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When someone says "but", it usually means "Ignore everything I said before the but." It’s like "No offense".
by Herring 15y ago
When someone says "but", it usually means "Ignore everything I said before the but." It’s like "No offense".
- zalew 15y agodon't be mad, but...
- Mithrandir 15y agoI wrote about this a couple months ago (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3469792 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3469792) and it's generally true, but as thebigshane pointed out (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3472993 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3472993), it doesn't always apply. Definitely good to keep in mind though
- kalid 15y agoSometimes. I think it shows the person has enough empathy to realize what they're saying could be hurtful. I see it as making a point which isn't meant to be taken personally (and a signal the person is willing to engage in a discussion, not an argument). That said, it doesn't really apply for statements like "I don't mean to be rude, but you're an <ethnic slur>".
- lotharbot 15y agoSometimes it demonstrates that a person is just trying to soften the blow from a rude or insulting statement, but at other times it demonstrates that they hold a complex view which is most clearly explained by describing its limits or contrasting it to other views.
- tep 15y ago"that being said" is often used synonymously for that kind of "but": http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=%22that+being+said%22 http://www.hnsearch.com/search#request/all&q=%22that+bei...