6

I know "with that said" or "that being said" or "having said that" can be used as an alternative to "though" in written English, to introduce something that will contradict what has been previously said. As explained here: http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=862674

But how about "with that said" or "with all that said" in spoken English? Is the meaning different? In this video at 0:27, it looks to me that the meaning is different. It is more like a linking phrase to indicate that more details of the same ideas will be discussed.

Drew
  • 15,241
Cuong Hoang
  • 61
  • 1
    Its usual use is as a concessive rather than a contradictory sentence-connecting pragmatic marker. Concession is shown with this example, for instance, at the wordreference article you link to: "With that said [nevertheless / mind you], I will admit that your argument does have some merit." 'On the contrary' is the classic contradictory marker. Here, I agree, it makes more sense to read it as 'Right, moving on ...': a basic sequencing marker. – Edwin Ashworth Aug 22 '14 at 14:42
  • Yet I remember seeing more of it as contradictory marker, esp. in online forums, and not in books. I have only rarely seen in it concessive form. Just recently I see more people on the internet (I don't remember exactly where, only this 1 video so I posted it lest I should forget) using it as a sequencing marker so I am not sure if the phrase has other meaning or some people are just using it the wrong way. – Cuong Hoang Aug 22 '14 at 15:51
  • 1
    Online forums are not normal English. Normal English is spoken, for instance. That said, and its variants, are used to close one or more conversational topics, and position the speaker's disclaimers and boundary conditions for the clauses that follow, which are marked as the main point that the speaker intends to make. It is not an alternative to (al)though; although there are occasions where one could use either, there are also plenty where one could not. – John Lawler Aug 22 '14 at 16:41
  • That said is a rhetorical strategy, not a subordinating conjunction. It asserts instead of presupposing. – John Lawler Aug 22 '14 at 16:46
  • Thanks for all the comments (not enough 15 reputation to vote up yet), it looks a lot clearer to me now. – Cuong Hoang Aug 28 '14 at 15:59

3 Answers3

1

One can surely say 'The literature has covered < one aspect of a problem > < ... like this, for example ... >. With all that said, I would like to focus on < different aspect of same problem >.' and have no contradiction or implicit 'though'.

With all that said just means you are not going to say that again, and that you are not going to directly address what has been said -- that it is past, and we are moving forward.

I do know know how this is usually described in English but it is a form that in Latin was known as 'the (ablative) absolute past participle' (since in Latin it must be stated in the ablative.) This form is no more special than others.

With all that moved, only my clothing remains in the old place.

does not create feeling of contradiction, only completeness. There is perhaps some light emphasis laid upon refusal to continue discussing stuff other than the clothing.

Jon Jay Obermark
  • 2,405
1

"With all that said" can be used to indicated a contrary argument, but is often used to notify the speaker has reached the end of additional or tangential information and is ready to return to the main topic.

Suncat2000
  • 181
0

I'm beginning to hear more frequently that said as a synonym for therefore.

We are inundated with product orders, and half of our employees our out sick. That said, we need volunteers to work overtime.

However, I consider the standard meaning to be nevertheless or however, and I agree that it's usually concessive rather than contradictory.

Garner's Modern American usage says that having said that and that said are phrases that 'hedge a previous assertion.' It warns against making them dangling modifiers. Thus,

  • Good: Having said that, I admit I'm a bit chilly.
  • Dangling: Having said that, it's chilly.
choster
  • 43,403
Dave Nealon
  • 31