07-15-2010, 03:32 PM
PeterB wrote:
I'd just prefer that the people in question come out and say what they want to say, without the "Well," prefix. "Let's see how it goes" is more succinct, direct, unambiguous, and to the point than, "Well, let's see how it goes." The "Well," adds an unnecessary level of implied doubt. Oh, and I should add: I mostly see this coming from the current generation of younger women (= college age), I have yet to read this coming from a male. Except for in this thread, of course.
Good insight -- some of this may be a gender-culture issue, in that many women are brought up to feel discomfort with directness of communication. The "well" serves to mitigate what might otherwise be perceived as too "bossy."