So 😱

I agree, it is annoying but I find it is a bit infectious and I have found myself saying it. We have just had American family to stay and DDiL does it all the time (bless her).
What annoys me more is 'like' which we get over and over again when youngsters are speaking. Did we say things like that when we were young? Fab? Groovy?

Drives me mad, also 'kind of'.

I agree, "so, can I, like, get a coffee?" gathers them all.
Even so-called educated types use them.
Think of the fun you'd have if you had magic powers and could apply a mild electric shock for every transgression.

Everybody's doing it! So I find myself doing it too

The word "like" used every 3rd word mainly by teenagers. I suppose it is marginally better than f** which one hears a lot in London.

I have noticed the increase in 'so', not enough, yet, to be annoying.
I became aware when I was teaching how often I used to start any input with 'Well' or as a variation: 'Now then'; it irritated me greatly because I couldn't think of a better alternative, even if it didn't annoy the class.
At least I didn't use: 'now listen up, you guys' as my last student did.

I agree, it's SO overused at the start of every sentence. I've started noticing it in texts as well.

Having said that, when I was learning French at school the teacher used to say there wasn't really one word in English to translate "alors" before we speak, but now I realise it was "so." I guess it's just how language evolves.

That's funny eazybee our posts crossed on a similar theme!

Well, it's really just a modern version of starting a conversation, such as 'Well, when I was a girl....'

That's a cue for my children to get out their air violins SueDonim

Come on Maw you've been away too long. Here in Scotland on the bus, the word F**k is obligatory it seems, as a noun, vowel, adjective, adverb and expletive..
The removal of the t sound is also necessary. as in wa'er, daugh'er and be'er.
So is highly annoying, esp on radio 4 in the morning, but at least it's not the f word.....yet

I get the giggles when it's used as a " pause " and at the end of a conversation.

I was like, isn't it? I was like and we was like. My DGC have started already.

'So' really irritates me. It seems it is now almost obligatory to start every sentence with 'so'. I don't remember we used to begin every utterance with 'well'.

Also, I keep hearing "it's not in my/his/her gift..." Is this something new?

I've raised this subject previously because I find it so irritating. I find it particularly prevalent in young, educated professionals. Have watched interviews on Sky news where every answer is begun with 'so'. Tempted to say 'so annoying, but will stick to 'annoying'.

Agree with all of the comments on here, these so-called millennials seem to have cornered the market in irritating bits of jargon. 'So' is much more annoying than 'well', tho' I'm not sure why! Cos it is (as we used to say!)

"It is what it is"
What does this mean?

I hate the way they say "and stuff". What stuff?

"Can I get" (a coffee, a doughnut, the steak etc.) and no "please" on the end. What on earth was wrong with, "please may I have...", or, if feeling lazy, "I'd like.....please"?

So... I actually think I'm guilty of this! I also use terms like "Can I get an Americano to go" I do add "please" at the end. And I have said "It is what it is" -a more polite way of saying "like it or lump it".
I blame a lifetime habit of picking up accents etc, as a result of which I say a Southern 'ar' in ba(r)th and gra(r)ss and a Northern 'u' in butter and buses. I just can't help behaving like a parrot.

“Do you know what I mean” is another phrase that seems to be used trouble is depending on my mood I answer no even when I know perfectly well what they are talking about....

Watching Pointless that too has people answering with so. We counted it used 5 times but even more annoying is zander (hate that too) telling people that’s right when they are repeating what they told him the previous episode.
So that’s it for now lol

Apologies for rant over Pointless should have looked or started thread.

Has anyone noticed how many people in the media begin a reply with “yes, no . . . .” or “no, yes . . . .” Well, which is it, no or yes?

Completely agree about the annoying use of ‘so’ at the start of a sentence. It seems to be spreading at a great speed and it’s not just youngsters either. I’m afraid that I can’t stop myself shouting at someone being interviewed on TV or radio when they start off with so. Even the interviewers do it! Don’t get me started on ‘get’ 😂

Oh me too. I had to turn radio off yesterday as some daft woman was starting every sentence with SO.
It makes no sense at all.