Verbal tics that make you giggle

[Laura Corin]

I'm not talking about people who have a tic disorder.  Instead, these are things that the people around you say unconsciously that make you snort.

 

My mother's is 'Anyway, the point is....'.  What it means is, 'I'm not interested in whatever you just said because I just want to talk about me.'  It's got to the point where I have a hard time keeping a straight face when she says it.

 

I used to have a boss who used 'on it' as a verbal filler - I've no idea why.  Once I noticed it, my brain couldn't avoid playing 'on it' bingo when he was talking.

[dirty ethel rackham]

My mom had a bunch that made family members twitch. "And secondly" was her way of holding the floor, whether it was to add more to the story we had all heard before or to further an argument.

 

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[chocolatechip]

A boss I had during a college job always used to say "You know what I mean?" all. the. time. He would also talk over people, which was obnoxious, but once I noticed the "You know what I mean" it was all I could do not to laugh some days at how often it popped up. 

[J-rap]

I've been hearing a lot of "Yeah, no" around me from people lately when they mean "no."  It's confusing!  I kind of get what they're doing -- they say "yeah" meaning they understand your question, but their answer to it is "no."  So, the "yeah" just kind of pops out and then they say "no."  Get it?

Edited August 6, 2017 by J-rap

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I have a family member who uses "Quite honestly, ..." and "Frankly, ..." a lot.  It's to the point where I wonder if he thinks we all think he's a liar or something, that he'd need to specify so often that THIS thing he's saying is truth.  lol.

[Selkie]

I was in a college class with a girl who ended almost every single sentence with "and whatnot". She liked to talk a lot, too. Every time she raised her hand to speak, I had to resist the urge to put my hands over my ears because I knew we were about to be bombarded with whatnots.

[ashfern]

There was a girl in my high school who always raised her hand and started out "So what you're saying is". She was in most of my classes and it was so irritating.

[Miss Tick]

I have a sweet friend who says "So like I said" to start many sentences, but she hasn't always actually said anything related. Until I figured it out I thought my age-related memory issues were really ramping up!

[EKS]

My MIL says "Let me ask you a question," when she's about to phrase a criticism in the form of a question.

[Butter]

My husband, when ordering food, starts with "I'll go ahead and get..."  The funny thing is his dad did, too, so while it slightly annoys me, it's cute, too.

 

I say actually a lot.  It annoys me.  I can't stop.

[Laura Corin]

My husband, when ordering food, starts with "I'll go ahead and get..."  The funny thing is his dad did, too, so while it slightly annoys me, it's cute, too.

 

 

My husband often starts food orders with 'I need...'. It used to make me cringe but at some point I decided to find it folksy instead - it's just so different to what I would say that I marked it down as a cultural disconnect.

[Caroline]

I heard myself saying, "Are you all still with me?" about a zillion times in calculus class this week. I need another phrase.

[Laura Corin]

I heard myself saying, "Are you all still with me?" about a zillion times in calculus class this week. I need another phrase.

 

I used to say 'okay' too much when I taught in classrooms. It was just a filler between phrases, but it must have been irritating to listen to.

[Guest]

"I'll have the .." announced nose up in the air, instead of "please pass the ...".

 

I am not a waiter so I ignore until its rephrased. Wife does not equal servant.

[PrincessMommy]

my kids all say, "Can i have...?" when ordering food.  I'm waiting for the day when a waiter will say, "No, you may not".  ;)  They're all adults and I've given up trying to tell them to say, "I would like ...."  

 

My husband and one daughter uses "so..." as a conversation ender (in place of a period???) and beginner.  It is so annoying.  Example: "I went to the store, so."   or "So, I went to the store."   Yeah?  And???  Ugh.    My niece does it too, so I'm not sure how this has entered into my family's lexicon. 

 

 

[mellifera33]

I had a college prof who, instead of "is that" used "is is that." The reason for this is is that.....It was distracting.

 

I use way too many verbal fillers. Like, so, etc. I sound like a valley girl, except monotone.

[JudoMom]

My last boss used to say "and stuff like that".  Once I realized it, I struggled to keep a straight face.  Dh volunteered at the same organization, and when we were in staff meetings together we could not make eye contact.

[Mimm]

When I was a kid for a short time we had a pastor who used "Amen?" constantly. And sometimes he'd answer himself. "And God loves you, amen? Amen!" This was a Southern Baptist church, so we weren't exactly an exuberant congregation but as a young teenager I loved him. :) He was kinda loud and really cared and was an interesting speaker. 

 

I knew someone else who couldn't explain anything without saying, "...or whatever the case may be." All. The. Time.

[Rachel]

When my kids say "Guess what?" I have the irresistible urge to say, "Chicken Butt" every single time. I feel like a 12 year old but do generally resist saying it out loud.

 

I'm not so sure it's a verbal tick but I hear so many people use the word "literally" incorrectly that I almost wonder if the meaning is shifting. Last week my husband and I heard a teen say, "I literally died I was laughing so hard." Then I got giggles about how she literally wasn't dead.

[Debbi in Texas]

My mother used to say "and everything, and all, so..." Not sure when she stopped, but very glad she did.

[JudoMom]

When my kids say "Guess what?" I have the irresistible urge to say, "Chicken Butt" every single time. I feel like a 12 year old but do generally resist saying it out loud.

 

I'm not so sure it's a verbal tick but I hear so many people use the word "literally" incorrectly that I almost wonder if the meaning is shifting. Last week my husband and I heard a teen say, "I literally died I was laughing so hard." Then I got giggles about how she literally wasn't dead.

