"by the by"

[gophins72]

Does anyone you know use this phrase instead of saying by the way?

 

[destrekor]

I've heard "by and by", but it wasn't a different way of saying "by the way".

 

[MJinZ]

No, it makes you sound Euro.

 

[drum]

I hate that

 

[mfenn]

I think "by the by" has a little different of a connotation from "by the way". "By the way" usually means "all the conversation beforehand was just polite small talk, now here's the real reason I wanted to speak with you". The "real reason" is usually something bad. I find "by the by" to be much more neutral and closer the original usage of "by the way".

 

[Cheesemoo]

in 31 years i have never heard this

 

[Ika]

I've seen people type it, but I don't think I've heard anyone say it.

 

[Lummex]

My ex bf used to say it. Other than that I haven't heard it.

 

[acheron]

doesn't the owl in Link's Awakening say that?

I hate that owl.

 

[Krazy4Real]

I've never heard of that phrase.

 

[alevasseur14]

I say it quite a bit. I dig it.

 

[Joemonkey]

medivac in Starcraft 2 says "by the by, by by by" when they are completed at a starport...

/nerd

 

[zinfamous]

I know some who use it. I do not prefer it, but I do not hate it, either.

 

[amdhunter]

My ex bf used to say it. Other than that I haven't heard it.

By the by, this thread is now about getting pics from Lummex.

 

[Perknose]

I think "by the by" has a little different of a connotation from "by the way". "By the way" usually means "all the conversation beforehand was just polite small talk, now here's the real reason I wanted to speak with you". The "real reason" is usually something bad. I find "by the by" to be much more neutral and closer the original usage of "by the way".

"By the by" is materially different from "by the way", but not in the way you state.

"By the way" means more or less the opposite of what you said it does. It does not mean, "all the conversation beforehand was just polite small talk, now here's the real reason I wanted to speak with you," but rather introduces an incidental other topic that was brought to mind by the main topic.

Example: "Your sister is truly hideous. By the way, on the isle of Uglina such ugliness is considered a divine joke of the Gods."

"By the by" ALSO introduces a topic incidental to the main topic, but one that has no particular direct connection to the main topic.

Example: "Your sister is truly hideous. By the by, Leroy, are we still on for that movie tomorrow night?"

 

[ShadowOfMyself]

I dont get how "By the by" even makes sense... Anyone wanna clarify?

 

[Perknose]

I dont get how "By the by" even makes sense... Anyone wanna clarify?

First of all, it's an idiomatic expression, so you can't expect it to make literal sense.

English is full of them, and you use many of them every single day, you just don't know it.

Did you ever like something so much that you "ate it up"? What does the "up" part mean to you? Even if you're referring to food which got "eaten up", what does the "up" mean? See?

There are literally thousands of these examples sprinkled throughout our/your everyday language!

Now, "by the way" more or less refers to an incidental conversational path taken off of the main topic (see my post just above.)

If you must have a pigeon hole in which to put it, think of "by the by" as the theoretical first derivative of "by the way," since it introduces something that has NO true path from the original topic, and really is a "lost byway."

It's just a nonsense phrase, used to signify a COMPLETE BREAK in the current conversational flow.

It announces a non sequitur and also IS a non sequitur!

Neat, huh?

 

[Turin39789]

First of all, it's an idiomatic expression, so you can't expect it to make literal sense.

English is full of them, and you use many of them every single day, you just don't know it.

Did you ever like something so much that you "ate it up"? What does the "up" part mean to you? Even if you're referring to food which got "eaten up", what does the "up" mean? See?

There are literally thousands of these examples sprinkled throughout our/your everyday language!

Now, "by the way" more or less refers to an incidental conversational path taken off of the main topic (see my post just above.)

If you must have a pigeon hole in which to put it, think of "by the by" as the theoretical first derivative of "by the way," since it introduces something that has NO true path from the original topic, and really is a "lost byway."

It's just a nonsense phrase, used to signify a COMPLETE BREAK in the current conversational flow.

It announces a non sequitur and also IS a non sequitur!

Neat, huh?

up from the plate and into your mouth. Just like you suction up the dirt off the floor, wipe up a spill from a table to a rag.

Which I think semi-makes sense, just as your explanation of by the by in relation to by the way makes semi-sense.

Now the cockney make no sense.

 

[Perknose]

up from the plate and into your mouth. Just like you suction up the dirt off the floor, wipe up a spill from a table to a rag.

Which I think semi-makes sense, just as your explanation of by the by in relation to by the way makes semi-sense.

