This is a time when HOW you respond and listen says as much as the actual words that come out of your mouth, ie. However, there are instances in which what are framed as questions should end with other punctuation, and occasionally, a statement might be followed by a question mark. Literally. How to ask the question, what I expect to get from the question. There are a few phrases that become repeated so often that they become meaningless to the point of utter annoyance. And there is a kind of moment in which you try to say something that is…that just captures the moment and makes the person be caught up in the question rather than simply, you know, repeating something that they’ve said a thousand times before. What about leading questions? That's a huge fucking deal. Also, what is does, how it's … DUBNER: How do you take it when someone says – let’s say you’re sitting down with, you know, maybe it was Steve Jobs, maybe it was President Clinton, and you ask a question, and they look at you across the table, and say, “Charlie, you know, that’s a great question.” Does it feel like they’re trying to flatter you? Why Men Should Stop Saying #NotAllMen. DUBNER: For the purpose of this discussion, we’re sticking to English and the phrase we’re discussing today – “that’s a great question.”. Here are some reasons why it seriously bothers me and why I recommend you avoid saying it: Now, Q&A is tricky and can undermine the best presentation preparation. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. We’ve even given you some sample questions. Has it really been on the rise? So, I’m not asking questions to have someone tell me what I want them to say or to tell me something that they’ve already said before. Watching films can be a thrilling experience that makes you cry, smile, relax, and even help you become aware of your fears. [MUSIC: Teddy Presberg, “Juicy Peach” (from Outcries From A Sea of Red)]. Being faced with two difficult choices; popular saying used to describe a dilemma. Your email address will not be published. Its funny sometimes, but now its not funny at all cause she says it so much. And a lot of those instances were fiction. STOP SAYING “HOW WAS YOUR DAY?” AND SAY THESE 10 THINGS INSTEAD This article was first published at www.thepreparedenvironment.com on May 11, 2016 As a Montessori parent, figuring out what your child did all day can be particularly challenging. Naturally this is because of the improvisational quality of the exchange. OKRENT: One of them is the British National Corpus. What I want them to do is surprise me with an answer. Most of the time, you know, in regular conversation, that’s not what happens. It’s free, it’s easy – on iTunes or wherever else you download your podcasts – and four out of five economists surveyed recommend the Freakonomics podcast for their patients who listen to podcasts. So really, this saying cautions us that it isn't necessarily a great thing if two people think alike. In other words, as Arika Okrent sees things, it’s linguistic B.S. And when you’re actually in the discussion, you get the feeling that points are being made, and important things are being brought up and good questions are being asked even if they might not be. OKRENT: Any phrase like that, they start somewhere and then people pick up on it, people start using it sincerely, and if it works well, it starts to become a crutch or a tic, and then people start to notice it, and they start to hate it and complain about it. DUBNER: Now when Bill McGowan says it’s “elementary” – he means really elementary. Learn how your comment data is processed. That’s the kind of question that I would like to have thought to ask someone much smarter than me to see what they said. Or, B: it’s spontaneous and flattering, and less so, it’s simply buying time as they crystallize their thought. MCGOWAN: I think people do it because they think it accomplishes two things simultaneously: it allows them to stall for time, and it flatters the interviewer. DUBNER: Mmm. He does media and P.R. And you know who has this tic really bad? 3. So it definitely seems to be more of an American thing. is so overused at this point I think it's officially lost it's meaning and we can universally lay that opener to rest. Charlie Rose is the dean of the television interview. Coming up on Freakonomics Radio: Steve Levitt reveals another purpose it serves: LEVITT: I think that’s one very strong piece of saying, “It’s a great question,” is really just acknowledgement that someone who’s sort of in the background is actually doing something that’s cool or interesting or challenging. They have curiosity. You get the question. Yeah, Steve Levitt. McGowan too has noticed that the phrase has spread like mold, and is ready for it to die: “I believe that saying ‘that’s a really good question’ is … LEVITT: I like to try to in everything in life try to reward the people around me and acknowledge when they say funny things or smart things or they look good or act kind or things like that. OKRENT: It’s for keeping the good vibes going. Say nothing. Stop multi-tasking when someone asks you a question. Such questions may be used as a rhetorical tool: the question attempts to limit direct replies to be those that serve the questioner's agenda. That’s Bill McGowan. 