[Closed] Look...

Agree, it's patronising.

"look, I know this is very complicated for you, but I know best..."

Look = I’m in charge and this is how you will think.

So, I think it'll be overtaken at some point by another useless prefix. 🙂

And I thought this would be about bike components !

Yeah, no, I think it might have seeped in from antipodean sports speak.....

It’s just buying them some time to make something up.

She's dead now, y'know.

Aussie cricketers have done this for years.

Not just cricketers, it’s all types of Aussies. It’s as prevalent as “eh” in Canadish.

So, I think it’ll be overtaken at some point by another useless prefix. 🙂

I'm not gonna lie, as all statements from my teenagers now end.

Though obviously inappropriate for a politician, as the wise Meghan Trainor put it "Your lips are moving...."

Aussie cricketers have done this for years.

All rugby players and coaches in front of the camera, as well. I assume that they are told to say it so that it gives them a second or two to think about the questions, without saying 'Ummmmmmm'.

'Look', it's the new 'So ....'.

Irritating attempt to project an alignment with pre-conceived notions of authority which ultimately exposes the interlocutor as weak, or probably hiding something, like a Tory...

See also 'That's a very good question' followed by a load of waffle to avoid giving any sort of answer remotely related to said question.......

Just got off a teams call where one person started their bit with 'so, look.....'

"Let me be clear"

Was it the same person who told them to do this?

😂 ^^^

It is what it is...

The thing is that you need some way of signaling that you're about to say something profound.

The thing is that you need some way of signaling that you’re about to say something profound.

I usually start with a 'Yo! Check dis!'

I suspect it was Tony Blair who popularised it.

Go on, I bet you can hear him saying it in your head now if you try.

“Let me be clear”

Beat me to it.

See also: "To be perfectly transparent..." or "As I've said many times..."

Aussies do it all the time, as do a lot of South Africans that I work with. Does seem very arrogant to the sensitive British ear, but it's really not. At least not when used by non-politicians.

Have we done the 'politician thumb hold' too?

Does seem very arrogant to the sensitive British ear, but it’s really not. At least not when used by non-politicians.

I wouldn't say arrogant, but to me it sounds patronising wherever it's used.

Yep. I think it’s patronising.

As did one of my teachers back in 1989. Double detention for me then.

Is it Matt White of Michelton (or whatever they're called now) who was infamous for it?

Quite endearing in his case.

Aussie cricketers have done this for years.

Aussie cricketers say 'Aww look roiiight...'

'Look' = 'What I think is...'
'Aww look roiiight...' = 'Shut yer face you're wrong listen to me cos you need to know this'

Have we done the ‘politician thumb hold’ too?

Boris there looks like someone's stolen his kite.

Did Obama just do that annoying knuckle rub thing on Bidens' head ?

The very funny Demitri Martin does a bit about Look.
He says some people say Look! and some people try to get your attention with Listen.
So why doesn't anyone start with Smell! ?

Somewhere there is an article about how they coached Blair to say this in the early days and it was part of his rhetorical repotoire. He started the whole thing in the UK I think...

The thumb thing is so obviously a sign of media training. Presumably to stop them wagging a finger at people.

Look, what I have to say is this:

It was David Cameron that really formalised it- if he said "Look" you knew he was about to tell a massive lie, without fail.

I sometimes look at an online website called the verge for technology news and they have some sister websites and the cross link to their articles and say "Go read this now". It really upsets me because I don't like to be told what to do by a website

matt_outandabout Full Member
Have we done the ‘politician thumb hold’ too?

I recall that this was something they were trained to do instead of pointing, which was seen as too aggressive, or something like that.

I wasn’t at the event…

Who teaches politicians to always say this before they start their sentences?

Magicians Circle. Basic principle, look there rather than here.

It also tends to get used when interrupting people. Just as with politicians' answers, it's just the right amount of rudeness to inform the other person that you're the one talking now, and you're going to talk about what you want to talk about, regardless of the subject or question.

Look
Listen
The thing is
The answer to that is
I'll tell you what/how
Don't forget