'SO' the adjective...

metrovelvet

I'm wondering when and where this started coming into play. "I'm SO over it" "He's SO not into you." "You SO dont get it."

I always remember it as a product of friends speak of the 1990s and never before then.

But I was watching an episode of Mad Men when one of the characters says "I'm SO over 1960."

Has this been around a lot longer than I remember?

line6

It has so

nompere

Am I the only one who thinks that "so" as used in those examples is an adverb? It is modifying a verb. Adjectives modify nouns. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

metrovelvet

nompere wrote: »

Am I the only one who thinks that "so" as used in those examples is an adverb? It is modifying a verb. Adjectives modify nouns. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.

No, you are right, and I only realised my mistake a second after I posted the thread, but I cant edit it. Sorry. It is an adverb.

DavyD_83

I'm pretty sure Mad Men was made after friends

pickarooney

The usage in question is 'so (adverb) + verb' as opposed to the normal 'so (adverb) + adjective', right?

The latter construction has existed as long as I've been alive but in a alightly different context (and it's possibly a feature of Hiberno-English) as a positive reinforcement in response to an expression of doubt/disbelief. E.g.

"I'm going to the circus."
"You are not!"
"I am so going to the circus!"

I don't think it's possible to contract the verb (i.e. I'm) in this case.

looksee

So what part of speech is 'like' in, for example, "I was so, like, 'she didn't!"

pickarooney

A filler, or hedge word.