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"Filler" words/phrases on NPR


Janie Grace
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I love NPR and am super impressed with the caliber of people who work there. Most of them seem absolutely brilliant and they have such interesting and insightful things to say. However, the amount of filler words used on NPR seems to be above average... "like," "sort of," "so" (as in, at the beginning of a sentence, someone just says it: "So, I was talking to my boss the other day and...") Another one I am hearing a lot (especially in people who seem younger) is "right" as a confirmation (maybe?) or just something to say... "Well the thing is, we all operate according to complex social scripts, right?" Some people seem to say it at the end of every other sentence and I just want to yell, "Don't worry about whether they think you're right! Don't make them agree! Just say it."

 

Do you think that most people (smart and otherwise) litter their speech with these fillers and we are just more attuned/aware when that speech is on the radio? Or is there something culturally at NPR where adding these filler words helps speech sound "in"? 

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OMG, "so" seems to have taken over most Americans' speech, and it drives me bonkers.  I thought I just needed to watch better television but, if it's an NPR thing, it probably doesn't matter what I'm watching.  Master Chef, Shark Tank, THE EVENING NEWS... "So..."

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Though the examples you use--so, and right--I don't personally see as meaningless fillers. "So" is used to maybe soften a transition or introduce a new idea. "Right" acknowledges the presence of the listener and seeks to include them in what is being said.

 

Japanese has a ton of language softening/listener acknowledging sorts of words; women especially use these a lot.

Edited by maize
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You asked if there's something culturally at NPR about adding these... I can tell you that no, that's not the case. :) Also, they have many affiliate studios so various NPR shows are based in different (geographical) areas.

 

Many shows on NPR are less scripted than something you might see or hear somewhere else.

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Their speech patterns very much like a lot of people people I know.    It's not an affectation, but it does sound unnatural in some parts of the country, like where my mom lives. 

 

If you listen to the podcast Brains On, which is for kids, you'll notice the (adult) host does the same thing. "We all like the way volcanoes explode, right?"

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So, this bothers you, right?  ;)

 

It sounds like conversational speech to me.  I suppose if someone was reading news copy it might sound odd, but most of the shows I listen to I don't notice it much, though I'm sure it's there.

 

I remember when NPR got a bunch of complaints about women with vocal fry, and Ira Glass said he had it to, but strangely had received no such complaints.

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You asked if there's something culturally at NPR about adding these... I can tell you that no, that's not the case. :) Also, they have many affiliate studios so various NPR shows are based in different (geographical) areas.

 

Many shows on NPR are less scripted than something you might see or hear somewhere else.

 

:iagree:  Shows on NPR tend to be more conversational in tone. I actually prefer that to the scripted, polished shows. It's more real.

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Discourse particles. I highly recommend this episode of "A Way With Words" - https://www.waywordradio.org/discourse-particles-filler-words/

 

Or this bit on discourse markers - http://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/grammar/british-grammar/discourse-markers/discourse-markers-so-right-okay

 

Most NPR shows are not scripted, but instead are like listening in on a conversation. It's not added to be "in," but is instead a way to organize or mark what is being said.

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The latest in filler word? I mean term is, "I mean." Listen for it. People are answering questions with, "I mean, blah, blah, blah."

 

The "right" thing seems so silly to me. I note it and ignore it.

 

Same with the "so" thing.

 

Remember when everyone started everything with, "Well, blah, blah."

 

I guess it's the same idea.

 

Alley

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The latest in filler word? I mean term is, "I mean." Listen for it. People are answering questions with, "I mean, blah, blah, blah."

 

The "right" thing seems so silly to me. I note it and ignore it.

 

Same with the "so" thing.

 

Remember when everyone started everything with, "Well, blah, blah."

 

I guess it's the same idea.

 

Alley

 

"I mean" has been a filler term for a elebenty-gazillion years. :-)

 

The recent use of "right" seems different to me than in the past. o_0

 

Sometimes I use "so" on purpose, because sometimes it's funny. :-) But there are some circumstances when I would not use it.

 

Possibly some of the people on NPR who are peppering their conversations with all those filler words might consider going to a few Toastmasters' meetings...

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"I mean" has been a filler term for a elebenty-gazillion years. :-)

 

The recent use of "right" seems different to me than in the past. o_0

 

Sometimes I use "so" on purpose, because sometimes it's funny. :-) But there are some circumstances when I would not use it.

