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[jaxword]

This thread is so-so.

It's so funny I forgot to laugh.

So many people these days misuse language.

So when does the challenge start, anyways?

 

[SolKane]

This is a pointless challenge. Word choice is as much about style and connotation as it is logical meaning. Of course you can rephrase any given sentence, but it wouldn't necessarily be the same statement made in the same way and with the same effect.

Make it so!

 

[Oblivion]

Why so serious?

 

[Exclamation-One]

So you make a thread about so being useless then use it in a sentence that could use it?

So I'm just fooling around. So what?

 

[Qwomo]

Guys, guys.

Broccoli sucks.

 

[ZephyrFate]

So I'm just fooling around. So what?

You're so cute.

 

[Hitokage]

Make it so!

Actually, you might have gone and accomplished it anyway. Would Jean-Luc Picard be nearly as awesome without this? I think not.

 

[ptolemy]

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.

 

[Aselith]

"His penis was so big."
vs.
"His penis was BIG."

That's not fucking correct. It all about the inflection. In fact, if most people used the words "his penis is so big", it would be because they thought his penis was REALLY big. Like, "his penis is SOOOO big. Holy shit!"

So can heighten or lessen the effect of a word based on inflection not based on some inherent property of the word.

 

[Stet]

So okay, it serves to soften what you are trying to say. I'm not saying the word should be banned, tarred, nor feathered. But if you want clear, concise and STRONG communication, it should be avoided.

"It's like adverbs that end with the letters 'L' and 'Y'," he said forcefully.

I'm serious. Show me a sentence that REQUIRES the use of 'so', and I'll accept a week ban.

Show me a sentence where any of the words are unalterable.

 

[SolKane]

So I'm just fooling around. So what?

So serves a purpose in your big penis example, because without it you couldn't add something like: "It was so big you could see it from space."

 

[Ominym]

Sorry 'bout it, hope you're not like, mad 'bout it.

 

[daw840]

Make it so.


This is undeniable. 1 week ban for you.

 

[foodtaster]

Begone

has the op been banned yet?

 

[ryan-ts]

Can't be such a useless word if so many people disagree with you.

 

[Plumbob]

So can mean something close to thus, without being as douchey. "And so, we ended up keeping the brown dog." It can also mean "What's your point?" It can also mean "very" or "very much," the latter without sounding douchey. It can also mean this, as in "like this," is the same as "like so," although using "so" in this case makes it more douchey. Like like, it can be used pointlessly as a pause word, like "uh." Not a useless word overall.

edit: It can also be used to mean something like "as well." "I have a brown dog." "So do I!" "I as well have a brown dog." Again, reduces the douche factor.

 

[Koodo]

Much stronger. 'So' serves to weaken whatever it is that you're trying to say. Even when describing things as "so ______", it only acts to soften.

So... why is that bad?

Not every thing you say needs to be assertive.

 

[Exclamation-One]

"Make it so!" and "Why so serious?" are good examples. In fact, awesome examples.

Fuck.

Maybe I only mean 'so' as a preposition. Can we have a half-week ban instead?

 

[gerg]

Can't be such a useless word if so many people disagree with you.

It can't be a useless word if he uses it in the title of a thread decrying it as a useless word!

Maybe I only mean 'so' as a preposition. Can we have a half-week ban instead?

"So" isn't a preposition. It's a conjunction, adverb or adjective.

 

[SolKane]

"Make it so!" and "Why so serious?" are good examples. In fact, awesome examples.

Fuck.

Maybe I only mean 'so' as a preposition. Can we have a half-week ban instead?

See you in a week!

 

[Khalifa Jayy]

You can say that about most adjectives... So OP, your point is so/incredibly/astronomically stupid.

 

[Exclamation-One]

So serves a purpose in your big penis example, because without it you couldn't add something like: "It was so big you could see it from space."

Solkane's penis was massive. You could see it from space.

 

[ZephyrFate]

Solkane's penis was massive. You could see it from space.

That is so boring. You do realize that so joins sentences together right

 

[Lance Bone Path]

See you in a week!

Well, a week isn't exactly "so long, farewell, to you and you and youuuuu..."

 

[gerg]

Solkane's penis was massive. You could see it from space.

Using "so" joins two sentences into one, thus proving SolKane right.

You're wrong and should stop trying to prove your point, although it would be fun to see if you're going to argue that "but" and "and" are useless words as well.

 

[Exclamation-One]

Aside from "Make it so" and "Why so serious?" (which, while awesome, don't really fit the terms of my ban bet), I still haven't seen anything where the word is REQUIRED to clearly communicate.

That is so boring. You do realize that so joins sentences together right

Yes, but longer sentences almost are always invariably weaker. Less is more.

 

[Stet]

Yes, but longer sentences almost are always invariably weaker. Less is more.

This is so dumb.

 

[Korey]

There are so many things wrong with this thread: I don't even know where to begin.

 

[gerg]

Aside from "Make it so" and "Why so serious?" (which, while awesome, don't really fit the terms of my ban bet), I still haven't seen anything where the word is REQUIRED to clearly communicate.

Again, as I highlighted, "so" works wonderfully as a way to summarise what has been said before: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/so_3 Without "so" in these instances you'd end up with sentences that are much longer and inefficient.

