Whiteisms
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Etymology Journal ยท Y

Yeah, no, yeah

Meaning

A conversational loop that essentially means yes. It acknowledges the topic, pauses, then confirms agreement.

Engaged, casual

Used in a sentence

  • It's getting really cold out there, isn't it? Yeah, no, yeah, it's freezing.
  • Do you like this new song? Yeah, no, yeah, it's catchy.
  • Is it time to start the meeting? Yeah, no, yeah, let's begin.

The backstory

A variation of the yeah-no-yeah cycle prevalent in casual American speech. It shows the speaker is actively processing the conversation.

Heard in

Midwest, West Coast

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