As taught to me by my A-Level English Teacher
Anyone who when giving an important talk or lecture says "Basically" has no fucking clue what they are talking about.

I reckon this will shaft most politicians during the next few weeks.
(mediumpete and his frozen cheese collection wrote this, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 18:02, 7 replies)

I was best man at my mate's wedding
I'd forgotten the notes for my speech and had to wing it. It was littered with the word basically.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 18:08, closed)

Yikes
That's unfortunate. Should have rolled in the knob gags.
(mediumpete and his frozen cheese collection wrote this, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 18:09, closed)

What did he suggest as an alternative?
My public-school headmaster used to hate the word basically too -- but it does convey a meaning that "put simply", for example, hides behind a ertain degree of patronisation.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 18:10, closed)

Actually knowing the subject you have to talk about.

(mediumpete and his frozen cheese collection wrote this, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 18:11, closed)

I do...
But there's little point explaining the workings of DNS to my dear old mother, for example.
I like the "in summary", and in a lecture I'd say it was more correct, so perhaps we agree apart from certain contexts.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 18:27, closed)

You could try 'in summary' or 'in short', maybe.

( Bob Todd whee, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 18:14, closed)

My A-Level Chemistry teacher would go out of his way to say "basically"
whenever discussing acids or bases. Then he'd pause for a second with a grin on his face.
( The Coast Of Yemen, Thu 8 Apr 2010, 18:42, closed)