“Yeah, no…”

[Didsbury Dave]

Nearly every footballer now starts every single answer to every single question with this stupid phrasing.

“You played well today Jack”.

“Yeah, no, I’m pleased with how it’s going”.

“Are you happy with a draw Ryan?”

“Yeah, no, the lads put a shift in”

It drives me up the wall. It came out of nowhere about two years ago and now it’s everywhere. How can both yes and no be applicable to the same opinion?

 

[Stoned Rose]

It’s replaced “as I said” even though that’s the first thing they’ve said.

 

[citizen_maine]

Nearly every footballer now starts every single answer to every single question with this stupid phrasing.

“You played well today Jack”.

“Yeah, no, I’m pleased with how it’s going”.

“Are you happy with a draw Ryan?”

“Yeah, no, the lads put a shift in”

It drives me up the wall. It came out of nowhere about two years ago and now it’s everywhere. How can both yes and no be applicable to the same opinion?

I thought they were just lazily saying "Yes, I know"

 

[ayrshire_blue]

It’s replaced “as I said” even though that’s the first thing they’ve said.

"Obviously" stakes a fighting claim here too.

 

[Mike N]

Rooney starts every answer with ‘obviously’!

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Harry Kane is the worst for that.

Yeah, I know

 

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

Anyone interviewed on Talk Shite also adds in ''Absolutely'' at the beginning of each answer

 

[SkyBlueFlux]

This is definitely not even close to being a new thing - as demonstrated by this article from 2004 which specifically talks about footballers being interviewed using the exact same phrasing:

Slang's 'yeah no' debate not all negative

www.theage.com.au

Most sources seem to date this phenomena as being from the 90s - originated by people who are now in their 50s.

Other languages have exactly the same devices - as the article says "ja, nein" is used in Germany, and "ya nay" in South Africa.

You are taking a phrase which conveys quite a specific meaning and trying to break it down into constituent linguistic parts which mean something entirely different. That's not really how language works. Combinations of words rarely mean the same thing as the simple addition of their individual constituents.

In context "yeah, no" is a way of showing agreement with the interviewer while also coming across as humble. That should be quite obvious from the examples you gave yourself.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Gone, but not forgotten.

 

[BigJoe#1]

Rooney starts every answer with ‘obviously’!

erm.... No he doesn't its always erm in an inimitable scouse accent. I'll give you "errrm obviously followed with every third or fourth being.... errrm