Discussion»Questions»Communication» Why do Americans ( not all ) keep saying "Man " often in every sentence they utter...In every film almost it seems commonplace :(
Back in the late 90s, I was a new employee at my workplace and I had a coworker who was from somewhere in the New England area (thick accent akin to Boston environs). Whenever he spoke to me he ended EVERY SINGLE PHRASE with the slang word “bro”. Everywhere you’d put a comma, a period, or a question mark in a written sentence, he punctuated his spoken sentences with “bro”. It was annoying as heck, especially when I realized that he mostly did it when speaking to me. Every now and then he would use it when speaking with his buddies, but certainly not every third word the way he did with me. I think he was either trying to be cool or he thought that he was ingratiating himself to me. Now, I have long been accustomed to running into people who have never met a black persons before, and that has resulted in a myriad of reactions on their parts from one extreme to the other, but this guy really took the cake, man.
A typical conversion:
He: So how are things coming along, bro? (The first time I heard it, I thought he was talking to someone else.) Me: Fine, thanks. I’m learning, I’m learning. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of things in no time. He: Yeah, bro, it’ll be a snap, I remember bro when I first started it was the same way, bro. Me: Oh, really? How long have you been working here? He: About three and a half years now, bro, almost four years, bro. Me: I see. He: So check it out, bro, if you ever need anything, bro, or if you have any questions, just ask me, bro. I mean like really, bro, you can ask any of us who have been here a while, bro; everyone’s willing to help you out, bro. Me: Okaaaaaaay, er, thanks (I guess). He: Well, I have to take off, bro, I’m going to grab some lunch, bro. Can I get you anything, bro? Me: Thanks, that’s very nice of you, but I brought my own. He: Sounds good, bro. Ok, I’ll see you later, right, bro? Me: Right. He: And bro, don’t forget, bro, if you need anything, bro, anything at all, just ask, bro. Me: Thanks again. He: Bro, nothing to it, you’re welcome, bro.
It's possible that this quirk was carried to America by Scottish immigrants or those from the North-East of England. It is a feature that is found in Northumberland today and, I think, at least in some Scottish dialects.
Benedict Arnold 