In society at large--at our workplaces--in our homes...we have many ways of disagreeing with one another. From a simple shake of the head to an emphatic "No" to a violent outrage, people know how to voice their displeasure. But isn't it so much nicer and much more fun to find something on which you do agree?
I'd like to examine some of the many ways we have of agreeing with each other. I want to address the ' glory of yes'
Various ways to say 'yes':
Yes indeed
Yessir (pretty popular in Detroit during basketball season)
Yup or Yep (my niece had me saying "yep yep" some years ago)
Oh Yeah
Yeah, Buddy
Yeah (Oaktown 357 said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...yeah, yeah, aw yeah")
Ye-ah, Boyeee (Flavor Flav)
We've all heard enough 'uh huhs' and 'um hmms' to know that affirmations are not always verbal gems;and while I am not a big fan of slang or garbled grammar, I must admit that some of my favourite terms of agreement fit those bills. I like to hear somebody say, "I concur" after I've made a statement. It is nice to hear the words "I second that" when I present a plan. However, when somebody says to me, "You ain't never lied", I'm certain that he or she agrees with me.
Some terms simply sound better as slang than when enunciated 'properly'. "Sure, you are right" can't hold a candle to "Sho, you're right".
"Fa sho" catches the ear in a more profound manner than does "for sure".
A few words we use to express agreement:
Now, you're talking
Ain't that the truth
Rap on, brother (well, maybe not in this century)
That's 'bout right
I heard that
Back in 1974, on the night of the Ali-Foreman fight, the saying "I heard that" nearly drove me crazy. A young lady used that expression at least one hundred times that evening. A number of us were gathered in the Wayne State area at a restaurant talking, laughing and eating
Apparently, no one had informed this lady that she did not have to echo everybody's sentence with, "I heard that." That expression is usually reserved for a nugget of wisdom or at the least, a new outlook. She was saying it when a person said,"I've got to go to work tomorrow" or "It's nine o'clock". I think she once said it after someone else said , 'I heard that'. (other than that...very nice lady)
Remember when you'd say something somewhat surprising and somebody would exclaim, "Shut up" or "You're lying" ?
These intonations were meant to be positive reinforcements, but could be misconstrued as negative comments by an unwitting bystander.
Tone of voice and facial expression (not to mention head movement, in some cases) are integral parts of communication.
From "Alrighty then" to "Ditto" to "Do tell", we have ways of letting folks know that we agree and want to hear more. In church, I prefer to hear "Amen" more so than any other term of agreement. Outside of church, these are my top ten:
10. WORD or WORD UP come on now, didn't you like that in the 80s? There was even a magazine called Word Up
9. YOU SEE as if the listener was the one who had made the statement conversational inversion...great stuff
8. NO DOUBT
7. I'M TELLIN' YOU again, the listener reverses the roles (I still say this from time to time)
6. DARN SKIPPY I've never said it, although I'm a bit fond of it
5. TRUE THAT or TRUE DAT my wife's favourite
4. HEAR HEAR
3. RIGHT ON timeless
2. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT the ultimate example of the ' listener becomes speaker' syndrome
1. I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT when the right person says this in just the right way, you know it's right too
I've had a lot of fun with this list and I hope that you did also. So long for now and I'll have a new list next week.
Amen to that.
I'd like to examine some of the many ways we have of agreeing with each other. I want to address the ' glory of yes'
Various ways to say 'yes':
Yes indeed
Yessir (pretty popular in Detroit during basketball season)
Yup or Yep (my niece had me saying "yep yep" some years ago)
Oh Yeah
Yeah, Buddy
Yeah (Oaktown 357 said, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...yeah, yeah, aw yeah")
Ye-ah, Boyeee (Flavor Flav)
We've all heard enough 'uh huhs' and 'um hmms' to know that affirmations are not always verbal gems;and while I am not a big fan of slang or garbled grammar, I must admit that some of my favourite terms of agreement fit those bills. I like to hear somebody say, "I concur" after I've made a statement. It is nice to hear the words "I second that" when I present a plan. However, when somebody says to me, "You ain't never lied", I'm certain that he or she agrees with me.
Some terms simply sound better as slang than when enunciated 'properly'. "Sure, you are right" can't hold a candle to "Sho, you're right".
"Fa sho" catches the ear in a more profound manner than does "for sure".
A few words we use to express agreement:
Now, you're talking
Ain't that the truth
Rap on, brother (well, maybe not in this century)
That's 'bout right
I heard that
Back in 1974, on the night of the Ali-Foreman fight, the saying "I heard that" nearly drove me crazy. A young lady used that expression at least one hundred times that evening. A number of us were gathered in the Wayne State area at a restaurant talking, laughing and eating
Apparently, no one had informed this lady that she did not have to echo everybody's sentence with, "I heard that." That expression is usually reserved for a nugget of wisdom or at the least, a new outlook. She was saying it when a person said,"I've got to go to work tomorrow" or "It's nine o'clock". I think she once said it after someone else said , 'I heard that'. (other than that...very nice lady)
Remember when you'd say something somewhat surprising and somebody would exclaim, "Shut up" or "You're lying" ?
These intonations were meant to be positive reinforcements, but could be misconstrued as negative comments by an unwitting bystander.
Tone of voice and facial expression (not to mention head movement, in some cases) are integral parts of communication.
From "Alrighty then" to "Ditto" to "Do tell", we have ways of letting folks know that we agree and want to hear more. In church, I prefer to hear "Amen" more so than any other term of agreement. Outside of church, these are my top ten:
10. WORD or WORD UP come on now, didn't you like that in the 80s? There was even a magazine called Word Up
9. YOU SEE as if the listener was the one who had made the statement conversational inversion...great stuff
8. NO DOUBT
7. I'M TELLIN' YOU again, the listener reverses the roles (I still say this from time to time)
6. DARN SKIPPY I've never said it, although I'm a bit fond of it
5. TRUE THAT or TRUE DAT my wife's favourite
4. HEAR HEAR
3. RIGHT ON timeless
2. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT the ultimate example of the ' listener becomes speaker' syndrome
1. I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT when the right person says this in just the right way, you know it's right too
I've had a lot of fun with this list and I hope that you did also. So long for now and I'll have a new list next week.
Amen to that.
Ok, David, I will admit this list was somewhat different for me. LOL - OK, being my word of agreement! I also favor, "That will work" or "that'll work" depending on who and where. I use "Absolutely" when I really like what is being presented to me. Sometimes, I favor something as simple as, "I like that!" I used "Right On!" a lot (back in the day), and there is actually a magazine called Right On, that premiered in 1971. "You see" can become a source of irritation for me, depending on how it is used. I get tired of someone saying over and over, "you see, you see," especially when I do not see. As always thanks for the list! ~Muriel
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