Date: Sat, 25 May 1996 08:19:42 EDT

From: Orin Hargraves 100422.2566[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]COMPUSERVE.COM

Subject: Re: I was about to say



My experience is that the far more common form of this in conversation is "I was

gonna say". Some speakers overuse it to the point that it is more a filler than

a marker, but I think it has all the uses that Suzanne and Kathleen pointed out.

With reference to Kathleen's interpretation specifically, viz., that it is used

to clarify a misleading statement: overusers of the phrase are often those who

are unable to let ANY statement go unchallenged, or in other words, those who

must add their two cents to every thought expressed!



Orin Hargraves