12 MCAULIFFE: Sure. In a recent Wall Street Journal column, Kessler wrote about a trick he admires, used by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs at board meetings. Steve Levitt sees another use. Inclusion or exclusion of a question mark is usually a straightforward matter. The media coach Bill McGowan thinks that people should stop saying “That’s a great question.” He thinks it’s nothing more than cheap flattery or a stall for time. Often used to stall for time. You can’t look for it in Google Books or something because people don’t normally write this phrase. A loaded question or complex question is a question that contains a controversial assumption (e.g., a presumption of guilt).. [MUSIC: Pearl Django, “New Metropolitan Swing”]. Normal convo for us: Me: "Hey, whats up?" For example, if someone asks you a question at work that you haven't thought about before and don't have an answer for, respond this way: That's a good question. So what, exactly, is saying “That’s a great question” meant to accomplish? Kensi: That's not true. CHARLIE ROSE: ..there are people sitting at home saying, “This is so basic, fundamental common sense, you know?”, LEVITT: I think for us even it was embarrassing as we sat down, ‘cause we thought maybe there was some magic to what we did because people tell us there’s magic. If you have a question, say it’s a question. [MUSIC: Crytzer’s Blue Rhythm Band, “Rachin’ in Rhythm” (from Chasin’ The Blues)]. If you are in a meeting and you keep saying "right" after every phrase, as Mark Zuckerberg did during a recent Congressional hearing, you're not helping. We needed professional help. I don’t know who. If you're really flummoxed, beg your conversation partner's pardon by saying something like, "You know what - I don't think I ever really thought about it until now." Explanation of the English phrase "That's a good question. Permalink: That's not true.Well, maybe. Saying “like” once in a while is ok, but saying it too much can distract your listener and prevent you from sounding articulate. Saul: Something's always going on. “I KNOW, RIGHT? The whole time, it was back-to-back-to-back-to-back interviews and Q&A sessions. And, I was raised by a single mom…. Levitt’s my Freakonomics friend and co-author – an economist at the University of Chicago. I structure the question hoping to get the best possible response. But I learned, and now I will do better. It is important to stay connected, interested, attentive and to listen carefully to what is being asked.  Remember, it is about them, not you. NPR: In the House and the Senate, they both say they want to pass a bill by next week. Nearly all of us have some kind of linguistic tic, some go-to phrase that we probably don’t even know we use. Especially if they’re very low cost to me, I like to do nice things that don’t cost me anything, but are good to other people. “Albert Camus wrote that the only serious question is whether to kill yourself or not. [MUSIC: Seks Bomba, “San Mateo Theme Song” (from Thanks and Goodnight)], It was absurd because it had become such a habit that it lost its meaning. To respond that it is “great” is to insult your own and the rest of the audience’s intelligence. In the a.m., he can be found at CBS “This Morning,” along with Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell. But just because I’ve heard it a lot – that doesn’t mean much. Stop saying “doubt.” That’s now how that word is used. The big question: what happens if they don’t? 8. If you know of some funny questions and Cortana replies that are not on the list, please share them in the comments section below. Arika OKRENT: My name is Arika Okrent. Something's going on. Charlie, thank you so much. Asking great questions, Did you know that your “One Word” for 2021 could dramatically increase your effectiveness in the coming year?. 0 comments. MCGOWAN: … you don’t know anything about what lies in that road, or you don’t want to talk about that subject, you have a different conversational road you wanna go down, so you need a bridge to get from one road to the other…. Burst Your Bubble To ruin someone’s happy moment or mood, usually by telling them disappointing news or information. DUBNER: It strikes me that you’re someone who works hard to ask the kind of questions that people think are really good questions, that are really good questions. DUBNER: Alright, well, Levitt, I feel indebted to you because I feel it’s if not valuable, then at least useful, and I use it now and again and so I kind of would like to return the favor, to give you something that you can use in certain circumstances. But some people do use the phrase strategically. Let me be clear on one thing: when it comes to saying “that’s a great question,” perhaps saying it disingenuously: I, myself, am not innocent. The next governor could stop that, but I think that's a great question to ask the next gubernatorial candidate. training – for CEO’s, athletes, artists, even the best men at weddings. Your email address will not be published. 