They said, “I don’t know,” a lot. “But they do know,” Hildebrand-Edgar said. More than just conveying a lack of knowledge, it can soften an impolite idea, or signal that you’re finished speaking, or hint that you’re insecure about what you’re saying. Hildebrand’s research concludes that “I don’t know” is also changing here, too. Meanwhile, speakers over 50 used the full form 35 per cent of the time, and a very reduced form just five per cent of the time.

Source: National Post June 01, 2017 13:30 UTC