[Ads-l] sentence-final "so"

[Betty Birner]

I have in-laws who do this all the time, intoning "so" as its own sentence, with distinct falling intonation.  I think the source is my sister-in-law, originally from Pennsylvania, but it has spread through their family, and she's been doing it as long as I've known her, roughly 30 years.

Betty Birner


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> On Behalf Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Wednesday, May 12, 2021 12:19 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: sentence-final "so"

In that case, I'd have expected a capitalized "so," followed by a period.

JL

On Wed, May 12, 2021 at 12:44 PM Andy Bach <afbach at gmail.com> wrote:

> >  A: I mean, more people are homophobic than cacophobic so.
>
> I'd have taken it to mean "so there (is your answer)."
>
> On Wed, May 12, 2021 at 8:08 AM Jonathan Lighter 
> <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > I've been noticing this for possibly five years, but it could be 
> > more or less.
> >
> > Quora.com:
> >
> > Q: Which is worse, homophobia or cacophobia?
> >
> > A: I mean, more people are homophobic than cacophobic so.
> >
> > I'd have put in a comma before "so," because there's usually a pause.
> >
> > It seems to have developed from a feeling that more should be said, 
> > but
> the
> > speaker doesn't know what.
> >
> > My feeling is that it was preceded by the (still existing), "so -- 
> > you know."
> >
> > JL
> > --
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth."
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
> >
>
>
> --
>
> a
>
> Andy Bach,
> afbach at gmail.com
> 608 658-1890 cell
> 608 261-5738 wk
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>


--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org