Current Events > People say "i mean" too much

(+) Yeah! (+)

You are now aware of just how overused the term "i mean" is, in day to day conversation.

You're mean.
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i mean but I don't really care

They say "I mean" even when they didn't say anything before that they have to clarify.
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i mean, i'm a soyboy so i have to start sentences with it so it looks like i know what i'm talking about
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Laserion posted...

They say "I mean" even when they didn't say anything before that they have to clarify.

I mean you're not wrong.
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It's common verbal filler. Pretty much everyone uses some sort of filler in conversation because we think while speaking and sometimes you need to put some mindless words in there as a thought buffer

I mean, yeah. So, like, you know what I mean?
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I mean, look at it this way.

*turns it upside down*
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I mean, literally like slang and informal speech, how does they work?

the worst is on CE when they say

"I mean, he's/she's/they's not wrong"
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King Rial posted...

Laserion posted...

They say "I mean" even when they didn't say anything before that they have to clarify.

I mean you're not wrong.

Like this^. Excellent example, King Rial! When did you mean it? Did you make a previous statement on the matter, about what I said?
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Alkaloid posted...

It's common verbal filler. Pretty much everyone uses some sort of filler in conversation because we think while speaking and sometimes you need to put some mindless words in there as a thought buffer

I mean, yeah. So, like, you know what I mean?

But these are message boards, where you can think first and type later, and yet it happens a lot in posts.
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I mean...
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Laserion posted...

Alkaloid posted...

It's common verbal filler. Pretty much everyone uses some sort of filler in conversation because we think while speaking and sometimes you need to put some mindless words in there as a thought buffer

I mean, yeah. So, like, you know what I mean?

But these are message boards, where you can think first and type later, and yet it happens a lot in posts.

Message boards are casual enough that people will type like they speak

I mean, even I do it, because editing a post to sound formal is too much work when I don't care about who's reading it
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Alkaloid posted...

It's common verbal filler. Pretty much everyone uses some sort of filler in conversation because we think while speaking and sometimes you need to put some mindless words in there as a thought buffer

I mean, yeah. So, like, you know what I mean?

This is the best explanation I've seen for it
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TLDR in Bold.

You're all looking at it the wrong way. It's not being used to clarify an earlier statement.
It's kinda like "Im not racist, but..." where what they say afterwards can be taken the wrong way because its blunt.

So for example "I mean, they aren't wrong..." represents the regret to agree with something that sounds rude, but is correct by some margin.
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There's "Well..."
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TC is right that too many people say 'I mean' when they should instead be asking 'knaamean?' I guess that they could also go with the full-form 'do you know what I mean?' if they are being ironic or are from the Midwest.

Knaamsayin?

Well y'see I mean it's just like a pretty easy thing to say is all.
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I mean, like, you know, its like, how most, young people talk nowadays
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Know what I mean?
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Alkaloid posted...

It's common verbal filler. Pretty much everyone uses some sort of filler in conversation because we think while speaking and sometimes you need to put some mindless words in there as a thought buffer

gonna go with this one, since I definitely do it a fair bit talking (especially talking not in person, eg phone / voice chat / etc) and not really in writing
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