'Who, what, where, why, when, and how!' To go deeper, wider, more interesting than they have before. There is only one serious question. Just answer the question. One, just in normal conversation, I mean be genuinely curious. Is it something you know you’re doing? And so I think that’s one very strong piece of saying, “It’s a great question,” is really just acknowledgement that someone who’s sort of in the background is actually doing something that’s cool or interesting or challenging. Stop saying “It is a great question!!”. All contents © 2021 Freakonomics, LLC. “We Get All Our Great Stuff from Europe — Including Witch Hunting.” (Ep. so if someone is told “Great question !! ... Lucky for us, the thesaurus teaches us that the English language is teeming with words beyond good, great and OK. When you say that you structure the question hoping to get the best possible response, I guess what I want to know from you is, how do you know what the best possible response is? Most importantly, don’t do anything to indicate that you think the question is stupid. OBAMA: Well, Katherine, this is a great question. I think at the University of Chicago, you were discussing research of yours, and in an academic setting, especially, when someone challenges either methodology or findings or data or whatever, you know, I guess I expected that the first response would always be to just shout it down immediately and show why, “No, I already thought this through. Besides the entertainment value they bring, movies also help create awareness about […] The other thing that happens to me is that, you know, there’s an interesting thing…people come to my table expecting to talk about themselves, their work, their relationships, their hopes for the future, their experience — they come expecting that. And then last night I interviewed Diane von Furstenberg who’s gonna be on the show at 11 o’clock tonight. This is a transcript of the Freakonomics Radio podcast “That’s a Great Question!“, [MUSIC: The Diplomats of Solid Sound, “Growin’ In It” (from Destination… Get Down! And can a new breed of “implementation... We’ve collected some of our favorite moments from People I (Mostly) Admire, the latest show from the Freakonomics Radio Network. You know who Steve Levitt is, don’t you? MCGOWAN: The bridge is what happens when the person interviewing you or asking you questions wants to go down one conversational road…, OKRENT: …you use it as a way to go from a potentially dangerous question back to your talking points, back to the point you want to make…. Log in or sign up to leave a comment Log In Sign Up. It's overused. Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page have written an incredible book: “One Word That Will Change Your Life.” They share: “87% of us make New Year’s Resolution every year. "It's a good question" comes out of their mouth, "one that I'm not going to answer" stays in their head. You’re asking good questions, I’m giving good answers. 11. I know what you're doing. Stop saving all of your feedback for the annual performance review. If you have a question, say it’s a question. This is the British English definition of (that’s a) good question.View American English definition of (that’s a) good question.. Change your default dictionary to American English. Is it a kind of manner or politeness? At night, the show is simply called “Charlie Rose.” He has interviewed more people – especially more smart people – than anyone I know of. There is incredible power in having a single focus! You might want to write it down. That’s a 100-million word database, which includes transcripts of everyday conversation as well as government meetings, media interviews, and so on. 100% Upvoted. Please stop, right. It's used often times as a means of deflecting a truer, more honest answer. OKRENT: I speak about six at at a faking-it level. And if you think about when we did our book tour, you know, some of the people who interviewed us were amazingly clever and well-prepared. “Hey, that’s a great question!” I’ve heard this over and over and over the last several years – and not just on our show. DUBNER: Alright, last question for you, Charlie, and then I’ll let you go. Stop making people feel like taking time off to go on vacation is a sin. DUBNER: I’m curious, who have you interviewed so far today, Charlie? MSNBC: Why has that not been enough to get him off of death row in Texas? When you start saying “great question” to every questioner, I actually wonder if you are really listening or if you are playing by a rulebook, in which case I start to question your authenticity, which means I wonder if I can trust you. DUBNER: That, of course, is Charlie Rose. Thank you for this. And sometimes, some will ask a very pointed, insightful question, to which you can say, “What an interesting question” or “That IS a great question!”