But the main point is that your standards are too high. Very few words in English are required to communicate - why use "massive" when we have "very big"? Rather, these words act to add nuance and inflection to what we say.

Or, as I wrote before, "so" is double plus ungood, eh?

This is so dumb.

I think people should stop using "and", too.

Less is more, right?

 

[foodtaster]

Aside from "Make it so" and "Why so serious?" (which, while awesome, don't really fit the terms of my ban bet), I still haven't seen anything where the word is REQUIRED to clearly communicate.


Yes, but longer sentences almost are always invariably weaker. Less is more.

so is required to communicate this thread. begone.

 

[Ether_Snake]

Hence

 

[SolKane]

Solkane's penis was massive. You could see it from space.

But you have to make two sentences out of just the one, and the second one doesn't necessarily logically follow the first sentence without the use of "so." For instance, I could write: "My penis is blue. You can see it from space," which would not convey the same semantic meaning as "My penis so blue you can see it from space." Two sentence example conveys two different ideas but in an understandable sense, while the one sentence with use of "so" is problematic because it is not a logical deduction. That's why "so" is more appropriate to use if we're conveying a logical connection than writing two separate sentences.

And you won't be weaseling your way out of that ban.

Aside from "Make it so" and "Why so serious?" (which, while awesome, don't really fit the terms of my ban bet), I still haven't seen anything where the word is REQUIRED to clearly communicate.

Did you also miss post #29?

 

[ZephyrFate]

Aside from "Make it so" and "Why so serious?" (which, while awesome, don't really fit the terms of my ban bet), I still haven't seen anything where the word is REQUIRED to clearly communicate.


Yes, but longer sentences almost are always invariably weaker. Less is more.

But you're following your own advice by doing so. Less sentences, more said.

 

[sh4mike]

Make it so.

 

[DrForester]

Make it so!

 

[Prez]

You should SO patent that discovery, man

 

[umop_3pisdn]

Aside from "Make it so" and "Why so serious?" (which, while awesome, don't really fit the terms of my ban bet), I still haven't seen anything where the word is REQUIRED to clearly communicate.

The requirement to use something, and its usefulness, are two separate qualities. It seems like a fairly obvious error to use this to criticize the usefulness of 'so'. Language likely reflects cognition, as much or more than the opposite, so debating the usefulness of something ubiquitous enough in English seems kind of unnecessary. The fact that 'so' is so prevalent would point to it being quite "useful".

 

[lobdale]

Why did the chicken cross the road?

So Because, in performing this action, he was allowed an avenue through which to ambulate his body to the opposing section of land.

 

[Plumbob]

The entire premise of the thread is dumb. Just because a word has synonyms with different connotations, that doesn't make it useless.

 

[Exclamation-One]

But you have to make two sentences out of just the one, and the second one doesn't necessarily logically follow the first sentence without the use of "so." For instance, I could write: "My penis is blue. You can see it from space," which would not convey the same semantic meaning as "My penis so blue you can see it from space." Two sentence example conveys two different ideas but in an understandable sense, while the one sentence with use of "so" is problematic because it is not a logical deduction. That's why "so" is more appropriate to use if we're conveying a logical connection than writing two separate sentences.

And you won't be weaseling your way out of that ban.



Did you also miss post #29?

So be it = bring it.

Bring it = active opinion of speaker.

So be it = speaker allowing something to happen.

I'll probably be banned anyway, but can anyone provide a more useless word than "so" ? (not a noun!)

I'm curious.

 

[elrechazado]

Just so.

 

[gerg]

So be it = bring it.

"So be it" doesn't mean "bring it".

"So be it" is a recognition of an event by the speaker, and is nowadays quite formal.

"Bring it" is used to register a challenge, in a rather informal matter.

Edit: "Bring it" could also be used as a simple imperative to literally bring something.

 

[Neki]

in this thread, the OP has discovered the meaning of synonyms.

he has also discovered that several different sentences can be made to convey the same meaning.

 

[xelios]

Semicolons join sentences together too. Just sayin'. Of course you'll sound weird if you use them in speech.

 

[Joe Shlabotnik]

So be it = bring it.

No, it doesn't.

 

[JABEE]

The entire premise of the thread is dumb. Just because a word has synonyms with different connotations, that doesn't make it useless.

This. Almost any word can be replaced with something else, but it's connotation would be completely changed.

 

[Sinoox]

It can help repetition and prevent you from sounding robotic.

 

[gerg]

in this thread, the OP has discovered the meaning of synonyms.

Actually, as an aside, I've recently begun to wonder whether in English, apart from words that merely indicate a very wide and very basic "yah" or "boo" response, there actually do exist true synonyms (as in, a word that could be replaced by another with no loss of meaning at all).

 

[Anonymous Tipster]

So be it = bring it.

Quoting again because it is so wrong.

 

[Ourobolus]

Aside from "Make it so" and "Why so serious?" (which, while awesome, don't really fit the terms of my ban bet), I still haven't seen anything where the word is REQUIRED to clearly communicate.


Yes, but longer sentences almost are always invariably weaker. Less is more.

I know a guy, his name is...um...damn, I forget. Let's just call him "so-and-so." Anyway, so-and-so was so clumsy...

"How clumsy was he?"

So-and-so was so clumsy that when he sewed the word "so" into his jeans it came out only so-so.