I'm Not Saying, I'm Just Saying

[MELISSA WALSH]

I'm from Missouri, and I both hear and use this expression, usually when
arguing or being sarcastic.


> I hear the "I'm not saying" phrase as similar in intonation to "Not for
> nothin'" (with appropriate shoulder action and neck tilted to the side, a
> la Joe Pesci) and the "I'm just sayin," as it might be heard at the
> beginning of a sentence.  The intonation seems unique to the phrase--not
> as if it were simply a shortening of a longer sentence, such as, "I'm not
> saying (you're ugly or anything), I'm just saying (you're very
> unattractive)."  The intonation of that shortening would be very
> different.
>
> Usually the missing pieces of information implied by each
> phrase are essentially the same, but the second is modified and, perhaps,
> less conclusive.  As, in this case, "I'm not saying there's a massive
> conspiracy to cover up the improper history of the Coca-Cola factory, I'm
> just saying there's something very fishy going on..."  Or whatever you
> take it to imply.  I've only heard it from New Yorkers.  I haven't heard
> it with anything else and I don't think it would work with anything else,
> because of its specific use--to relieve one of responsibility for a
> potentially loaded (or insulting) statement.  I think.
>
>
> Mike Gottlieb