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I have come across the mother of all "so's". Beowulf, an epic Old English poem of 3812 lines, begins, in Seamus Heaney's translation:

So. The Spear-Danes in days gone by and the kings who ruled them...

In the introduction, Heaney defends his use of "so" because it" operates as an expression that obliterates all previous discourse and narrative, and at the same time functions as an exclamation calling for immediate attention."

To be fair, this was in the 1990s, before the "so" craze caught on.

Orson, thanks, that was really interesting. I have no objections whatsoever to the use of 'so itself, especially not when it's in a case as described by Seamus Heaney. It's the use of 'so' - and its close friend 'like' - as punctuation that I detest. The sentences with a few sprinkling of 'so's and an endless parade of 'like's are as horrible on the ear as they are on the eye!

Jigjag

I will gladly swap some engine oil for your cooking oil if it will help you. I am having my car serviced next week and will ask Emma Tee, assistant mechanicess to put the old oil in a sealed container for you. Could you pick it up please.

What does your Council mean by "appropriate container" for the cooking oil? I imagine they mean a frying-pan. After the binmen have disposed of the oil, do you you get your frying-pan back, or do they re-cycle it as "Larger appliances" as it will be bigger than a toaster.

Rosalind Malone

In Florida my pre-loaded dollars cash card was not accepted by any parking machine. I had to use my credit card, thus incurring huge (compared to the parking) charges. This seems plain daft.

I do realise we all have to "do our bit" by recycling in order to save the planet or whatever. I now have five different bins. That's only a slight inconvenience to me but, if I lived in a flat, I don't know what the logistics would be. I'm finding myself in sympathy with comedian Jack Dee who, several years ago, opined along the lines of "I just want to get rid of my rubbish - I don't want to f#@&ing file it".

skyewalker

I saw an episode of Pointless tonight - possibly the one you mentioned. The eye doctor was even worse than the English teacher as far as "so" was concerned. I was surprised she didn't know what an "inch" was and had to guess.

We have 5 bins in theory too, but most people have got rid of 2 of them as they are never used and there is not enough space for them. On collection day they are often put in the road. At least it slows the traffic.

I should like to wish all Pedants

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

from the Cheshire/North Wales border.

Thanks, Jigjag - and happy New Year to all pedants throughout the land.

Grunger, re your expensive parking in America... I had a similarly costly experience when buying a single-trip bus ticket in Holland last year. There was no facility to use cash, I had to use my debit card - which automatically incurred a fee from my bank.

Skyewalker, your recycling piece made me chuckle!

Happy New Year to you, too, malone.

Once I could not catch a train at all from a station in Spain. In place of a ticket office there was a machine, which only accepted credit cards. I did not have mine with me in case of being mugged (as I have been, abroad), so (!) that was that day wasted.

I have been turning out my spice cupboard. Earliest date on jettisoned jar, 2001.

Rosalind

2001?!! I don't usually like too many exclamation marks, but I need those for effect, to demonstrate the degree of shock and horror I feel. I think my best/worst product was 10 years past its best, yours beats that by a long way.