So why do so many people begin their threads with "So?"

[jdh3000]

It does sound like we've come in on the middle of a conversation when someone starts out with "so".

English is a quirky language anyway... How can one be "overwhelmed" when they never got "whelmed" to begin with?

Someone will say "Needless to say," then proceed to say it.

We have all sorts of useless verbage that could be done away with, yet we feel like speech needs to be padded with more unnecessary words.

"Irregardless" is a prime example that we think we may not say enough by simply saying "regardless".

I'm as guilty as anyone for saying things that I've been conditioned to say, which if I'd stop and think about it, I could save a breath or two.

Another one is IMO to covey that it is indeed one's own opinion. Most of us use this term either abbreviated or actually written out, but why? It's almost like we have to defend our statement because we may be verbally assaulted if we do not make this declaration, which often happens, whether we say it or not.

 

[Tom Bomb]

So be it. So shocking. Why is it so?

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So dangerous — we have the capacity for understanding. So far so good. So is better than 'Um.' So is better than 'Well.' So is better than 'See here." So is better than 'Honestly.' So is better than 'In my opinion.' So I'll stop there. So(rry)
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[themickster]

I suspect it's a verbal tic that has become a written one.

I have one of those that only shows if nobody is about. It's a nervous tic.

 

[Steven Ayres]

To answer the original question, and speaking as a professional, I can tell you that the preliminary 'so' really does have a function in speech that makes it idiomatic in writing. It's pretty simple: it's an attention-getter. When starting a sentence that opens a new topic, the speaker says 'so' (or another idiomatic word, as has been pointed out) to say, "I'm about to say something about a new topic, please listen." It gives the listener a polite, specific cue and a little time to bring their attention around to the speaker if it's elsewhere.

In writing, while it's idiomatic and useful in communicating a spoken quote, it has no useful function beyond that, which is what can make it annoying.

 

[cnltb]

So why do so many people begin their threads with "So?"
...because they haven't properly thought about what to say before starting to write.
A lack in clarity of mind.

 

[Texaspandj]

Your profile picture would fit exactly the demographic who would be bothered by such a thing.

What the hell? Also Hilarious. Also do me next.
Also is the new So.

 

[BlueTalon]

It seems to me to have a couple of uses, beyond just a verbal/literary tic. One, as mentioned earlier, is to resume a conversation or a topic or a narrative. The other is similar, but it implies a context or some common knowledge that substitutes for an actual previous conversation or topic.

 

[LBS-bass]

Another one is IMO to covey that it is indeed one's own opinion. Most of us use this term either abbreviated or actually written out, but why? It's almost like we have to defend our statement because we may be verbally assaulted if we do not make this declaration, which often happens, whether we say it or not.

i don't have a problem with IMO, but IMHO is fair game. If you're pointing out that your opinion is humble, you're not being humble.

 

[Watchootognbout]

They are continuing on an unstated line of thought.

 

[Neo1]

While it has many different uses at the start of a sentence, often times on TB the person posting is trying to get the reader to place him or herself in a specific situation AS WELL AS give advice/an answer.

For example, "So you arrive at a gig, only to find..."

In this use, it both alerts and softens what is coming AND hints the person posting is going to want some reply. Notice that "You arrive at a gig, only to find..." starts more abruptly, and doesn't as readily suggest you're going to ask advice.

The use of it really emphasizes that a response will be welcome (it can even be used WITHIN a response, like "So you're saying no band members called you...," which is requesting a reply)

At least, that's my take on it as seen here (since I don't look at any other websites beyond news and sports ones; I'm only talking about this site).

 

[el murdoque]

So, I realized that often answers also begin with those two letters.

bad form?

 

[lunarpollen]

Why do so many Carl Perkins tunes start with "Well...."? Why do so many blues songs start with "Woke up this morning..."?

 

[lunarpollen]

Seriously though, "so" is used as a polite introductory word in conversational speech, to indicate one is about to say something. It "softens" the start of the statement, and gives listeners a tiny moment to divert their attention to the speaker before the speaker begins delivering the content of their statement.

 

[Honkey tonk]

So Happens when you get all hopped up on the punk rock

 

[MegaSwing]

Should it be followed by a comma or not? THAT is the question.

 

[39-Bassist]

So, do you really want an answer?

 

[moreblues]

Because it's the same people that use the word SAVE instead of EXCEPT....

 

[mongo2]

So...

Starting something with "so" always seemed to me as a way of interrupting whatever's going on or as an attention getter.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Just asking. I suspect it's a verbal tic that has become a written one.

 

[jimmydean]

So , let's ponder the word/phrase so some more shall we ........no , wait just one minute here ! I believe Aristotle also asked this question and well , we all know the ramifications of an actual answer to this age old question .