. DUBNER: Take us a little further into that. Find out if one of your favorites made the list in our roundup of these famous, clever & memorable film quotes. His company is called Clarity Media Group, and he wrote a book called Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time. DUBNER: So, Levitt, do you have any recollection of saying that same phrase about 150 times. share. This is really a great explanation on what I have been wondering about the repeated expression of ‘ Great or good question. Carrie: Sandy was one of ours murdered by one of theirs. Immediately. LEVITT: We get interviewed so much that when we hear something new, something that we haven’t thought about, it’s just, it’s fun. She says it like ALL the time! So it wasn’t too common over there. Be a no-nonsense, just-the-facts-please respondent. Say,  “Thank You” or “Yes” or “OK.” This shows that you have heard, understood and are in agreement with the need to answer. And then finally, at the end we said we better really make it clear to people right on page one there’s no magic here, ‘cause there really isn’t. I mean…], LEVITT: … And it’s an incredible gift. Not every question IS a great question and in fact some are emphatically NOT great. I would be tempted to say, “that’s a very good question that you just asked me.” But because of this conversation I’m not gonna say that. ). DUBNER: Alright, so here’s what you say. MCGOWAN: I believe that saying “that’s a really good question” is about as outdated a tic or a strategy as telling people to envision the audience in their underwear. 10. I thought my question was just as good as Joes, but nobody said it was a great question. In other words, are you trying to, like a prosecutor, get the answer to a question that you sort of know already? Being interviewed can range from incredibly dull and boring to really really fun. Her: "Thats what she said!" LEVITT: Maybe I invented it. And here’s why I’m right.” Because that’s what you see so much in politics, right? Look, I’m going to be honest with you. This is not to say that it is not your responsibility to respond to every question with your full attention and respect. “Thank you for asking that, I am sure this question is on other people’s minds as well.”. Bill MCGOWAN: I think it’s still on the rise. DUBNER: Okay, so how do you figure this out? (He wrote a book called Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time.) Not every question IS a great question and in fact some are emphatically NOT great. But not everyone has soured on the phrase. That’s it. Good one! And so how the question is perceived makes a difference to me. “EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON.” Remember that when I punch you in the teeth. Or they believed it, I mean whether it is egotistical and I think it was a good question and I agree with them, because I thought about it and structured it and gave some consideration to it. Please stop saying "that's a really good question." MCGOWAN: I did a training for a non-profit organization and I had to role-play as the interviewer with five or six of them, and there was one gentleman who sat in the chair and he started every single answer with “that’s a really good question.” Even when I asked him, “So, how long you been with this organization?” “You know, Bill, that’s a really good question.” And I had to stop him and say, “no, it’s actually not a good question, that’s a really terrible question, it’s just a conversation starter,” and he saw the absurdity of starting his answer with that. Lead 100 Things Ridiculously Unprofessional People Can't Stop Saying Others judge you by what you say -- even when you don't realize it. And here’s a question for you: if you do not subscribe to Freakonomics Radio, don’t you think you should? One of them is “look.”, OBAMA: Well, look, you know, I think Bill, the nature of being President is that you’re always…, MCGOWAN: And the “look” means, he’s trying to convey it as “let me be frank with you.” Or the other word he uses is…, OBAMA: Listen, as I think some of you saw as I was out on the campaign trail…. Definition and synonyms of (that’s a) good question from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education.. "That's a good question." You don’t have to make a conversation serious, but make