Just where did this particular piece of inanity come from?

A few days ago I heard someone on the radio say 'Yeah no definitely'. Indicating in that one short sentence that he agreed, then didn't agree, then really agreed with the interviewer.

Giving me the arsehole it is.

"…and that", the English teacher explained, "is a double negative. But interestingly there is no such thing as a 'double positive'"

Little Johnny rolled his eyes and muttered "Aye right!".

For full effect, listen to any Brit SuperBike rider interviewed pre/post race, every utterance MUST be preceded with 'yeeaahh no,….'

My father has been doing this for as long as I can remember. In his case I think it is because he is an extremely quick-thinking man with an ability to see a huge number of possible points of view very quickly.

So he typically says "yes yes no no" in answer to any question you ask, but he is responding in fact to one question that you did ask, and three that you didn't, but probably would have if you'd thought the issue through more carefully. 🙂

I've noticed this with most sportsmen being interviewed on TV. Especially rugby players.

For sure………

I have collected this charming conversational inanity from BDs and my father. It tends to come out when I'm actually concentrating on something else and someone asks me something.

Its about agreeing in a positive manner with the question being asked, then answering the actual question. Like smiling first then providing an answer.

It drives me nuts.
Even more so then when J asks me a question and I reply, "yeah, I know" and he accuses me of using 'that phrase'.

I wonder if it's sometimes a filler, rather than there being a pause in a conversation while you think of an answer. Maybe?

"Yeah no" is nowhere near as bad as the guff that's spoken round here. Generally it involves inapropriate and over-usage of the words "like" and "pure"

Examples:

"Ah was pure like that"

"She was pure like that"

"Aw man, ah pure like that"

Yeah, no, well, I do it actually 😉

No idea why it's just a mannerism I guess. Trimix's explanation is the one that makes the most sense – "yeah" is just the initial response to the question (just meaning that it's been understood rather than "yes")

I think the yeah part is an understanding of your question or comment, the no part is their response to it.

Furrr shurrrrr is my bugbear though.

A gf always used to complain that I answered 'It depends' to far too many questions rather than yes / no, so you can't win 🙂

NEVER say 'no' to someone from Holyhead. You'll be in an argument for weeks after….

i agree with what pook says although i suppose it depends on the question. if the question is something like 'do you agree with this?' then the 'yeah' means i understand, the 'no definitely' means he doenst just agree, he 'definitely' agrees which is a stronger sentiment.

I started to notice the increased use of "Yeah, no" as an affirmative usually followed by an explanation or qualification (eg: "definitely") after I got back from NZ in 2004. Over there, it was commonplace, but used as an interrogative: "Yeah, no?" in response to statements of fact. We seem to have adopted the phrase, but use it in a different way.

I also started to notice increased use of the Australian "No worries" in general conversation…

My new trousers is well hardcore with all pockets and sh!t 😉 This is like totally disrespectful against my religion and some sh!t like that. Yeah i'd say they touched my arse and some sh!t like that, and then everyone would know that they were pedos or something.

Can anyone explain this phrase:

"Now then"

Foxy®ider – Member

My new trousers is well hardcore with all pockets and sh!t This is like totally disrespectful against my religion and some sh!t like that. Yeah i'd say they touched my arse and some sh!t like that, and then everyone would know that they were pedos or something.

Miller and Armstrong, right?

ooOOoo – Member

Can anyone explain this phrase:

"Now then"

Yorkshire.

I do the 'Yeah no', but when i think about it, it's always as an agreement to something, i think i'm just trying to say:

'Yeah I Know'

But shortening it. So in this circumstance whatever the Interviewer had asked, his response was, 'Yeah I know, definitely'.

Seems to make sense.

Whenever I hear this, I usually respond with the phrase "Wise words indeed!"

Trouble is, I say it as well, although it's usually an abbreviated "yes I know".

Mr Woppit – yeh of course n' sh!t

I do it – for me it's short hand for 'I understand your point of view and have respect for your oppinion, however my own oppinion differs due to the following points your oppinion did not take into account:'
Stops me getting hit in the face.

any pop star, any footballer, any 'celebrity' can be heard to utter the 'yeah, no' thing on tv every day and my pi$$ boileth over…so it does

i hear people say "yeah no yeah, but…" it bugs me a lot "yeah i know, but…" is probably what they mean and makes more sense!?

Done get me started on that shit.

However, the best bit of language you will ever come across is the glaswegian double positive – aye right. 😉

'Now then' isn't Yorkshire, it's Northern!

Even though it was appropriated by that Jimmy Saville….

I'm liking the 'For Sure' thing tho, like every Euro cyclist must have the same English teacher.

"Now then…"

What? Are you talking about now? Or then? They're very different. Just say now if you mean now.

it's probably an abbreviation of 'how are you now then?'

goon – Member

A few days ago I heard someone on the radio say 'Yeah no definitely'………….Giving me the arsehole it is.

I know exactly how you feel.

The last time I heard someone say 'yeah no definitely', it took me about 10 days before I could start relaxing again.

I would give it another week and see how you feel.

Its called evolution… what do you think shakespeare would make of the language used in , lets say victorian times?

Stop being so grumpy…

'Now then' has been a greeting in Liverpool for moons kidder… As in 'now den lad', or hello in otherwords.

Interesting. Thanks northerners!