Why do people always say “they turned around and said…” in conversation?

Posted by Joshieeeeeeee@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 61 comments

I hope this makes sense, I’m also a Brit but the amount of times someone will be telling me a story and they’ll say something along the line of “he turned around and said …” even in a seemingly 1 to 1 conversation where there’s no turning or even left field comments?

I’m not sure if it’s meant to imply that the following statement is unusual or unexpected, but even so, it’s such a strange idiom, I tried to google but couldn’t really find much on it, anyone any ideas?

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Mountain-Sir-282@reddit

I think it’s meant to imply that they said something contentious, unexpected or out of the blue, but it’s a phrase that we overuse even when it has no meaning. There’s often some passive aggression hidden behind it as well

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Major_Toe_6041@reddit

But we understand what it means, so that is its meaning. That’s how new terminology and words in languages come to exist. Hence ‘rizz’ being acknowledged as a word in dictionaries now.

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Mountain-Sir-282@reddit

I agree with you on that. When I said “even when it has no meaning” what I meant was that we also sometimes use it almost as a filler phrase when the sentence doesn’t need it.

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Ok-Answer-7138@reddit

That last sentence sounds about right.

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Joshieeeeeeee@reddit (OP)

Yeah I think it’s the overuse that I have a particular gripe with

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eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit

Because at the end of the day, they ain't being mean or nothing, I ain't gonna lie...

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maersyl@reddit

To be fair, it's not quite what I imagined, the other day (three years ago)... I swear to god...

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eggs_and_ham_i_am@reddit

Literally..

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Psychological-Bag272@reddit

'Not gunna lie..'

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TankFoster@reddit

It means nothing. They could just say "they said" and it would mean exactly the same.

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Moppo_@reddit

And so he ses, and then she ses, so she ses, then he ses.

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TankFoster@reddit

"He turned around and said this, then she turned around and said that."

Great, so now they're not even facing each other!

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Psychological-Bag272@reddit

lmao

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Ok-Answer-7138@reddit

😂

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Joshieeeeeeee@reddit (OP)

Yeah I think it has become that, definitely a pet peeve of mine!

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TankFoster@reddit

A guy I used to work with said it all the time, out of politeness I never mentioned it but it used to annoy the fuck out of me. 😄

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BladesMan235@reddit

Strange you couldn’t find anything on Google cause I did in like 5 seconds. It’s usually when somebody says something in a very direct or abrupt way. It’s probably based on situations a bit like if you are sat in a crowd like at a speech or something and talking to a companion, and then the person in front of you turned around and told you to shut up.

And so the idiom is meant to generally indicate that the speaker felt like somebody said something in a rude way to them.

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Rocky-bar@reddit

So Google turned around, and said the wrong answer, cos most of us use it willy nilly whether it was an abrupt answer or not. Feel free to turn around and disagree if you like.

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BladesMan235@reddit

I will turn around and disagree cause ive never heard it used willy nilly

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Rocky-bar@reddit

I'm turning around and saying I'm using it willy nilly right this moment, as I'm hopefully not being abrupt at all, my dear friend.

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BladesMan235@reddit

Well I’m turning around to say you are very rude and therefore not using it Willy nilly!

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Rocky-bar@reddit

AI turned around and and said I'm never rude!

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prustage@reddit

There is a very funny Beachcomber story about a witness in a court case who starts every sentence with "and I turned round and said". The judge keeps interrupting him to point out that since he turned round last time he spoke to the accused, this time he must be facing away from him.

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CreditBrunch@reddit

Often for dramatic effect.

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

Like starting every sentence with "Erm..."

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smellyfeet25@reddit

ha yes because i doubt they actually did turn around

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straight_syrup_@reddit

we are inventing things to get mad about at this point

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Ocean682@reddit

Some people just add fillers. My sister used to do this, I’m sure she still does.

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whimsical_fuckery_@reddit

I don't know but it makes me laugh when people say it multiple times in their story, I just imagine the person spinning in place as they have a conversation

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ConfusedMaverick@reddit

I like to count the "she said"s, particularly consecutive ones

And then she said, she said, "who do you think you are?" she said

It's like an elaborate frame around a painting

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Joshieeeeeeee@reddit (OP)

Yeah I think it throws me off because when someone is describing a conversation to me I’m picturing the scene of that conversation but people can’t be constantly physically turning around lmao

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michalakos@reddit

I can't imagine what you are thinking of when someone talks about "taking the piss" or "beating around the bush" etc. Well, I can imagine but it's just idioms(?) mate, why is this one any different?

