Stop Saying It!

[Zee09]

To Be Honest With You.

So, does this mean everything else you said prior was a lie or distortion?
I have a friend of 35 years and I weened him off of this. He didn't know he was saying it 25 times an hour.

My Favorite?
TO BE TOTALLY HONEST WITH YOU.

Does this mean that prior you weren't totally honest?
What percentage of truth earns the totally honest labeling?

What maybe >50% is being totally honest?
Wouldn't it be easier just to be honest period?

Most chiselers deal in this wordsmithery.
I watched several police shows and these phrases from both sides happened with alarming frequency..
Just an observation. Don't get your knickers all wadded up.


It comes off to me as being disingenuous. How about you????
To be totally honest with you all.... Thats all I have to say...

Cheers... another winner

 

[bullwinkle]

Motto of used car salesmen everywhere-when they say it, it’s time to GO…

 

[PontiacHO]

Interviewed a person for a vacancy that prefaced ever answer with “to be honest with you”. He wasn’t hired.

 

[DwightFrye]

I thought you were going to tell people to stop beginning every sentence with the word "so".

 

[nomas]

If you take everything literally , you're going to live in a constant state of aggravation .

 

[Zee09]

So, to be indirectly direct with you I was for it before I was against it.
Well, you know what I'm saying.

 

[John105]

 

[Kira]

When any such expression ("Let me tell you" or "to be honest with ya'") is approaching the back of your lips, try to arrest it.

Then substitute an alteration, like, "May I tell you something you might not know?" or, "Let me tell you something I just learned". Your point will stand out more.

EXAMPLE: For a while now, many people say, "No problem". It's pre-recorded and as thoughtless as, "Have a nice day".
I've capitalized on this (who knew?) by learning to say, "That presents no problem." I swear you can see people's heads rattle a bit side-to-side. The slightest wrinkle is all it takes.

 

[supton]

Not sure I’ve heard it with the “totally” but I probably have.

I guess it’d bother me at a car lot, or in a store. In the workplace I’m guilty of using it, but at work there can be times when being less than honest is the right tactic. “To be honest, no I don’t want another stressful project” as opposed to “sure, let me add it to the pile (of stuff I don’t have time for)”—which is better for my boss to hear? yet both have their places.

But if a person used it like how some use “um”, “you know”, “like” then it’d get tiring real quick, and for the same reason (useless fluff).

 

[John105]

With all seriousness (was that allowed?), I will continue to use the phrase, and believe 100% there is a reason behind it. And the reason is not that everything else said was a lie. my .02 ymmv

Besides I was one of those kids who did AP English and 99% tile verbal SATs

It's rather nit-picking. I've seen a debate I think here whether the thing under the hood is an engine, a motor, both, neither, neutral, something in-between



edit PS this is an online forum, as such sometimes we type on a phone and the phone spell checks incorrectly, or sometimes we type quickly and grammatically incorrectly, etc. To use a phrase I don't prefer, it is what it is

 

[Zee09]

If you take everything literally , you're going to live in a constant state of aggravation .

I love aggravation I must admit.

 

[buster]

To be totally honest with you @Zee09 , I agree.

 

[bullwinkle]

When any such expression ("Let me tell you" or "to be honest with ya'") is approaching the back of your lips, try to arrest it.

Then substitute an alteration, like, "May I tell you something you might not know?" or, "Let me tell you something I just learned". Your point will stand out more.

EXAMPLE: For a while now, many people say, "No problem". It's pre-recorded and as thoughtless as, "Have a nice day".
I've capitalized on this (who knew?) by learning to say, "That presents no problem." I swear you can see people's heads rattle a bit side-to-side. The slightest wrinkle is all it takes.

The passive-aggressive “no problem”-when a perfectly suitable “you’re welcome” would be fine! Always makes me think (not say) there BETTER NOT BE a problem!

 

[John105]

To be totally honest with you @Zee09 , I agree.

meant to emphasize, and imply it can't be refuted

 

[AutoMechanic]

I don’t ever say those words Jim lol. I can’t say my catchphrases here that I say at work lol. If you were near me you’d hear them constantly.

 

[Zee09]

The passive-aggressive “no problem”-when a perfectly suitable “you’re welcome” would be fine! Always makes me think (not say) there BETTER NOT BE a problem!

To be totally honest with you I have had issues with "you're welcome"
Seriously I quit saying it because it torques people. They take it like you are above them.
Really weird dynamics. Anyone else?

 

[nomas]

The average person doesn't realize that we all probably have some kind of phrase or term that we use frequently without realizing it .

 

[nomas]

To be totally honest with you I have had issues with "you're welcome"
Seriously I quit saying it because it torques people. They take it like you are above them.
Really weird dynamics. Anyone else?

No . But I'm from the South . We have a reputation for being polite .

 

[John105]

If you take everything literally , you're going to live in a constant state of aggravation .

unfortunately sometimes people that do that, are our superiors at work. I was once questioned why did you use an apostrophe when you typed Lowe's. I stated because that's how the co. spells their name.

I was asked to remove it and redo it as Lowes. For real.

 

[Zee09]

If you have a woman or women in your life its best to embrace aggravation.
Enjoy it for what it is.