Parenthetical Swearing (minor complaints ahead)

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Hello. Yes, it's me again.

I just felt like talking about something that my father does, which, even though it doesn't make me wish he could just die, does irritate me still.

You see, sometimes, when I'm feeling amiable enough to have a civil conversation with him, sometimes I'll be talking passionately about a favorite subject of mine in the car with him. Then, his way of switching gears is to start his sentences with "Anyways" or "Anyhoo". Now, I do realize that sometimes it is important to not totally hog the conversation and focus on the more serious...but...I dunno. For some bizarre reason, he has a WONDERFUL ability to make "Anyway" sound like "I don't give a crap about what you have to say; moving on." That pisses me off. He probably doesn't even mean to say it like that, but still it annoys the crap outta me.

This phenomenon is known on TV Tropes as "Parenthetical Swearing" - when a character says something that doesn't contain any swearing at all, but the inflection and delivery of the words make it very clear that he/she had a STRONGER phrase in mind.

Maybe I'm just assuming, maybe I'm just making a mountain out of a molehill, but I'm sure you guys can think of a time when you've had this happen to you; you said something to someone in higher authority that while sounding polite, you were really telling them where they could stick it, or you misheard something that, while polite and constructive, you took it as meaning something much deeper and insulting. We all do it from time to time.

Fluttershy11

Atleast he doesnt say "whatever".

Obviously he isnt interested in the thing you're talking about.
He is probably irked with YOU. Either becauseof the way, or the frequency that you go on about the subject. Or its something about the subject itsself that is irksome to him.
And the fact that he is irked is something that he does not conceal from the tone of his voice- whether his failure to conceal it is intentional or not doesnt really matter.

What are these "subjects you get excited about"?
I knew a young lady who used go on for hours on the phone about her pet dog. She out grew doing that but when she was in that phase it was irksome to others because it was such a goofy childish thing to rattle on about.

Heh, you do have a point about that 'whatever' thing. Hell, I've even wanted him to die SO MUCH once because of him saying that.

But in any case, I don't think it wasn't that he didn't care about what I was talking about (it was Victor Borge and his 'inflationary language' btw); it was that he wanted to get back to the serious topic of my being properly prepared for a hurricane that might not even be as bad as I think it'll be. (I live in New England)

Let me tell you something, boy. My father probably understands me better then ANYONE in my family, ever. He was an elementary school teacher for 30 years, and at the time he started, taught for as long as I was ALIVE. Over those 3 decades, he's seen his fair share of students with mental deficiencies and handicaps. So naturally he'd be aware that his eldest son would have something wrong with his 'wiring' because of the weird way I acted as a toddler. He was also the first person to correctly guess that I had autism when dozens of school psychiatrists couldn't figure out what the HELL was wrong with me (this was in the late 70's, early 80's).

He's been aware of ALL of my favorite things, obsessions, fads, etc. all my life, and he knows I can't help it if I sometimes don't get a clue that no one is the slightest bit interested in my ramblings. If he was irked with me and wanted me to stop talking, he'd straight out tell me to my face. Very jerkish, yes, but at least he'd get his point across. His being 'irked' today was all just in my head; his intentions were good, I just choose to be petty and hate him for it.

Damn...I think this is first time I've ever said anything POSITIVE about my father since I joined Wrong Planet 4 years ago!

Goddamn...I've been nothing but mean to him all of my adult life, told him to his face that I hated him with all my heart at the age of TEN, wanted him to die over a dispute about packets of jelly, called him out for being such a f**king STOOGE to my mother, cursed the very genes from his DNA that made me who I am, and he STILL LOVES ME!! ! Though HEAVEN KNOWS WHY!

Forgive me, I'm gotta lay down for a bit...I think I'm probably going to cry.

Fluttershy11