tom]

"I think I'l drive over to the store and buy some pork and beans and hot dogs."

What is absolutely not needed to say as a response.

"Basic."

[man tom]

Like if someone is in the room, say Tyler, and you are tired of listening to him and are glad He is leaving.

It doesn't make any sense to say,

"Bye Felicia."

[man tom]

"I hate Heather, I could just kill her for taking my Ronald."

Not necessary to respond,

"Slay."

[man tom]

Tracey didn't return the ten dollars she borrowed last week."

Not necessary response,

"Savage."

[man tom]

"I aced my English test, got an A."

Not necessary,

"Hundo P"

[pogo]

"Far be it from me..." followed by a moral pronouncement.
"At the end of the day..."

[man tom]

"Tommy asked me out this Saturday, but so did Kevin and Sam, Sam is so cute, I don't know who to choose?"

Even if you have no date for Saturday, No reason on Earth to respond with,

"Goals."

[Le Petomane]

This is an example from a published novel that was presented in a writer's conference. I can't recall the book, but I remember this:

"Almost nothing was more annoying than having our time wasted on something not worth wasting it on."

[Le Petomane]

And let's not overlook the classic: "It was a dark and stormy night."

[The Real Barry]

In this day and age.

[wanderer2575]

By the time "to make a long story short" comes into the narrative, it's way too late.

[staticjoeage]

"Rock 'n roll is rock 'n roll"

Profound.

[PrateBoy's Lingustics Agency]

"Literally" and "basically" top my list, followed by "know what I mean?"

[ImNotDave]

So you know it's really not worth saying but still someone must speak up but I would never be so bold as to do so.

[markhh]

"I'm just sayin'"

[Snowman]

Essentially, I am a stable genius. Growing exponentially.

[Mad Hatter]

I wish that users of "in the not-too-distant future" would discover the word "soon" in the not-too-distant future.

[staticjoeage]

Every instance of "in order to" can be replaced with "to".

[Suzie Q Wacvet]

Limited commercial interruption.

Don't all shows have limited commercial interruption? What would the opposite - unlimited commercial interruption - look like? A commercial a minute?

[anthony stewart]

"he pointed with pride, but viewed it with alarm."

"Whatever."

[Suzie Q Wacvet]

Baked fresh daily.

So what? You might bake your product daily, but what if it takes a week to get it to the store?

[Steve B]

Honestly,...

As if everything not preceded by this was a lie? I concede this might be a useful flag for politicians.

[Steve B]

"you know" as a constant interruption of whatever the speaker is saying. You know, I just don't get it.

[Death Row Doc]

Like Strunk and White, I loathe seeing “the fact that” in any sentence!

[George Carlin]

Another senseless murder...

"Meanwhile, in the park, a sensible murder took place where the thief got..."

[wanderer2575]

"Quick question" preceding a question. It's never quick, and just ask the damn question.

[Daniel Loftus]

Who could forget Nixon's, "Let me say this about that."

[JB]

"Wherever you go, that's where you are." (Mike Ranieri)

[Steve K.]

I am apparently in the minority here, but it bothers me when someone begins an answer to a question with "So, ... " I get the impression they are about to say whatever they were preparing to say, while not listening to the question.

The great Dick Cavett once had a followup question: "Was there any part of my question you were able to hear?"

[JB]

Carlin again: "When 2 planes almost collide, they call it a "near miss". Shouldn't that be a "near hit?"

[Peter M.]

"The fact of the matter is that"

[Jane Linderman]

"Don't ya know."

[Jim]

It's best not to correct this one, though I hate hearing someone "ax" a question rather than ask it.

[man tom]

"Not that it matters..."

"Let me just say..."

"Can I tell you..."

[man tom]

"Let's see..."

Hark! the herald angels sing,"

What's with the Hark! You can't fix stupid...I'll tell 'ya"

Also,

"Man"

[man tom]

Think what it would have been like back in the 60's if we didn't use the term "man" to respond to virtually everything,

"Check out my new Harley, dude."

