Hidden Meanings: “Just Sayin”

(photo: chocolissa)

They are the bane of our existence.  Phrases that mean something entirely different from what they say.  Yes, there are guides to idioms, but what about other commonly used phrases?

One phrase I noticed someone using today was “just sayin’…”  (Also comes in the form of “I’m just sayin”)  As in, “blah blah blah.  Just sayin’.”  It sounds pretty functionless, like it was just tacked on at the end.

Meaning

But actually it’s a way of saying that the person clearly disagrees with you or is saying something offensive and doesn’t want you to get mad at them.

Example

Person 1: I could really go for some ice cream.

Person 2: You might want to get the small scoop.  Just sayin’.

And now you know.