"So.............."

[jean]

You do have trouble parsing things if you think English has always got to behave like Latin.

[Gordon]

It is astonishing how prevalent that is It usually denotes agreement I think and the 'no' is a sort of verbal tic parrying potential or imaginary disagreement. Very strange, it seems to me.

Yeah, Right!

[Nick Armstrong]

Yeah, Right!

[Honoured Guest]

Is "So, [summary of the argument so far]", the academic In Our Time usage in association with the historic present, as in:

MELVYN BRAGG: So, Boudicca is oiling her chariot wheels, having assembled her hordes, Jocasta. Now what happens?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

You do have trouble parsing things if you think English has always got to behave like Latin.

If you do, you will end up speaking like Yoda.

Sorry, " Like Yoda you will end up speaking if you do."

I tried to read a Latin book once but lost my way as all the verbs were in the last chapter.

[ardcarp]

Enough parsing about........

[cloughie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkIeR4cCTCk

[Radio64]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkIeR4cCTCk

So I thought that's what this thread was about when I first saw it.

[MrGongGong]

So I thought that's what this thread was about when I first saw it.

Not as good as "Melt" IMV

[Radio64]

Not as good as "Melt" IMV

Two different kettles of fish IMHO:

So you said a sentence without saying 'so'.

[kernelbogey]

I recall earlier fashions of throat-clearing and attention-grabbing starts to statements:
Look here...
I have to say...
I must say that...
I say...

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Kenneth Baker used to begin nearly every sentence with "I think…"

The problem was that the egotist never listened to what others thought.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Kenneth Baker used to begin nearly every sentence with "I think…"

The problem was that the egotist never listened to what others thought.

Hmmm. Seems to be a Job Requirement.

[Russ]

I'm conscious of overusing 'so' in written form, and I guess it's a reflection of internet like, where brief responses are often of the form "[proposition], so [conclusion/explanation]". 'So' seems, usefully, more informal than the more absolute 'therefore' and 'thus'. I did go though a phase of using a semi-colon instead, but I'm not sure this speech-equivalent pause comes across as effectively.

Russ

[Radio64]

and what about the use of 'I guess' ..?