MSGID: 2:5023/24.4222 67922eca
PID: GED+W64 1.1.5-b20180707
CHRS: CP866 2
Hey All,

I came across this line in TAGLINES the other day and it got me wondering
again, why in the world would someone come up with an answer like this, not
just "Yes", "Sure", etc..?

    "Why yes, I -do- work for a unit of the Illuminati."

After 0.5 min of google searching I found a reddit post on /r/english and I
think the comments are quite explanatory (as follows). If you feel something
needs to be improved or corrected, please do so.

==============================================================================

ù "Why" is being used as an interjection here to express surprise. "Why" isn't
used to ask a question in this instance.

ù Think of it more as emphasizing agreement, usually because you think the
idea is just that good (though it can be because the suggestion was initially
surprising).

     "Hey dad, should we go see the game on Saturday?"
     "Why yes Timmy, I think we should."
     (Timmy's dad is either pleasantly surprised at Timmy's suggestion,
      or he is simply very into the idea of seeing the game with his son).

ù Think of "why" in this context as "actually" yes.

ù "Why yes" = "yes, of course".

ù "Why" is a general interjection/introduction suggesting mild surprise,
especially surprise at a question whose answer should be obvious.

     "Who are you supporting in the match today?"
     "Why, the Tigers, of course!"
     "Why, it's Alison! I haven't seen her in weeks!"

"Well" can be used similarly, but with less surprise.

     "What's the plan for today?"
     "Well, I think we'll start by trimming the hedges, then paint the fence.

ù It's a pretty fashioned way of saying things, so I wouldn't expect you'd
hear it all that often? It's definitely not a common use of "why" in everyday
speech in any of the English speaking countries I've been to (UK, US, Canada,
Australia, NZ) and if I heard someone say it I'd think they were joking around
trying to sound like a fancy gentleman wearing a top hat. :P


... Error #00‘: Memory hog error. More RAM needed. More! More!
--- dED+/ˆ‚– 1.1.5
 * Origin: Microsuxx, Inc. (2:5023/24.4222)
SEEN-BY: 50/22 109 105/81 106/201 128/187 129/305 153/7715 154/110
SEEN-BY: 218/700 221/1 6 226/30 227/114 229/110 114 206 300 317 426
SEEN-BY: 229/428 470 664 700 705 240/1120 266/512 291/111 301/1 113
SEEN-BY: 320/219 322/757 342/200 396/45 450/1024 460/58 256 1124 5858
SEEN-BY: 463/68 712/848 902/26 5000/111 5015/42 46 255 5020/400 570
SEEN-BY: 5020/715 830 846 1042 4441 8912 5022/2 5023/12 24 5030/49
SEEN-BY: 5034/13 5053/51 58 400 5054/30 5058/104 5060/900 5061/15
SEEN-BY: 5061/133 5075/35 128 5083/1 444 6035/3
PATH: 5023/24 5020/715 1042 301/1 460/58 229/426