"Woman"

Another one,

"I just got a flame painted on my GTO."

"Far out woman"

[man tom]

"Moving forward."

No. I thought you were going to head backwards.

[man tom]

"I have a few things to add..."

My immediate response, "you're limited to three."

"A couple of other thoughts."

"You're good at multi-tasking, I hope."

[man tom]

"I've run well past my time."

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz."

[cfjk]

Well, in light of what's already been said here, we must'nt lose our perspective yada, yada, yada, (and if you just listened the first time I wouldn't have to keep reaeating myself), so the truth of the matter being, does anything REALLY matter? So that being said, maybe you just shouldn't? ...Of course there's always the perverbial "Hello, how are you?"

[Mark Elmer]

At the end of the day, much language is just filler.

[cfjk]

(A) Hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IMSkbvXtSM (Q) How many Poles does it take to make popcorn?

[The Real Barry]

"I wish to point out..."
"Without further ado..."
Saying "The sky is blue" tells the listener exactly the same information as: "I'd like to point out without further ado that the sky is blue in this day and age".

[anthony stewart]

"You rub me the wrong way."
How were you supposed to know the right way?

[cfjk]

Hey! How about rubbing me the right way? ...sounds like a good candidate for: "WORLD'S WORST PICK-UP LINE"

[staticjoeage]

"Seasons Grettings!" means "Hi!"

[staticjoeage]

"How's it going?", "How are you doing today?", and similar all mean "Hi".

[Jeff Meyerson]

I don't have time to read the other entries, so let me just say:

With all due respect... which is either saying, you don't deserve any respect, so all due respect is zero; or just an insincere protestation, like nursecindy telling certain bloggers "Bless your heart" when she means "just STFU, OK?"

NOTE: this is MY interpretation. nursecindy was not consulted or advised about her participation in this hypothetical.

[John Lobert]

Daniel Loftus, that was JFK who said, “Let me say this about that” as a way to pause and consider a response.

[Jeff Meyerson]

Late former New York Mayor Ed Koch had an incredibly annoying tic, which once noticed, could not be ignored. It was to insert "Uhh" in every sentence, sometimes several times, as a placeholder while he thought what he wanted to say. "Last night (uhh), there was an (uhh) incident in The Bronx (uhh) near (uhh) Yankee Stadium."

[MOTW]

Since I've been WFH for 3+ months, I will use "quick question" via IM to let someone know that what I need to ask won't take much of their time. Otherwise, I type that I need ~5 minutes, 10 minutes .. so they know I need more time or a quick phone call. Phone calls take much less time than IM.

Jeff: "Uhh." I had an aunt who was from Germany and moved to Texas. Her accent was off - not exactly German, not exactly Texan. When she would say "Uhh", it came out weird. (Hard to type it here.) But it made each pause and "Uhh" all the more noticeable. She was a lovely woman, though.

Lastly: I remember seeing this true saying on a hand towel in a powder room.
So you might wanna duck from nursecindy, IYKWIM(AITYD).

[OldPhil]

"Jim, if the boys hold on tonight, that'll be 7 consecutive wins in a row."

[vaporsmith]

"4 A.M. in the morning"

Aaugh! My head doth explode.

[Carol]

THE THING IS IS THAT

Yes, writing all caps as a threat to the next person who says it.

[mlewis]

"back in the day" which day? there was only one day of any significance in the past? or a tacit admission that the speaker can't remember any dates or even general timeframes? or reference to a hazy and golden era that exists only in the mind of the speaker? "just sayin'"

[mlewis]

"I could care less" does that mean you do actually positively care to some degree, but that degree of care could possibly be lessened?
"wherever you go, there you are" Buckaroo Banzai, a line that elevates him to the rank of natural zen master, where he joins Yogi Berra. you could argue that Buckaroo is a fictional character, but that makes him more zen, not less.

[Suzie Q Wacvet]

Carlin: No, it's not a near hit. Planes miss each other hundreds of times every day. But they miss each other, usually, but a great distance. But if they miss each other only by a foot, that's still a miss, but it's a near miss.