LL-L "Idiomatica" 2004.09.11 (09) [E]

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From: Críostóir Ó Ciardha <paada_please at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2004.09.11 (05) [E]


Gary Taylor wrote:
"Yeah, no, I know what you're talking about - I use
exactly the same expression. For me though I don't
think it's a demonstration of uncertainty, purely
agreement. I never used to but seem somehow to have
picked this up along the way - is this a general trend
in English? - I hadn't really ever noticed anyone else
doing it before, but nice to know I'm not alone.
Another one that I say when I want to start a
counter-argument, and thus show my *disagreement* with
something someone's said, is 'yeah yeah, but...'"

I should have pointed out that I actually say "yeah, no" rather than "yes,
no" as I wrote.

I notice I use the construction much to express agreement with someone
else's disagreement - a reflex. If someone said, "There is no chance of rain
tomorrow" I would say, "Yeah, no, it's not looking likely." It is a very
elliptical, evasive form of agreement - exactly the sort I was castigating
the Americans for only a few messages back! It's as if I want to agree but
add my own information: Questioner: "That bloke were well drunk." Me: "Yeah,
no, he were right off his face." and so on. It's just a fossilised deferent
reflex that seems more useful than it probably is.

For my own part, like I said, I suspect Celtic substrate interference - I
really never used "yes" or "no" at all (except when angry) until I met my
Australian wife, and I must have mislearnt how to use the terms! It's
actually very strange that even though Nottingham English is my first
language, I took on my mother's Cornish evasiveness toward "yes" and "no".
NE uses "yes" and "no" as normally as any other English variant.

Go raibh maith agat

Criostóir.

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