How do we communicate?

It's like when I was working away. At 23:00 arriving at the digs after the pub, the telephone appeared to be the largest object in the house!
 
Duck59 said:
Another one that irritates me when I hear people being interviewed is when they begin their reply with the word "listen." It comes across as arrogant and gives the impression that you, the interviewee, are superior and speaking to someone who is beneath you. Sometimes you hear people beginning a response with the word "look," which conveys a similar impression.

If I were the interviewer, I would be highly tempted to interrupt them and say, "I am listening and I have been listening, thank you."
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Another one is starting a reply with "So." Three interviewees in a row did this on the Today program on Thursday. To me, it translates as "Listen very carefully children for I have something really complicated to explain to you". Very condescending.
 
epicuric said:
Another one is starting a reply with "So." Three interviewees in a row did this on the Today program on Thursday. To me, it translates as "Listen very carefully children for I have something really complicated to explain to you". Very condescending.
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Another annoying thing when people litter their replies with "you know". No, I don't know (or several million listeners/viewers don't know) which is why I am asking.
Also, TV interviews, particularly BBC news items, seem to turn into slanging matches when the reply is not what the interviewer expected. Susanna Reid had a nasty habit of doing this (although she seems to be OK in non-news related programmes). I remember on one occasion she had a free for all row on TV with Ed Balls over an at the time topical political item. His final words before ending the interview was that she should remember that it was her job purely to ask questions, not to argue with him. She didn't like it.
 
"I think", "In my opinion", or (even worse) "In my opinion, I think" are guaranteed to get me going - literally, sometimes. The only times the first two are justified are if you really disagree with something someone has said - usually preceded by "Well,...."
 
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:oops: confessions time...I use "well", "so", "in my opinion" often :( (allora,dunque,secondo me)..my teacher always said "never start a sentence saying "dunque" (so) because "dunque" is to specific a concept in a sentence already started. "Well", I perfectly know this, I know Italian grammar very well (dad too was a teacher- retired) but, as @Duck59 has written, it's a sort of filler..and I also think that when we speak we have more freedom instead of write. And I'm looking for a justification :laugh:
 
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Well I think it's been an odd 'un that got folk thinking. So, you know in my opinion, it's done a good'un.

A simple question, that many wouldn't have given much thought to, until it was asked.
Now listen to this.....
 
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