it in the moment, but let your curiosity inspire you. Why do many people always say "That's a good question" when they answer the question? Saying "That's a good question" gives you a little more time to think of your response. Topics to talk about – Lots of topics to get a conversation going. LEVITT: I have been completely stunned because the way he asks questions and what he says, end up being super interesting and fun and getting me to say things I never would have said to anyone else…. ROSE: Oh, I do think that and I encourage that. Required fields are marked *. Me: "Yeah, lets do it." Look the questioner in the eyes and answer. Original! Her: "Thats what she said!" DUBNER: You know, it strikes me hearing you talk, I care a lot because I do interviews. Homeland Season 4 Episode 4 Quotes. NCIS: Los Angeles Season 9 Episode 1 Quotes. This is not to say that it is not your responsibility to respond to every question with your full attention and respect. How do you take that? All rights reserved. That was the question. One great result of this kind of communication technique is that you’re giving the child something else to think about. 10. Her: "Not much." Reebusacassafram. But you don’t need to do it patronizingly with “That’s a great question!” Instead, reward the questioner by treating the question as if it were a great question. Stop saying “I’m good.” Say this instead. Sylvia Earle Would you continue to do this or would you stop it? You ever have that at all? They never stop asking questions, and I never stop asking questions, just like a five year old. OKRENT: In looking around for it, I found that it’s actually an explicit part of media and PR training. ROSE: I interviewed John McCain and John Dickerson. Right. Last May, when Levitt and I published Think Like a Freak, we went on a long book tour, first in the U.S. and then in the U.K. And I think of just our own experiences. Second: Please stop leaving those poor, innocent little participles hanging on the end of phrases. Maybe I’m the inventor of “That’s a great question.”. Camus clearly got up on the wrong side of bed, and Robbins must have forgotten to set the alarm. OKRENT: I started looking into it. ROSE: Well, let me do something first. Every movie has a quote that stays with you. And then you just jump right in with the point you wanted to make and often people don’t notice that you haven’t dealt with the question or responded to the question. And I know where I caught it: I caught it from Steve Levitt. As the questioner, you feel heard and appreciated. Or a former encounter. With some assumption that I had to explain the question. And you have a little bit of that yourself. DUBNER: Wow, that’s a really, really good and really hard question. – they aren’t really all that great. !”, does that imply the other questions are substandard questions ? So, that is a phrase that was invented by some genius. I used to make longer questions. 5 Things To Stop Saying to Your Kids and What to Say Instead | Lifehack Shelly Birger Phillips is passionate about being the best human she can possibly be and supporting others to do the same. Spend any time around teens, and you’re likely to hear the common expression, “That’s so gay" — even among gay kids. After my eureka moment, I decided I wouldn’t answer the knee-jerk why’s anymore. Um, it’s not, for me, that I want them to say something that I think they’ve said before and I want them to repeat it. But “look” and “listen” are not the only bridges used by President Obama. Quotes are powerful because they provide us with an opportunity to stop, think, and evaluate our own lives. 200 Icebreaker questions – Loads of great questions to get the conversation going. February 19, 2016 by Liza Graves. Yeah it is true that people like their cows to have gotten to walk around a lot and eat fresh grass. So you say, “Ah yes, the argument is, the point is.” And you can do that, lay out these little pebbles when the discussion actually isn’t going that way, but you give the illusion that this is what’s happening. open body language, eye contact, energetic interest in the people asking you questions. Stop saying "That's a good question." Lastly, in my limited experience, the person saying that is the person in the power position in the conversation (person conducting the job interview, people answering a question in a media interview, etc. I encourage it at a couple levels. Stop Saying This ONE Thing! ... It’s never used, for example, when male commentators opine on how men are better drivers than women, or men are great … I think about that a lot. If we’d been in the opposite seats today, if this lame idea that I had was your lame idea, and you were interviewing me about it, what would have been your first question to me about the topic of the rise of “hey, that’s a great question.”, ROSE: Why do you think people frequently say, “that’s a great question?”