I'll sign off on that

Finally, somebody what knows big words an' stuff has noticed something that's reached epidemic proportions among the less well cerebrally-endowed - or, as I prefer to call them, fuckwits;

Slang's 'yeah no' debate not all negative
By Bridie Smith
June 11, 2004

Is it just a phrase we're going through? Or could the ubiquitous "yeah no" phenomenon be here to stay?

The verdict from Monash University chair of linguistics Kate Burridge is that the apparently non-committal expression will stick around. And, like it or loathe it, linguists say "yeah no" is a surprisingly effective communication tool.

"It's not going to disappear," Professor Burridge says. "It's always hard to predict with language change, but it looks like its use is on the increase."



How much longer are we going to tolerate this abuse of our goodwill? The trouble is, you can't blame anybody; not the parents, not the government, not the education system, nobody. It is a plague that knows no boundaries, nor respects any class distinctions.
People who are too 'well educated' for "yeah, no" will still 'interface' with you 'vis-a-vis signing off on' some stupid document that should probably never been written in the first place.
This Burridge person (note non-gender specific appellation) intellectualises for a bit on the subject;

In Australia, where the phrase has become entrenched in the past six years, "yeah no" can mean anything from "yes, I see that, but can we go back to the earlier topic" to an enthusiastic "yes, I can't reinforce that point enough". So, where does the distinction lie?

Professor Burridge says the phrase falls into three main categories, each determined by context. The literal agrees before adding another point, the abstract defuses a comment and the textual lets the speaker go back to an earlier point.

The next time a footballer answers "yeah no", be aware that there is more to the reply than just an "um-ah" prefix. In this sporting context, Professor Burridge says "yeah no" is often used in its abstract context; as a way to defuse a compliment by a bashful footballer.

"You've got to downplay the compliment but you can't reject it because that seems ungracious. It's a complicated little thing."

The phrase, a "discourse particle" in linguistic terms, is all about compromise and co-operation. Or, as Professor Burridge puts it, "yeah no" is verbal cuddling.

"It can emphasise agreement, it can downplay disagreement or compliments and it can soften refusals," she says.



Some rooster who does breakfast radio for some (presumably) Victorian radio station put it in perspective, though;

Breakfast broadcaster Ross Stevenson doesn't see it that way. He describes "yeah no" as a verbal crutch - an epidemic from which no strata of society is immune.

"The moment you think you are superior, you will find yourself using 'yeah no'," he says.



Note: painfully obvious joke deleted from end of quote.

*Editors note: I'm a little closer to unravelling the mystery of the shy sidebar, the text of my profile refuses to align to the right hand side of the sidebar wrapper. I know dick about HTML, but I spent a fair while messing with the template today, altering anything that looked like it might have something to do with the sidebar, particularly the profile. I became dejected when deleting the profile from the sidebar altogether caused the top of my 'links' list to move over in place of the profile. I think I'll go harm an innocent animal.