Odd use of the word 'there'

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Geektastic

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Topic # 182454 16-Oct-2015 11:19

I've notice a curious repurposing of the word 'there' recently as follows (some examples):

(on the phone) "What's your name there?" (note: my name here is the same as it is anywhere else...)

(on the phone) "Thanks for waiting there." (note: where else would I wait if I am talking to you on the phone?)

It seems entirely superfluous and a quite recent trend. Anyone else noticed and why is it suddenly happening?

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Master Geek
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Reply # 1407751 16-Oct-2015 11:28

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There has to be a reason.

wasabi2k

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Reply # 1407754 16-Oct-2015 11:32

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If by recently you mean it has been used that way for at least the last 25 years (that I can remember) then you are absolutely correct.

Seriously - maybe it is more common in other cultures, but "thanks for waiting there" is something I have heard on the phone a large number of times.

Similarly what's your name there - the there is just a filler/flare/mannerism. Same as saying "like" or finishing every sentence with "bro".

In fact just replace there with bro. Problem solved.

Blurtie

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Reply # 1407759 16-Oct-2015 11:34

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Not too sure what the OP's on about there....

Geektastic

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Reply # 1407760 16-Oct-2015 11:34

wasabi2k: If by recently you mean it has been used that way for at least the last 25 years (that I can remember) then you are absolutely correct.

Seriously - maybe it is more common in other cultures, but "thanks for waiting there" is something I have heard on the phone a large number of times.

Similarly what's your name there - the there is just a filler/flare/mannerism. Same as saying "like" or finishing every sentence with "bro".

In fact just replace there with bro. Problem solved.

Not solved: made worse! Inappropriate over-familiarity is not a Good Thing.

Geektastic

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Reply # 1407762 16-Oct-2015 11:35

Blurtie: Not too sure what the OP's on about there....

You should take that act on stage..!

Blurtie

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Reply # 1407764 16-Oct-2015 11:38

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Geektastic:
Blurtie: Not too sure what the OP's on about there....

You should take that act on stage..!

I see what you did there...

Thank you, I'll be here all week.

MikeB4

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Reply # 1407766 16-Oct-2015 11:39

I have noticed it there from time to time, there must be a reason for their use of there, there.

Mike
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Using empathy takes no energy and can gain so much. Try it.

kiwitrc

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Reply # 1407767 16-Oct-2015 11:39

There, there we all make mistakes

drunkmonk

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Reply # 1407770 16-Oct-2015 11:40

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Geektastic:
wasabi2k: If by recently you mean it has been used that way for at least the last 25 years (that I can remember) then you are absolutely correct.

Seriously - maybe it is more common in other cultures, but "thanks for waiting there" is something I have heard on the phone a large number of times.

Similarly what's your name there - the there is just a filler/flare/mannerism. Same as saying "like" or finishing every sentence with "bro".

In fact just replace there with bro. Problem solved.

Not solved: made worse! Inappropriate over-familiarity is not a Good Thing.

Then change all of the Bro's to there. Problem solved.

grant_k

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Reply # 1407778 16-Oct-2015 11:49

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IMO, the recent trend of starting every sentence with 'So' sounds just as retarded. It is totally superfluous as evidenced by the title of another thread posted this morning:

So, got my Nexus 6 today..

jmh

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Reply # 1407779 16-Oct-2015 11:49

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Most mangling of the Queen's English either comes from America or Australia. My guess it the US. Sounds yankee to me.

kiwitrc

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Reply # 1407784 16-Oct-2015 11:53

grant_k: IMO, the recent trend of starting every sentence with 'So' sounds just as retarded. It is totally superfluous as evidenced by the title of another thread posted this morning:

So, got my Nexus 6 today..

Do you really need to use "my" if you got it its probably yours :)

Therefore "Got Nexus 6 today" which leads to how important is when you got it..........

drunkmonk

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Reply # 1407787 16-Oct-2015 11:57

kiwitrc:
grant_k: IMO, the recent trend of starting every sentence with 'So' sounds just as retarded. It is totally superfluous as evidenced by the title of another thread posted this morning:

So, got my Nexus 6 today..

Do you really need to use "my" if you got it its probably yours :)

Therefore "Got Nexus 6 today" which leads to how important is when you got it..........

But I get phones all the time, and none of them are mine. So the my makes perfect sense.

What with this recent (and I mean today) trend of calling things that are really old (like finishing sentences with there, or starting them with so) and calling them recent trends?

MikeAqua

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Reply # 1407791 16-Oct-2015 12:09

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Abuse of the term technically seems to be a more recent thing.

Technically was normally used occasionally to introduce a potentially counter-intuitive technical distinction.

E.g "Technically, a slater is a more closely related to a shrimp than an insect"

Now it is used to attempt to lend weight to a non-technical (often subjective) argument.

What about like and literally ...

Like is supposed to be figurative/comparative but its use as literal.

Literally is used as figurative.

[when describing green grass] "The grass is like, green" No. The grass IS green. If the grass was aquamarine, like would be valid, but still clangy.

"I literally died" No, you didn't. You are still alive and clearly speaking figuratively. "I like, died" would be better, but still hideous.

Mike

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Reply # 1407793 16-Oct-2015 12:11

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drunkmonk:
kiwitrc:
grant_k: IMO, the recent trend of starting every sentence with 'So' sounds just as retarded. It is totally superfluous as evidenced by the title of another thread posted this morning:

So, got my Nexus 6 today..

Do you really need to use "my" if you got it its probably yours :)

Therefore "Got Nexus 6 today" which leads to how important is when you got it..........

But I get phones all the time, and none of them are mine. So the my makes perfect sense.

What with this recent (and I mean today) trend of calling things that are really old (like finishing sentences with there, or starting them with so) and calling them recent trends?

like the almost universal use of the word "there's" when the actual word should be "there're" e.g. "There's lost of cars on the road this morning"

Matthew

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