 

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  I thought I was the only oppressed 12 year old!  In my head, every time, "chicken butt" is my answer.

[mellifera33]

:lol:  :lol:  :lol:  I thought I was the only oppressed 12 year old!  In my head, every time, "chicken butt" is my answer.

 

I just say it. I guess I'm actually 12.  :laugh: 

SaveSave

[Arctic Bunny]

:lol: :lol: :lol: I thought I was the only oppressed 12 year old! In my head, every time, "chicken butt" is my answer.

I am not oppressed. I absolutely say "chicken butt". And "Guess why?" Chicken thigh. Guess who? Chicken p..

[Rachel]

I am not oppressed. I absolutely say "chicken butt". And "Guess why?" Chicken thigh. Guess who? Chicken p..

Oh yes, there are days that's all I can think. Where did that come from?

[Arctic Bunny]

Oh yes, there are days that's all I can think. Where did that come from?

I have no idea! I know exactly which friend in high school introduced it to me. I can even remember where we were! I should ask her.

[Butter]

I am not oppressed. I absolutely say "chicken butt". And "Guess why?" Chicken thigh. Guess who? Chicken p..

 

Me, too!  My kids roll their eyes at me and act all horrified.  They don't say guess what very often anymore.

[SKL]

I had a boss who always used to say "look here" when he wanted to push his weight around.  I would always look at his face since that is what he told me to do.

 

I have a friend who says "No" when she means "gimme a second to think about this."  Of course people take it at face value and assume she is against everything that wasn't her idea first.

 

 

[SKL]

My kids and I just finished listening to Robinson Crusoe.  The author has a few of these.  Our favorite was "in a word," followed always by dozens of words.  :P

[dsmith]

My mother-in-law constantly says "y'know" when she is talking, often multiple times in a sentence, sometimes between every other word. If she is nervous it gets a lot worse. Sometimes when she tries to tell a story if we have company it is almost painful to listen to, plus she wanders around in her stories so we often don't know what the heck she is talking about, lol. We never let on though, and from what everyone says she didn't do this before an accident she had years ago. It actually took me almost a year to understand her most of the time, and my mother never could understand her well. My son likes to talk a lot about his current obsessions (he's an Aspie) and he ends many sentences with "you know what I mean?" and if I don't actually answer yes he will say it louder the next time. My brother ends a lot of sentences with "and stuff like that" and I've noticed dh doing that on occasion. I have a bit of a laugh after I talk sometimes, and I'm sure I have some phrase I say and don't realize it. It seems most people I know do.

[teachermom2834]

I met an old baseball coach one day and he started at least every other sentence with "Understand this". I spent about two hours around him and it came out constantly.

 

I later saw him yelling at an umpire before getting ejected. I was laughing so hard picturing his tirade peppered with "Understand this".

[Tanaqui]

I'm not so sure it's a verbal tick but I hear so many people use the word "literally" incorrectly that I almost wonder if the meaning is shifting. Last week my husband and I heard a teen say, "I literally died I was laughing so hard." Then I got giggles about how she literally wasn't dead.

 

The original, literal definition of the word "literal" is "having to do with letters". Ever since it first acquired its figurative meaning, a good four or five hundred years ago, it's been used as an intensifier. Esteemed writers such as Mark Twain and Charles Dickens have used it as an intensifier. It is no more incorrect than "really". (And I know you wouldn't "get the giggles" about how she wasn't really dead because she laughed so hard.)

[milovany]

I notice these a lot in my work (real-time transcribing high school and college classes for hearing impaired students).  If a professor has a verbal tic like this, I sometimes put it in my abbreviation dictionary so I can type whatever it is with just a couple of letters since typing it out every time they say it would take too long and cause me to miss real content.  

 

[Cosmos]

"Let me put it this way," which means, "Be sure to pay attention, because I have thought of an incredible witticism that will so blow you away, I wanted to make sure you were fully prepared for it."

[Miss Peregrine]

Dh always says, "At any rate." Makes me want to scream. Stop it

[Just Kate]

When conversing with my father in law (typically about a subject that he brings up), after I've said a few words (it is a conversation after all...we can both talk, right?) FIL always says "anyway" and starts talking again. I always feel like he is saying that I completely interrupted his brilliant thought process by sharing some information of my own, so now he will get back to talking, which is what is most important.

 

My dh does this occasionally, but I call him on it because it drives me crazy!

[Laura Corin]

When conversing with my father in law (typically about a subject that he brings up), after I've said a few words (it is a conversation after all...we can both talk, right?) FIL always says "anyway" and starts talking again. I always feel like he is saying that I completely interrupted his brilliant thought process by sharing some information of my own, so now he will get back to talking, which is what is most important.

 

 

Very similar to my mum.

[wintermom]

I believe my pet phrase is, "It would be great if you did this..." which I translate as, "Do this." My dc translate it as, "We don't have to do this."  I then need to get more specific and simply say, "Do this now."  When will I stop wasting time?  :laugh:

 

I'm happy that I lost my filler words from my youth, "like" and "um."

Edited August 7, 2017 by wintermom

[Tree Frog]

When conversing with my father in law (typically about a subject that he brings up), after I've said a few words (it is a conversation after all...we can both talk, right?) FIL always says "anyway" and starts talking again. I always feel like he is saying that I completely interrupted his brilliant thought process by sharing some information of my own, so now he will get back to talking, which is what is most important.

 

My dh does this occasionally, but I call him on it because it drives me crazy!

 

Yep, we have one of those, too. It always makes me feel like what I just contributed wasn't important for the conversation.

 

We also have "in my humble opinion", which, in my opinion isn't nearly humble enough!