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whimsical_fuckery_@reddit

Because for some reason people say it multiple times in a conversation, its the only idiom that people spam to that extent (except for "at the end of the day")

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Joshieeeeeeee@reddit (OP)

Honestly? I don’t know tbh, just feels more unnatural to me, just a small pet peeve, nothing deep

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HondaSaab@reddit

My husband does it 🙄

I either walk off when he starts, or mimic him in a monotone voice to try and make him realise how ridiculous it sounds.

Unfortunately his mother does it also, so for as long as she is alive, he will carry on.

I have a packed case in my wardrobe for when I have had enough. It’s not far off….

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ReviewEnvironmental2@reddit

Then I turned around and said, I tried to Google but couldn’t really find much on it. What did I say Roy?

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Sharo_77@reddit

I'm suspecting that what annoys you isn't it be used once. It's when you hear "and then Dave turned around and said 'is it?', so Steve turns around and says 'it fucking is', then Ian turns around and says 'it isn't, is it?'......"

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HumanBeing7396@reddit

And then everyone got very dizzy.

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MaltDizney@reddit

I like it, adds some spice to what could be a mundane conversation retelling.

"She goes..."

"Then he gives it..."

"Then she turns round and says..."

Everybody: "Ohhhh"

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zombiejesus1991@reddit

I tend to find there's a lot of people that "turn round and say" in South Norfolk and Suffolk.

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LadyInAllPower@reddit

I’d only say this if I overheard something that grabbed my attention and that prompted me to join the conversation (with or without a literal turning). But wouldn’t otherwise use that phrase

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mnannig@reddit

pribably it's for something unexpecting in a convo

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Experiment328095@reddit

It’s just an emphasis technique that’s widely employed

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Warm_Stress_1654@reddit

Eeh, why this is it, isn't it?

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ARobertNotABob@reddit

"So I says to her, I says ..." is another.

Also "And she goes..."

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This_Suit8791@reddit

I don’t really use it unless I actually turn my body and say it, but it’s to get across that it was said to make a point of something or as you say usual thing to say.

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togtogtog@reddit

It is metaphorical.

They changed what they were saying.

One moment they said that bees are horrible creatures, then they turned around their opinion and said they love bees.

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Hot-Health7006@reddit

--VERY BORING GRAMMAR ANSWER FOLLOWS--

It's what we call a phrasal verb, and in this case is used idiomatically and not literally.

Basically, it is a verb + preposition. We know what the verb "turned" means, and we know what the preposition "around" means, but when we put them both together, it gives the words a totally new meaning.

It's very difficult for non-speakers of English to learn them as they do not have any kind of grammar rule.

Check these out, and you will see how it makes no sense...

run into – meet by chance

shut up – be quiet

carry out – complete / perform

let down – disappoint

fall out – argue / stop being friends

As you can see, once you add the preposition (into, up, out, down) after the verb, the words take on a whole new meaning.

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Aggravating_Water_39@reddit

For me it’s emphasising that what the other person is saying is relatively unexpected, a change of opinion or a change from something the said previously. It’s a metaphorical turn not a literal turn.

“he said he could walk the dog on Saturday, and then he turned around and said he was too busy!” —— change from what was said earlier

“She said she didn’t like cauliflower, then she turned around and said she loves cauliflower cheese!” —- change or opinion/going against opinion

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Joshieeeeeeee@reddit (OP)

Yeah I think this is the most likely answer, granted I’ve definitely heard it said in situations not like this, where the answer isn’t unexpected or anything, guess it’s just one of those things that is misused.

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box-o-locks@reddit

This drives me insane. I hear it all the time. In my head I have a vision of someone literally turning around.

I hate these sorts of speech mechanisms. 'Like' is another one. As is 'look'. And people saying "a hundred percent" is my least favourite.

The other day on the radio, someone answered a question in the negative and then said "A hundred percent". Which made me think... are you saying no or yes?

And no-one ever says "fifty percent" or "10 percent". Only ever "a hundred percent".

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Real23Phil@reddit

You'd rather that than me walking away looking the way I'm walking (not facing who I'm talking to). I often say shit that goes unheard, likely looks like I'm moaning to myself about you.

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the_roguetrader@reddit

I think its probably because when people are talking and they have something important to say, they often do in fact turn towards you

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Late-Champion8678@reddit

In the old days (pre-16th century) it was customary in an argument/disagreement for either party to turn around, showing their back to their opponent to count to three and then turn back to respond. In theory, this time would allow either party to calm down enough to avoid saying something offensive that could escalate the situation.

If having turned around, that party still responds in anger, the opponent would take that as an act of aggression requiring mediation by a 3rd party. If that failed, they would have to duel to settle the disagreement.

This is horseshit.

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pjwlondon@reddit

It's even worse when "said" never appears in the recital of a conversation, as in

"So I was like ["......."] and he was like ["..... "] and I wasn't like having that so I was like (etc , etc. ad infinitum)"

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