 

Possibly some of the people on NPR who are peppering their conversations with all those filler words might consider going to a few Toastmasters' meetings...

 

If they have their own shows on NPR, I think they're probably doing just fine as they are.

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I think there has been a bit of a change in that kind of talk radio.  Fillers are natural in speech, but people in radio used to leave most of them out, even when they weren't scripted.  It was just part of learning to work in radio.

 

That no longer seems to be the case.  I don't mind some fillers, I think they are inevitable, but I do think there is value in reducing them on radio.  I think that when you are listening to other people in conversation, especially when you can't see them, extra words make it more difficult to follow what is being said.

 

I'm not sure why there has been a change, but I do have a general feeling that radio journalists, especially the younger ones, are more interested in contributing their own perspective or voice, than they used to be.  I am forever hearing younger interviewers or hosts talking about their own viewpoints or experiences or stories, to the point that sometimes it feels like naval gazing.  I wonder if using their more natural speaking voice is part of that same trend.

 

As an aside, I feel like I'm becoming a bit of an old curmudgeon lately. :o 

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That's better than my DH's new phrase that he adds to everything: "and stuff"

 

He's a highly educated person but I've noticed that he seems to use lots of filler words, with the above phrase being the most frequent used. Drives me crazy. I think he does it out of nervousness, however.

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I have been listening to more podcasts and it is jarring to go back to more polished shows.

 

I like both, though.

 

Edit: I really like the NPR politics podcast. I like the interplay between Ron Elbing and the younger journalists.

 

And then I hear them on regular newscasts and I think they sound so grown-up and professional.

 

It is a neat dynamic.

Edited by Lecka
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OMG, "so" seems to have taken over most Americans' speech, and it drives me bonkers.  I thought I just needed to watch better television but, if it's an NPR thing, it probably doesn't matter what I'm watching.  Master Chef, Shark Tank, THE EVENING NEWS... "So..."

 

 

Well, I used it all the time, so.......

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Well, I used it all the time, so.......

 

But comma-so is not the same as so-comma.

 

"What are your projections for the next fiscal year?"

"So, we estimate..."

 

"What skills would you bring to the position?"

"So, my experience in..."

 

Maybe not quite as bad as "Okay, so..", but it still annoys me in what's supposed to be professional/formal communication.

 

(I don't care about informal communication.  I still start incomplete sentences with "Dude,")

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The "so" trend is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I don't care if kids say dopey things but it's obnoxious how many adults now start their sentences that way, even professional journalists. Adults changing their speech patterns to be trendy just strikes me as pathetic.  

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Filler words don't bother me. Mispronunciations and sloppy pronunciations by professionals do. I don't mind "gonna" in everyday speech and often say such things myself. It's also fine for a movie/tv character. But a professional announcer should say "going to". I've heard news announcers use sloppy pronunciations and it bugs me. There's also a local car commercial for a Toyota dealer. The ad is done by the owner himself and he says tote-uh for Toyota. That's nails on a chalk board to me. (If you're in the Orlando market you might know what I'm talking about - David Maus tote-uh :) )

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I'd rather have a variety of filler speech than people who stick exclusively to "umm". I almost never say um when I'm trying to communicate my ideas, but I do use other filler speech. I do begin sentences with So. People are being downright nasty about that in this thread. Saying so is "pathetic" now? So, maybe you should, like, SO chill out. So.

 

It's difficult to communicate your thoughts clearly and articulately without any pauses or filler phrases. And yes, this is a wonderful skill to have, but almost no time is devoted to teaching people how to do this. I took a speech class in college and it was basically useless. Most of my effort went into writing the speech and very little went into how I gave the speech. I would rather a speech class that gave people prewritten speeches to choose from that they could modify if they wished (to fit their own speech patterns better) and the class focused exclusively on how the speech was given. Only four speeches were given over the course of the semester. Four opportunities to practice public speaking.

Edited by Mimm
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Filler words don't bother me. Mispronunciations and sloppy pronunciations by professionals do. I don't mind "gonna" in everyday speech and often say such things myself. It's also fine for a movie/tv character. But a professional announcer should say "going to". I've heard news announcers use sloppy pronunciations and it bugs me. There's also a local car commercial for a Toyota dealer. The ad is done by the owner himself and he says tote-uh for Toyota. That's nails on a chalk board to me. (If you're in the Orlando market you might know what I'm talking about - David Maus tote-uh :) )

 

I don't see gonna as sloppy pronunciation; it is a contraction. Do you consider words like don't to be sloppy pronunciation?