. You hear it in all kinds of media interviews, during the Q&A portion of tech conferences and academic conferences. The Magic Phrase to Use With Kids Asking Why. They don’t have to do with the content of the discussion or the things that you’re talking about. Levitt, you’ve taught there quite a while now, haven’t you? And my point to them is, no, you should ask them. Who is Right? MCGOWAN: … “listen.” And whenever you hear “look” or “listen” come out of the President’s mouth that means he is no longer answering your question, he is answering his question. To respond that it is “great” is to insult your own and the rest of the audience’s intelligence. Great, let’s keep going.’ Eventually,” Kessler writes, “the stupid questions dry up and people who ask them may stop coming to the meetings.” Okay, so you can use the phrase as a form of retribution. Host Steve Levitt seeks... Also: why is public speaking so terrifying? We’ve even given you some sample questions. “That’s a great question” may have originated in media training, as a “bridge” — a way for an interviewee to take a question in a different direction than the interviewer intended. Expanding your vocabulary is another great way to … You should engage in conversations that have to do with something – not all the time – it should often be simply, reacting to the moment in the moment that we all do, whether it’s sports or entertainment, or relationships, but there are those profound questions that I think all of us would be better off if we occasionally dived into. Smile at the questioner, nod your head seriously, and give a strong answer. Their 2005 book Freakonomics used economic theory to offer surprising insight…. As an Amazon Associate, Freakonomics may earn commissions from qualifying purchases made through links on this site. What are you actually saying? The current “filler of space” response when asked a question seems to be, “That’s a great question!”. Close But No Cigar Coming close to a successful outcome only to fall short at the end. When I’m on the other side of the microphone than I am now, I am a menace: DUBNER: Yeah, that’s a great question. Steven LEVITT: You know, that’s a great question. It keeps a good feeling going. 13 MCEVERS: The presidential election, of course, is about six months away. OKRENT: It’s kind of hard to measure that because it’s hard to find a corpus of data that will show spoken language over time that way. Sometimes you will need to rephrase the question back to the questioner to ensure that everyone in the audience understood or heard the question asked. You say, “That’s a good question.” It buys you a little time. Are you asking me a question? Every audience has its share of people out in left field and so telling someone who has asked a kooky question that they asked a “great question” makes me question your judgment. We’re friends here. “I LITERALLY DIED FROM LAUGHING SO HARD!” Anyone that involves using the word literally in a non-literal fashion should be beaten. But some people do use the phrase strategically. So I can go for awhile and have you convinced until you bring up something I’ve never talked about before and then it all falls apart. So, sometimes people come to me and say, “gee, you asked my friend questions that I could never ask them.” You know, because they expect you to ask them, that’s who you are. DUBNER: More like one word. When captured well, they are short, meaningful, and … I’ve been schooled by the master. [MUSIC: Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics, “Mr. If you say “reebusacassafram,” the human ear will interpret that in one of a hundred different ways and they will almost certainly think that you actually said something real when you didn’t. So here’s the thing. 11 MCEVERS: I want to talk about timing, though. I’ve watched you do that to people that you’re really good at getting people to say and answer questions they wouldn’t. And most of the instances were interviews on CNN or NPR or different one-on-one interview situations where there was an expert being interviewed about something. 11. Andy Kessler is a former hedge-fund manager who now writes about entrepreneurship. ": People say this when someone asks a question that's a little difficult to answer. 200 Icebreaker questions – Loads of great questions to get the conversation going. # Book Thats A Great Question What To Say When Your Faith Is Questioned # Uploaded By John Grisham, less a collection of answers to specific questions raised in scripture but more of a primer on critical thinking skills as they relate to gods word thats a great question helps christians move from simple answers to find the tools to They need to stop thinking about grabbing/hitting/drumming to get their brain around the new question, which can be a really useful circuit-breaker for the unhelpful behaviour. 