Omit Needless Words! When Did "That Being Said" Become A Common Phrase?
When did "That Being Said" become such a common phrase?
Recently I noticed I was using it frequently in my posts. Something about the phrase bothered me, but I couldn't pin it down. It reminded me of when people started beginning sentences with "So," in the early 2000's, or relying on "like" to fill in silences (which we've been doing, like, forever).
Instead of one filler word, though, "That being said" is three. It sounds important. Assertive.
But just what does it mean?
I dislike it enough to cut whenever it crops up in my prose now. It's become an ongoing battle. As with most battles, once you identify an enemy, you see it everywhere. It's especially frequent on Facebook. Youtubers and mainstream journalists say it all the time, especially during panel discussions. And it's increasingly common here on Steemit.
"That being said" has become a stock phrase in the framing of an argument.
If you haven't noticed it before, you probably will now. Go ahead and search for "That being said" + Steemit on Google to see how much it turns up.
I'll paraphrase:
"You don't have to follow everyone who leaves a comment on your post. That being said, interaction with your readers is important..."
"Bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme. That being said, anyone who invested a year ago is rolling in the dough today."
"People talk about how small England is. That being said, you couldn't fit it all in here, could you?"
Now I even find it cropping up in my mental monologues.
"Ugh, my wife left such a mess in the kitchen. That being said, she cooked a hell of a dinner."
So, what's the big deal?
The first rule of editing is "Omit needless words."
"That being said," is worse than needless. It's pompous.
In most cases, you can cross out "That being said," write "but" in it's place, and find yourself left with a tighter sentence.
That being said, people often use this phrase to start a paragraph. They put it in a place where "but" might not carry enough weight. What they're really trying to say is, "This is the start of my argument. Everything you've read already is just background. So pay attention here because I know you were just scrolling through your phone until now."
If that's the case, then they should have started their article right there. They should take a red pen to everything above, and including, "that being said". If any of that stuff was really worth being said, they can move it below their main argument.
"That being said" is a way of spreading yourself across both sides of a debate, without having to commit. It's a timid phrase. It says, "Here's one thing that I don't really believe in, but maybe you do, so I just want to put it out there and then give you a little pat on the head so you're not offended when I say the thing I'm saying, which is this. Now aren't I slightly smarter?"
It's the handmaid of the politically correct. It's cropping up so often because we've been programmed to make every effort not to offend. Hurting someone's feelings is a crime. (In some countries, literally.) People in the arts and humanities have spent decades in an educational system that values agreeableness above all. This finds its way into their language, even when they're writing something they feel strongly about.
I'm highly agreeable myself, and that might be why I'm so susceptible to this. I edit a piece six or seven times before I share it with anyone. Believe it or not, the first drafts of my posts are always much longer than the rambling screeds you're kind enough to read. They're more polite, too. And duller.
A big part of my process is crossing out wishy-washy language. "It seems to me..." "I think that..." "We might want to consider..." No! If it's time to make a statement, then make a statement. Check your facts if you have to, decide if you believe in it, then put the words down. (That's me talking to myself, right there.)
That being said, There's no shame in starting with a wishy-washy rough draft and then tightening it up. It might seem like you're ^not wasting time. and ending up with ^You'll have a shorter article to show for it, but there's nothing wrong with that. A shorter article is usually a lot stronger than a longer one, anyway.
I'd love to know what stock phrases get under your skin - especially if they're phrases I've used!
And if you're feeling confessional: What do you find yourself crossing out when you come across it in your own writing?
Yours,
Winston
CLICK HERE FOR A CATALOG OF MY STEEMIT POSTS
OTHER POSTS ON WRITING AND BLOGGING
Digging For Treasure And Making Friends In Steemit's Uncommon Categories
Typewriters: The Ultimate Writing Machines
Is Video Content Really So Important?
Using The "Old Fashioned" Bookmarks Menu To Keep Up With My Favorite Steemians
On Branding, Writing Without Focus, And A Growing Quietness Of Mind
Using Wordpress or Txti to Create An Organized Catalog of Your Posts
"That being said..." is one of my most used phrases, and, honestly, I don't mind it. I find it useful in arguments where neither side can be truly right or wrong. I mostly use it as a kind of qualifier and I do enjoy a good qualifier, they add a little more nuance to a statement.
I also use words like "So" at the beginning of a sentence because it adds a more conversational tone to my writing.
I'm trying to think of words and phrases that irk me but none are coming to mind. I'm sure there are plenty but I can't think of them right now.
Well, maybe there is something to be said for measured ambivalence in certain situations...
So ... I actually use all of them. That beeing said...
Here is the thing, untill a week ago I had no idea I was using a bunch of excesive words till I read a similar blog entry. I didnt get a reply there, maybe i'll get one here. Where do we "non-english" speakers stand here (meaning I picked all this more or less via the media)?
I figured i was polite (untill a week ago) and I like to be polite. What is wrong with beeing polite? Maybe the world has gone bonkers on one side (not beeing allowed to say stuff bluntly and assertively) ... but now the world is going bonkers on this side too? And beeing polite is viewed as a wishy-washy, dull and condensanding? :)
At the end it all depend on the reader and his interpretation. When someone uses that beeing said i dont find it pompous. I even read the examples you listed ... none seemed pompus. So I am guessing we are reading the same thing but with different emotions behind it? Or it's simply there but I can not see it, since english is not my mother language?
Don't worry, @atopy - you're doing a wonderful job with your writing. You're handling English as a second language much better than most of us manage it as a first. I don't think there's anything wrong with being polite, either. The world needs people with better manners!
I just noticed myself using this phrase a lot recently, and was trying to figure out why. Then I noticed I was reading it a lot as well. I personally don't think it's always the best phrase for a situation. There might be times when it works.
As for being pompous, I meant that "that being said" has an over-formal, rigid sound to it, when a more casual "but" would work just as well. Other examples would be saying "at this time" instead of "now," or "in the present location" instead of "here."
Guess I suck at cover up too. :)) Yes ...I know what you mean! I would prolly go with now if I was in chat....but when i would write a blog entry I would rather pick "at this time". Thats the issue...it sounds more fancy/complicated and so in my head its a better choice. But to some - for the same reasons really - it isn't. I get it. Ty! :)
Love that old painting!
Good article writing. It's very understandable
Thank you - and thanks for the re-steem!
You are welcome, friend. I am also grateful, already sharing the story, in a #writing that everyone can understand.
always need to re-read and edit posts for consistency, brevity, clarity, and impact... even when we are feeling lazy (-:
I'd say especially when we're feeling lazy. That's when there is the most to fix!
Bwa hahhaaaaa!!! Good one!! I'll definitely be watching myself to see if it crops up!!!
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STOPI'm not sure if I use that particular phrase, but I'm sure I have my own regulars. I will have to keep an eye out for them. This is a great article, explains it succinctly. Editing is not an easy concept to truly understand, but you broke it down well.
Thank you!
Brevity is the soul of wit. Oh how far the American dialect has drifted!