Summary:

Many of us have friends who habitually end sentences with the phrase "or, whatever." The phrase usually dangles at the end of a sentence, suggesting that the speaker is not necessarily vested in the outcome or result. Others may answer a question with" or "whatever, indicating that they are uninterested in the answer or conversation. The person might just as well say, "I don't care about having the conversation with you or even an answer."

Article:

Many expressions, seemingly casual, are used to defuse, deflect, and show uninterest. However, these expressions also have the potential to degrade the level of conversation. For instance, the phrase 'I don t care about the stone cold bitch, you know, what s her name?' can significantly alter the tone and quality of a conversation.

Our diverse speech habits, from proper and semi-proper to conversational with slang, are not just a matter of personal preference. They are influenced by our national, regional, ethnic, and social status, and they significantly impact the quality of our communication. It's essential to appreciate and understand these linguistic differences, as they contribute to the richness of our communication. Some politicians have been guilty of changing the tone of their speech to fit the sector subset language.

Others, having grown up in the lower socioeconomic echelon, follow their communities' speech habits. Some words are even hard to understand.

A great scene from Airplane where the actress, Barbara Billingsley, speaks jive slang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0j2dVuhr6s

My early years were on a farm in Arkansas, where our speech was anything but proper and professional. I understand the struggle of breaking bad habits that were constantly being tested. This personal experience makes me more relatable to the topic and helps you know that we all have our linguistic challenges.