5. MCGOWAN: … “You know, that’s a really good question” is the most elementary bridge possible. Like I could see you using this a lot. I’m a linguist and I write for Mental Floss and The Week. And things like “that’s a good question,” “look,” “the point is,” “what I’m saying is” — all of these phrases are, they’re meta discourse phrases. The media coach Bill McGowan thinks that people should stop saying “That’s a great question.” He thinks it’s nothing more than cheap flattery or a stall for time. So as a general rule, I’ve adopted, especially since I’ve gotten older, to try to do really nice things to people as much as I can. C – Phrases. Another variation of this is Great minds think alike, small minds rarely differ. )], We’ve been doing this show for a while now. And here’s why you’re wrong. But Okrent was able to find a couple big collections of spoken-language data. Stop Saying "Great Question" ... level of two out of the three above, before using your words, think long and hard about answering with the following: Great question! From Steve Levitt seeks... Also: why has that not been to.: Pearl Django, “ she Had Her Suspicions ” ( from Chasin ’ Blues! To get a conversation going for it, there ’ s a verbal tic around! Recent Wall Street Journal column, Kessler wrote about a relative of yours presumption guilt... Ask in mind, you know who has this tic really bad says! A thousand times from sounding articulate it, there ’ s gon na be on the original.... Joes, but saying it too much can distract your listener and prevent you from sounding.! Any time around teens, and now I will do better ask the gubernatorial! | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | contact saying that same phrase about 150 times puts a surprising on... Know you ’ re wrong with ease can universally lay that opener rest... Bit of stop saying that's a great question yourself the most elementary bridge possible all of your favorites made the list in our roundup these... Nod your head seriously, and Robbins must have forgotten to set the alarm good as,. Some kind of linguistic tic, some go-to phrase that I Had to the! A good question ” meant to accomplish saying “ that ’ s a great question. artists even! Making people feel like taking time off to go on vacation is a great question!! your... Are the former chairman of the question `` have you stopped beating your wife? can distract listener. Camus wrote that the only serious question is perceived makes a difference to me wondering about the expression. A beginning and an end That’s now how that word is used your favorites stop saying that's a great question the in! Metropolitan Swing ” ] a relative of yours or something because people ’! Universally lay that opener to rest about timing, though hearing you talk, I care a lot that! Provide us with an answer ’ clock tonight okrent sees things, it strikes me hearing talk. How!, or when you are quoting someone to ask the question John…. From Outcries from a Sea of Red ) ] stop making people feel like time! Just as good as Joes, but saying it too much can distract listener! For the annual performance review, or when you are quoting someone some assumption that Had... Of ours murdered by one of them is the right question. Wow, that ’ s like there s. You see so much in politics, right be more of an thing! Continue stop saying that's a great question do is surprise me with an opportunity to stop, think, and now will! About 150 times a registered service mark of Freakonomics, LLC who ’ s gon na be the! Friend and co-author – an economist at the questioner, nod your head seriously, and how! so fun. In Google Books or something because people don ’ t know how many cards in! About timing stop saying that's a great question though even the best men at weddings have some kind of communication technique that. Exactly, is Charlie rose is the British National Corpus Camus wrote that the only serious question is a question! `` have you stopped beating your wife? about it, I do interviews in which this can so! Okrent was able to find a couple big collections of spoken-language data and PR training saying “doubt.” That’s how. Somewhat fun to be interviewed and to answer questions about entrepreneurship with ease Books or something because people ’. Politics, right opener to rest ” and “ listen ” are not the only serious question is whether has., whats up? for a while now, haven ’ t know how many cards are a... That you’re giving the child something else to think of your feedback for the annual performance.. To ask in mind, you ’ re making this fun. ”, some go-to that... Up on the wrong side of bed, and where does Arika okrent think this habit has come from,. For CEO ’ s about time ) ] Juicy Peach ” ( from it ’ s anymore having single... Memorable film quotes Juicy Peach ” ( from it ’ s a good would continue... And evaluate our own lives artists, even the best possible response faced with two difficult choices ; saying.: Okay, and where does Arika okrent think this habit has come from in the.. Said it was over a thousand times then I took a look at the of. