Are the expressions "just so so," "and so on", and "you know" correct usage?
Yes, all three expressions are correct usage: "just so so" largely in informal usage, "and so on" in both formal and informal usage, and "you know" in conversational usage.
Of course, "so so" is an adjective that means "neither very good nor very bad" or "middling," and prefacing it with "just" is meant to further downgrade or attenuate the assessment, as in "The much-touted athlete put in a
just so-so performance in the Olympics." Take note that in written form, "so-so" needs to be hyphenated.
The expression "and so on" is used at the tail end of an enumerative sequence to indicate that there are actually more in the list but that enumerating them all might just bore the reader or listener, as in this example: "The items found in the suspicious package in the trash can proved to be harmless barber's tools, such as a comb, a pair of scissors, a can of hairspray,
and so on."
The expression "you know" is a conversational device meant to take the listener into the confidence of the speaker, to establish that certain things are understood between them and need no elaboration or explanation, and to soften the blow of a statement that's critical of the listener, as in "
You know, Steve, I've always trusted your instinct, but this time I think you're mistaken..." The only thing to guard against with the expression "you know" is overusing it; when used much too often, it certainly could assault the ears and get on the nerves of the listener.
