Why do people say paradoxical phrases like “yeah, no?” The popular term is widely used among English speakers, yet many people are still unsure of its exact meaning. In 2004, linguists Kate Burridge and Margaret Florey of Australia’s Monash University published a study that shed some light on why the contradictory term is used.
The paper, entitled “‘Yeah-no He’s a Good Kid’: A Discourse Analysis of Yeah-no in Australian English,” characterizes the phrase as a discourse particle, which means that its only purpose is to convey the attitude of the speaker.
According to Dr. Burridge,
“[Yeah-no] can emphasize agreement, it can downplay disagreement or compliments, and it can soften refusals.”
The study also outlines three categories that “yeah, no” falls into. When the expression is used to smooth things over in a conversation, it’s an abstract kind of application. The literal category is intended as an agreement so the speaker can go on to add an additional point, while the textual usage is for when the speaker wants to go back and something previously said.
Slate’s Lexicon Valley has a great podcast about the term’s ambivalence if you need more of your “yeah, no” fill.
(via the Australian Journal of Linguistics & The Age)
