Do you associate particular words with particular people? I don't mean in a "I had a dream" kind of way. No, I mean in the way of well..."verbal tics" Not the umm's and err's but words that come up again and again in people's speech.
My husband has a particular knack for identifying speech patterns, quickly telling me not long after we met that I said "actually" a lot - as did my Mother...hmmm.
Actually (sorry!) my Mother has now taken to using the word "apparently" - is this because - at the age of 85 - she is gaining a second hand impression of life through TV and newspapers rather than being out there herself?
Another relative starts a lot of her sentences with the annoyingly lofty "As it happens..." - yeuch - I wish it didn't! Another acquaintance is very fond of "Like I said" - oh yeah I remember you banging on about it constantly now...
Once on holiday in Marrakech, we heard a couple talking below us in a courtyard. The strange acoustics highlighted their repeated verbal expressions. "Really!" was her favourite, but think Jane Horrocks' style of delivery "Reellee!". He said "exactly" a lot but in a very specific way and twice - every time - "UGG-zaclly" UGG-zacclly"
We wondered if they had ever noticed these verbal tics in each other?
Do you have any "actually" traits yourself? Oops, have I just made you realise - sorry!
What other verbal tics drive you up the wall?
Tune in for some more talk talk next week!