“Look”, that is the new word to start every sentence with and it is what our President-Elect does.
Look, think I am kidding? Check him out as he says in response to a question, “Look, as I said during my campaign”….”Look, our country needs a new direction”…”Look, we can’t rehash failed policies of the past.”
Look is the new “in” word;
Look. It is better than starting a sentence with “you know”;
Look is so much better than “Listen”;
Look. ”At the end of the day” is certainly passe;
Look. ”Let me say this about that” went out in the 70′s;
Look. You can no longer start sentences with “well” to buy time;
Look is more visionary than “hmmmm”;
Look…Look is here to stay. Got it?
Look. ”Look - thank you.”
Actually, take a “look” at the LA Times interview transcript from Meet the Press with Tom Brokaw. 29 substantive answers (other than “Right,” “But” or “And”) and 24 of them start with “Well” or have “well” in the first few words. (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/12/obama-economy.html)
“Look” seems a bit condescending, as if he’s being asked a question that is beneath him to answer. Even the Chicago Tribune noticed that – http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-obama-look-1202dec02,0,227.column
“Look” is probably just a different verbal tic that expresses itself when he hasn’t time to prepare an answer to a question. It’s not good or bad, it’s natural. It’s easy to speak from a prepared text, it’s difficult to provide an off-the-cuff answer and it’s even more difficult to avoid the use of verbal tics like “well,” “look,” and, of course, the ever-popular “uh.”
Look, I think you’re doing a great job with the Capitals – the right pieces are in place or in development, both at the NHL and AHL level – I just happen to disagree that “look” is anything but a verbal tic. Time will tell, though, won’t it?
I thought the same thing during his interview on MTP.