[DanaC]

*grins* I suspect my frenemies aren't overly keen on my "with respect..." used in meetings to render an attack civil.

My favorite though is "to be fair to X, ..."

I never thought much about that line, until J pointed out to me that it does sometimes (?) precede a velvet gloved, sideways attack :P


[eta] I have no problem with 'just out of curiosity...' it can fulfil one of two functions: firstly, it communicates that the reason for asking is mere curiosity, as questions aren't always just for that; secondly, it can denote the exact opposite, if said with the right stress.

For me, it usually means I am wavering on the edge of an idea, or thought train and am fishing for further info.

This is the thing about these little sayings, and the reason that one person's annoying phrase is another person's favourite standby: we employ and understand language at a multiplicity of levels. Set alongside that is the rather imperfect machinery that we are running the programme on. We trip over our words and we build in little strategies to make language more comfortable to use, or to fill in the gaps, create comfortable verbal links etc. Like saying "right" or "okay" at the end of a sentence, or filling the gaps with "so", or "umm". Often these stock phrases fulfil a similar function.