...you know.. (Page 1 of 2)

Lieven,.
not just the USA, this is commonly used a lot in the UK as well.
It is a way of the speaker ( mostly unconciously) making sure you understand what they are saying.

I hear a lot of people saying this when talking and when i do I reply "no, I didnt" or "no, I dont know"

another one is when people are talking, especially europeans speaking english they say "ehhh" or "ummmm". Maybe they are trying to imitate an engine but really i tihn kit is they are trying to think of the word to say

Ken

You are correct Doc. It's one of those things we say that has no meaning. I've always felt that way about prefacing something with "in my opinion" (even though I do this frequently!); if you're saying it it's obviously your opinion or factual in either case no need for the phrase. Another is "basically".

There's one thing, like, you find, you know what I'm saying, that is, uhhh, a kind of truism, kind of, that is, like, that none of the great oraters, you know, do this....... kinda, like, sort of, you know what I'm saying.

AT THE END OF THE DAY......................... this one gets me geoaguiar.

Howzatt???

I have a friend who owns the recording studio I record at,Ive known him for over 30 yrs and he always starts to explain something with "well basically" I think it makes him feel smarter

I use that 1 too. This thread is teaching me that although I know it's wrong I do it anyhow. I also try not to use "ain't" and curse words but have not been able to shake either.

I kind of favor the "wherever you go there you are" phrase it can be used just about for any application

"You know" is another terrible speach habit like the overuse of the word "like". Like, you know, man, it's very difficult to break such a habit once the pattern has been set.

My father-in-law stuttered and took speech therapy several times as the stuttering returned from time to time.  One of the things they taught him was NOT to use those phrases but to repeat what he had just said as it would help to trigger his mind to release the words that were trapped on his tongue.

A short phrase I think is getting a little worn out is the "hello" in reference to someone not understanding and it seems like everybody and there uncle is useing "duh"or "doh"

Hey Bensonp, are you saying they have verbal diarrhoea?

Hi Doc,

  I think you have hit the answer on the head.  Some of the very phrases you all have put forward are running rampant through the English language.  Granted some are cultural, and some are regional, but most are subliminal, and we who do it most do not even realize how bloody annoying it can be to others. 

  The bright side is that I seem to omit most of mine when the medium of communication is written.  Might have something to do with having time to compose thoughts more precisely, and putting forth effort to be understood, or even better... not to be misunderstood.

Take Care;
Doug