 

ETA I'm guessing that what you are actually objecting to is not really sloppiness (I don't really understand the use of that term when it comes to language choices) but rather informality. Gonna is used in a less formal register than going to, and you prefer that news announcers use a more formal register.

Edited by maize
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I don't see gonna as sloppy pronunciation; it is a contraction. Do you consider words like don't to be sloppy pronunciation?

 

Some contractions are more informal. Gonna is one. It doesn't sound the same as other contractions and I don't like hearing it from professional announcers. To me that would be like hearing an announcer say prolly.

Edited by Lady Florida.
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Some contractions are more informal. Gonna is one. It doesn't sound the same as other contractions and I don't like hearing it from professional announcers.

 

LOL I cross posted an edit with your response. Yes, this makes sense.

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I'd rather have a variety of filler speech than people who stick exclusively to "umm". I almost never say um when I'm trying to communicate my ideas, but I do use other filler speech. I do begin sentences with So. People are being downright nasty about that in this thread. Saying so is "pathetic" now? So, maybe you should, like, SO chill out. So.

 

It's difficult to communicate your thoughts clearly and articulately without any pauses or filler phrases. And yes, this is a wonderful skill to have, but almost no time is devoted to teaching people how to do this. I took a speech class in college and it was basically useless. Most of my effort went into writing the speech and very little went into how I gave the speech. I would rather a speech class that gave people prewritten speeches to choose from that they could modify if they wished (to fit their own speech patterns better) and the class focused exclusively on how the speech was given.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I think the people who get *that* worked up about it 1) have probably never studied linguistics and don't understand that language constantly evolves no matter how much people might try to prevent it, and 2) are being judgy in order to cover up their own insecurities. (Number two, of course, makes up the content of three-quarters of the internet.  :lol: )

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I'd rather have a variety of filler speech than people who stick exclusively to "umm". I almost never say um when I'm trying to communicate my ideas, but I do use other filler speech. I do begin sentences with So. People are being downright nasty about that in this thread. Saying so is "pathetic" now? So, maybe you should, like, SO chill out. So.

 

People have difficulty hearing their own verbal tics.  SO, it is very easy to point out how base and inelegant everyone else is, while I promise they have their own irritating speech patterns or pronunciations they don't hear.

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People have difficulty hearing their own verbal tics.  SO, it is very easy to point out how base and inelegant everyone else is, while I promise they have their own irritating speech patterns or pronunciations they don't hear.

 

A verbal tic is one thing. It's when a large portion of the population starts copying the same verbal tic that it becomes annoying. Be more creative with your tics, people!  :laugh:

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I'd rather have a variety of filler speech than people who stick exclusively to "umm". I almost never say um when I'm trying to communicate my ideas, but I do use other filler speech. I do begin sentences with So. People are being downright nasty about that in this thread. Saying so is "pathetic" now? So, maybe you should, like, SO chill out. So.

 

 

 

So, how do you REALLY feel?

 

I guess I read with much less sensitivity than I hear with.  Nasty isn't a thought that came to mind.

I have a husband who uses ALL the umms, uhhs, and you knows as much as humanly possible.  He sticks his tongue out at me when I point it out.  He knows it sounds silly, and is capable of poking fun at himself.

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Filler words don't bother me. Mispronunciations and sloppy pronunciations by professionals do. I don't mind "gonna" in everyday speech and often say such things myself. It's also fine for a movie/tv character. But a professional announcer should say "going to". I've heard news announcers use sloppy pronunciations and it bugs me. There's also a local car commercial for a Toyota dealer. The ad is done by the owner himself and he says tote-uh for Toyota. That's nails on a chalk board to me. (If you're in the Orlando market you might know what I'm talking about - David Maus tote-uh :) )

Just reading that gives me the willies.

 

Here's another: "had went." I have heard tv broadcasters use those words together - as in "Billy Bob had went to to the Tote-uh car lot when ... " Ewwwwwww! Just. No.

 

Give me some nice filler words or even mouth noises, please.