Idioms generally make semi-sense, but some, you know, are far more obscure and simply seem made up.

 

[MJinZ]

"By the by" is materially different from "by the way", but not in the way you state.

"By the way" means more or less the opposite of what you said it does. It does not mean, "all the conversation beforehand was just polite small talk, now here's the real reason I wanted to speak with you," but rather introduces an incidental other topic that was brought to mind by the main topic.

Example: "Your sister is truly hideous. By the way, on the isle of Uglina such ugliness is considered a divine joke of the Gods."

"By the by" ALSO introduces a topic incidental to the main topic, but one that has no particular direct connection to the main topic.

Example: "Your sister is truly hideous. By the by, Leroy, are we still on for that movie tomorrow night?"

By the way just means "in connection" with.
"I agree, the weather here has been terrible. By the way, did you hear about that new rain making machine?"

 

[mfenn]

"By the by" is materially different from "by the way", but not in the way you state.

"By the way" means more or less the opposite of what you said it does. It does not mean, "all the conversation beforehand was just polite small talk, now here's the real reason I wanted to speak with you," but rather introduces an incidental other topic that was brought to mind by the main topic.

Example: "Your sister is truly hideous. By the way, on the isle of Uglina such ugliness is considered a divine joke of the Gods."

I understand that that is what it means and that people still use it in that way. I'm saying that in my area, people usually use it in the way I described. Saying by the way attempts to forge a connection between small talk and the real meat of the conversation that follows (which is generally criticism). Since it can be taken both ways, I would avoid it in sensitive situations (wife, etc.).

 

[Perknose]

I understand that that is what it means and that people still use it in that way. I'm saying that in my area, people usually use it in the way I described. Saying by the way attempts to forge a connection between small talk and the real meat of the conversation that follows (which is generally criticism). Since it can be taken both ways, I would avoid it in sensitive situations (wife, etc.).

And I'm saying that, by your original post, you seem to have had a limited and particular understanding of how the phrase is used. In that post, there is no indication whatsoever that you understood it's denotation.

Some people, not just "in your area", sometimes, but not "usually", use the cover of it's denotation as incidental to sneak in what they really meant to say, which is primary.

But since it literally can't be taken both ways simultaneously, sorry, there is NO real need to avoid using it in its standard and straightforward denotative manner, just as there is no need to stop using "bad" completely when you really do mean "awful" just because "people in your area" may often enough use it to mean the polar opposite.

Context is everything. I suspect your awareness of the phrase up until now has been limited, just as some theoretical ghetto boy from 10 years ago might think "bad" should never be used to mean awful because no one "in his area" would understand.

You may well have all along really understood what "by the way" means, but there is zero indication of that in your original post.

 

[Perknose]

"By the by" is materially different from "by the way", but not in the way you state.

"By the way" means more or less the opposite of what you said it does. It does not mean, "all the conversation beforehand was just polite small talk, now here's the real reason I wanted to speak with you," but rather introduces an incidental other topic that was brought to mind by the main topic.

Example: "Your sister is truly hideous. By the way, on the isle of Uglina such ugliness is considered a divine joke of the Gods."

"By the by" ALSO introduces a topic incidental to the main topic, but one that has no particular direct connection to the main topic.

Example: "Your sister is truly hideous. By the by, Leroy, are we still on for that movie tomorrow night?"

By the way just means "in connection" with.
"I agree, the weather here has been terrible. By the way, did you hear about that new rain making machine?"

And your definition differs from mine (bolded) exactly how? Or were you simply agreeing with me, but didn't so state?

 

[mfenn]

And I'm saying that, by your original post, you seem to have had a limited and particular understanding of how the phrase is used. In that post, there is no indication whatsoever that you understood it's denotation.

Some people, not just "in your area", sometimes, but not "usually", use the cover of it's denotation as incidental to sneak in what they really meant to say, which is primary.

But since it literally can't be taken both ways simultaneously, sorry, there is NO real need to avoid using it in its standard and straightforward denotative manner, just as there is no need to stop using "bad" completely when you really do mean "awful" just because "people in your area" may often enough use it to mean the polar opposite.

Context is everything. I suspect your awareness of the phrase up until now has been limited, just as some theoretical ghetto boy from 10 years ago might think "bad" should never be used to mean awful because no one "in his area" would understand.

You may well have all along really understood what "by the way" means, but there is zero indication of that in your original post.

Roger that!

 

[joesmoke]

it is what it is