Mason, Mark (5 November 2011). "It's so annoying. So why do people feel compelled to start every sentence with 'so'?". The Spectator. It is widely believed that the recent ascendancy of so as a sentence opener began in Silicon Valley. Michael Lewis, in his book The New New Thing, published in 1999, noted that "When a computer programmer answers a question, he often begins with the word 'so. '" Microsoft employees have long argued that the "so" boom began with them. [2] [3] [4] Purpose [ edit ]

Let’s say you’re texting a loved one with a chronic health condition. You might message, “How are you doing today?” This speaks directly to what you want to know, and it shows them that you understand that things may shift daily, while leaving it up to them about how detailed they want to get in their response. Nicola explains in detail all things stair runners – from the best material options, how to accurately measure and fit it and whether you should DIY it. Let’s look at another example. Imagine two strangers are talking at a party, and one is trying very hard to carry on a conversation with the other: This change in the law is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, but we need to be having these discussions in the UK, too. In the meantime, we are not completely powerless. If you want to stop the adverts, there are things you can do, Laux tells me. Turning off personalised ads in your settings, or hiding ads in your feed if you don’t want to see them again, are some options.The law around this kind of advertising is somewhat murky, according to Johann Laux, a postdoctoral fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute. In the UK, it is against the law to advertise prescription-only drugs to consumers. But there is no such restriction on advertising over-the-counter medical products. There are many ways to ask this fundamental question, but how you phrase it can imply different things. For example: What have you been up to since we last talked? You’re looking for an overview of what a person has done since your last conversation, and it could be about a problem they were dealing with at the time. Each of these conveys a different tone, and the results can vary. And using the wrong phrase could come off as awkward—or even insensitive in extreme circumstances. So it pays to know when they work, but especially when they don’t. When is it appropriate to use variations of “How are you?” What’s new with you? You want to know what changes have occurred in a person’s life, typically focusing on the positives.

Significant Other has some similarities to a less-common internet slang term, "DH" or "dear husband." DH rose to popularity in the mid-2000s in internet boards where women talked about marriage, motherhood, and family life. It can either be used in a sarcastic manner or to soften the blow of stories where they would complain about their husband. It was often accompanied by the slang terms "DD" and "DS," which stood for "dear daughter" and "dear son," respectively. Would you like to talk about X? This is an empathetic inquiry about a potentially sensitive event or aspect of a person’s life—with the built-in option for them to decline. So is an English word that, apart from its other uses, has become increasingly popular in recent years as a coordinating conjunctive opening word in a sentence. This device is particularly used when answering questions although the questioner may also use the device. So may also be used to end sentences. When ending a sentence, it may be: The Beatles’ version of ‘So How Come (No One Loves Me)’ was taped for the sixth edition of the Pop Go The Beatles radio show, on 10 July 1963. It was was recorded at the Aeolian Hall, London, and first broadcast on 23 July. A dangling "so" in conversation may be represented in text as "so" followed by an ellipsis: "...". [1] [14] Examples of dangling "so":

For more interior inspo, follow @sohowdoyou.podcast and our incredible guests from this episode: Kate Watson-Symth @mad_about_the_house and Nicola Edwards @nicolaedwardscarpetedging