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A verbal tic is one thing. It's when a large portion of the population starts copying the same verbal tic that it becomes annoying. Be more creative with your tics, people!  :laugh:

 

But that's how language works.  It is passed orally.  It's why people are unlikely to say "Gee Willikers, Mister!" and more likely to say "What the heck, man?".  Everyone uses modern fillers, it just takes longer for some people to hop on board.

 

I think a good example is the Winston Cigarette controversy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_tastes_good_like_a_cigarette_should

 

I imagine, most people here use "like" in this way now.  Does that make it trendy, or has it been long enough that it's okay for adults to use "like" to mean "as"?

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But that's how language works. It is passed orally. It's why people are unlikely to say "Gee Willikers, Mister!" and more likely to say "What the heck, man?". Everyone uses modern fillers, it just takes longer for some people to hop on board.

 

I think a good example is the Winston Cigarette controversy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_tastes_good_like_a_cigarette_should

 

I imagine, most people here use "like" in this way now. Does that make it trendy, or has it been long enough that it's okay for adults to use "like" to mean "as"?

Well, I mean, they *are* both simile words, right? So, interchangeable? :D

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So, how do you REALLY feel?

 

I guess I read with much less sensitivity than I hear with.  Nasty isn't a thought that came to mind.

I have a husband who uses ALL the umms, uhhs, and you knows as much as humanly possible.  He sticks his tongue out at me when I point it out.  He knows it sounds silly, and is capable of poking fun at himself.

 

 

I didn't read nastiness either. 

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The "so" trend is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I don't care if kids say dopey things but it's obnoxious how many adults now start their sentences that way, even professional journalists. Adults changing their speech patterns to be trendy just strikes me as pathetic.  

 

 

I didn't read nastiness either. 

 

I think she was referring to the above post.  Which appears to call people using the referred to fillers as "pathetic."

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I think she was referring to the above post.  Which appears to call people using the referred to fillers as "pathetic."

 

 

Oh I thought that comment was about professional journalists and I agree they should be held to a higher standard of speech.

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I truly do not notice these filler words. I probably use a ton of them in my own speech. I find myself typing out "so" at the beginning of sentences pretty regularly. 

 

 

ETA: I am neither intentionally copying the young, hip kids, nor do I feel pathetic.  :001_tt2:

Edited by Sassenach
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Psst, you guys remember the thread about NPR and mouth noises a few years ago? ...I just have to say how much the peeps at NPR enjoyed reading it. Not that there's a spy in your midst here or anything!

 

What?! I'm intrigued. Now I'm dying to know what your specific job is!

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The "so" trend is like nails on a chalkboard to me. I don't care if kids say dopey things but it's obnoxious how many adults now start their sentences that way, even professional journalists. Adults changing their speech patterns to be trendy just strikes me as pathetic.

 

Nobody is consciously changing their speech "to be trendy". I promise you, this is not something that happens. They're just speaking like the people around them speak. That's what people do. It's not pathetic. Judging how other people speak is.

 

And on that note, if it was good enough for Chaucer, it's good enough for me. (And if you scroll down a bit, you'll see that this trend is not nearly as recent as you think... even if we do decide to ignore Chaucer altogether.)

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My peeve is im watching the 10 o'clock news and the guy or gal says, "now take a look at this!" Or "just wait til you watch this!" Or can you believe this?!

 

Ugh. I'm already watching. You don't need to tell me.

 

And if you have to ask if your reporting is believable maybe do better at reporting necessary facts.

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My peeve is im watching the 10 o'clock news and the guy or gal says, "now take a look at this!" Or "just wait til you watch this!" Or can you believe this?!

 

Ugh. I'm already watching. You don't need to tell me.

 

And if you have to ask if your reporting is believable maybe do better at reporting necessary facts.

 

Llol!  I did a whole schtick like that on Facebook today.  I amuse myself.

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What?! I'm intrigued. Now I'm dying to know what your specific job is!

Not mine, but DH's. :)

 

If you're in DC at some point and want a tour of NPR, we can help set you up. They do public tours weekly, but DH sometimes helps set up tours for homeschool groups that are more personal. If there's enough interest on a given day. The new NPR building is very cool, and if you listen to NPR it's worthwhile!

 

I do think it's funny when I'm listening to a news program, and DH walks in and says, "How's Dave today?" (Or whoever) I don't get a lot of personal time so I listen to news while I shower and get ready, so it feels weird! I forget that he knows a lot of these people.

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