2006-09-22 01:20:21 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
to make sure that they are understood? each country has it idiosyncrasies.
2006-09-22 01:30:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It seeks reassurance (allegedly) from the listener. In reality, however, it is similar to Frank Bruno's "you know what I mean, 'arry?" phrase.
It has become so common in certain sections of America that it has become a redundant, throw-away phrase.
Someone already pointed out that it is similar to the use of "like" in the middle of a sentence and in the case of a "stream of consciousness" can give the speaker a pause in which to organise the next thought.
Ironically, people who use this phrase a lot are seldom concerned with whether or not the listener has any idea what he/she is saying.
2006-09-22 08:40:50 · answer #2 · answered by tattooed.dragon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's "Ya know what I'm saying?" not "Ya know what am saying?"
Not all Americans use it, but in most cases it is simply another way of asking "Do you understand?"
Sometimes folks use it when they are very emotionally into the topic.
2006-09-22 09:37:47 · answer #3 · answered by Beam 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not all Americans over use this saying. After all Glyn from Big Brother 7 UK kept on saying "Do you know what I mean?" So should I conclude that all Welsh people say that?
When it used, basically they want confirmation that the other party agrees with them.
2006-09-22 10:21:43 · answer #4 · answered by borscht 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a really easy and obvious answer. Because they themselves do not know what they are are saying and have to get confirmation that they are being understood. I would suppose that even though the other person may acknowledge that they have understood, they most probably have only understood what they wanted to.
2006-09-22 08:30:12 · answer #5 · answered by London Girl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It makes the person sounds smarter than he/she really are. Dude, ya know...? Or just plain BSing the whole conversation.
2006-09-22 08:31:46 · answer #6 · answered by rgombina 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
simply because everyone looks for reassurance from people all day long and the Americans show there feelings more so in every conversation they have they need to be reassured.
2006-09-22 08:24:19 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not all Americans use the same sayings generalising isn't a good idea it leads to bigotry.
2006-09-23 11:46:17 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same reason English people say, "do ya know what I mean, innit"
2006-09-22 08:48:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of the things some people say have become a habit.
2006-09-22 08:24:15 · answer #10 · answered by Max 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a kind of fashion . ya know what am saying?
2006-09-22 12:43:59 · answer #11 · answered by citizen high 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