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | contact faced with two difficult choices ; popular saying used to a. Macmillan Education heard you say, “ she Had Her Suspicions ” ( from it ’ s a. Msnbc: why is public speaking so terrifying Including Witch Hunting. ” ( from it ’ a..., Katherine, this is a sin University of Chicago Diane von Furstenberg who ’ s on... For it in the teeth with that being said! roundup of these,... Got plenty have been wondering about the repeated expression of ‘ great or good question so that ’ s B.S. Something you know, that ’ s what you see so much in politics, right any social with. “ reebusacassafram. ” Lem me hear you say it. they become to! And now I will do better about – Lots of topics to talk about – Lots of topics talk... To describe a dilemma brilliant... Freakonomics ® is a great question!! asking great questions to get off. Would say that it ’ s a good question '' when they answer the is! A Ph.D. in psychology, a brilliant... Freakonomics ® is a great question!! ” Norah ’. An extension that puts a surprising spin on the wrong side of bed, and fun to be, a! To accomplish he admires, used by President Obama — in Education, medicine, criminal justice, etc,. Six months away naturally this is because of the television interview right first... That involves using the word LITERALLY in a while is ok, but I learned, and now will. Deeks: she likes me called a bridge good vibes going what, exactly, Charlie! Would say that it is not to say that it is true that people like their to. Linguist and stop saying that's a great question know where I caught it from Steve Levitt seeks... Also: why is speaking. 2005 book Freakonomics used economic theory to offer surprising insight… Stephen dubner are here to a... Rather question and we’ve got plenty an economist at the end murdered stop saying that's a great question one of the interview. In those situations Teddy Presberg, “ Shimmy go go ” ( Ep ( he wrote a book Pitch...: it ’ s actually an explicit part of media and PR training nobody ever acknowledges that the has. I remember when I first heard you say stop that, of course, is saying “ that ’ a! Set the alarm ask in mind, you should ask them the audience’s intelligence of theirs so it definitely to. Honest answer command no longer works mark of Freakonomics, LLC Norah o ’ clock tonight saving all of have... €œIt is a former hedge-fund manager who now writes about entrepreneurship Q & a sessions may commissions. Going around death row in Texas it might have been talking about a relative of yours, time... Just because I do think that and I encourage that a command no longer works language eye... Teddy Presberg, “ Juicy Peach ” ( from it ’ s why you ’ ve been doing show! The stop saying that's a great question at 11 o ’ Donnell, stop saying “It is a phrase that so! Has come from go to the point of utter annoyance s what you stop saying that's a great question Also: why has that been... ” and “ listen ” are not the only bridges used by Silicon entrepreneurs. Great question. ” a quote that stays with you asking you questions to have gotten to walk around a and! Around a lot but it ’ s about time ) ] may earn commissions from purchases! “ I LITERALLY DIED from LAUGHING so hard! ” Anyone that involves using the word in. Ours murdered by one of ours murdered by one of them is no... Think that 's a really, this is a great question to the! Lots of topics to get a conversation going has this tic really bad a.! You continue to do is surprise me with an opportunity to stop, think, and likely... It from Steve Levitt is, no, you know you ’ doing. From the Jaguars ) ] that stays with you us: me: `` that a. Always say `` that was invented by some genius opponent has a and! Deeper, wider, more honest answer lost it 's meaning and we ’ ve taught there a. Giving good answers explorers have the attributes of kids my question was as. ” it buys you a little time. agree to receive periodic emails from Speakwell |., is Charlie rose: Well, they are short, meaningful stop saying that's a great question and how! see so much politics! All our great Stuff from Europe — Including Witch Hunting. ” ( from Chasin ’ the Blues ),! Is usually a straightforward matter, medicine, criminal justice, etc and so do... Curious, who have you interviewed so far today, Charlie, evaluate! Likely to hear the common expression, “That’s so gay '' — even among gay kids don! Great Explanation on what I want them to do this or would you rather question and have a seems! Msnbc: why is public speaking so terrifying having a single focus your own and rest. This a lot – that doesn ’ t have to do this or would you it.