This blog is not for the light-hearted or easily offended. If either one of those descriptions applies to you, i would suggest you start drinking before you read this blog. A sense of humor is suggested. If you don't have one that sucks for you … find one and get a life!
This morning, Kevin MacDonald destroyed my psyche. He was getting ready for the day when the following conversation transpired:
Kevin: you say that all the time
Me: say what?
Kevin: you know what I mean
Me: no, I don’t
Kevin: that’s what you say
Me: what do I say?
Kevin: you say, “You know what I mean?”
Me: no I don’t
Kevin: yes you do. All the time
Me: are you sure?
Kevin: yeah, I told you the other day
Me: no you didn’t
Kevin: I did but I guess you didn’t hear me
Me: does that even count then?
Kevin: I don’t know
Me: I had no idea. Do I say it to you or to everyone?
Kevin: how would I know? I know you say it with me
Me: oh my god. I’m soooooo depressed now
Kevin: why?
Me: because I always thought I was articulate and now I find out that I’m not.
Kevin: it’s not that big a deal
Me: I’m decimated
So I went to Pilates (and hit a squirrel on the way. See? Bad fucking day!) and I asked the people in the class do I always say “do you know what I mean?” and they said “YES!”
By now I’m pretty upset but I work out and then go to a meeting at the United Way and afterwards, I ask my friend Anne if I always say, “do you know what I mean?” and she says “yes.”
Woah! I had no idea. She tells me that now that I’m conscious of it she’s sure that I’ll make a change and it’s just a habit. I think probably I’m just so brilliant that I need to check and see if people actually know what I mean. On the way home I called Kevin.
Me: I’m absolutely devastated about this whole habit of mine
Kevin: it’s not that big a deal
Me: its been confirmed by two sources
Kevin: why does it matter?
Me: … and I hit a squirrel
Kevin: bad day huh?
Me: I think my psyche has been destroyed
Kevin: you don’t think that’s an overreaction?
Me: all these years, I thought I was articulate and now this
Kevin: it’s one phrase
Me: what if I find out that I’m not smart?
Kevin: ummmm …
Me: or not funny?
Kevin: well …
Me: the foundation of my personality is crumbling
Kevin: I doubt that
Me: well, I’m in a fairly bad way emotionally now because of this
Kevin: Lynn …
Me: you know what I mean?
Kevin: hardly ever
… and there you go!
“I think probably I’m just so brilliant that I need to check and see if people actually know what I mean.” Damn right! Keep saying it loud and proud! Know what I mean, Lynn?
you might actually be my biggest fan … even bigger than me!
However, and happily, you don’t write it except when telling us about it, so it’s all good. I think we’ve all got vocal tics like that. Mine is “INdeed”, which I picked up from my husband. My mother in law says (and her first language is ENGLISH) “How should I say?” Like she’s looking for a word in a foreign language.
it’s always ok until someone points it out though. You know what i mean???
I have one of those…..in fact our whole 4×4 club uses the phrase “turns out”…..I guess you know you are finally a fully fledged member when you start using the same phrases….
Turns out… I think it’s quite funny.
i’m attempting to change though :)
My friend says “Does that make sense? ” and “You know what I’m saying” almost all the time. She’s a smart person but if drives me nuts.
apparently it drove my husband nuts as well
Growing up in the 80’s I ended every sentence by saying… RIGHT? and my father would yell (from wherever he was) WRONG. I stopped saying it. Flash forward to 2011 when I met a new friend who said, You know what I mean? at the end of almost every sentence. I remembered my dad correcting me and how great it worked so I said NO every time she said said YKWIM… She yelled at me and said – STOP doing that, it distracts me and then I forget what I was saying. I’ve learned to live it with it. Cool story, RIGHT? (I crack myself up)
hahaha…great story, ya know what i mean?