You know when you’re talking and suddenly your brain just… blanks? And you find yourself saying something like “um” or “you know” or use Elaine’s catchprase in Seinfeld, “yada yada yada”? Yeah. Me too. These are all classic filler words.

And I think I’ve used every filler word in the book—“like,” “uh,” “so yeah”—sometimes just to keep the sentence going while my thoughts catch up. They’re not exactly glamorous, but they’re everywhere. And I started wondering: why do we use them so much even when we know they are fillers? Are they doing more in our speech than we know?

And today, on one of those quirky-made-up-observances – Yada Yada Yada Day – I thought I will give it a look and share it with you.

📺 Where Did “Yada Yada” Come From?

If you watched Seinfeld (like me – many times over – as I recorded reruns faithfully on our VCR so my DH could watch it, and I would watch it both times often!), then you probably first heard “yada yada yada” on the show. That one episode where Elaine skips over the juicy parts of a story with a casual wave of the hand—“We had dinner, one thing led to another, yada yada yada…” (Insert eyebrow raise.)

But “Yada yada yada” didn’t originate on Seinfeld—though the sitcom certainly made it famous. Linguists believe it evolved from earlier expressions like yackety-yak or la-di-da. By the 1990s, “yada yada yada” had become a cheeky way to imply something best left unsaid—whether private, boring, or just… obvious.

On an aside, if you are a Seinfeld fan, or know one, here are a couple of yada, yada, yada books for you (like, literally!):

• Mark Nelson’s Yada, Yada, Yada: The Seinfeld Lexicon has, according to the book description, over four-thousand examples of words and phrases that were revealed as a part of Seinfeld. And I know I will enjoy this myself as will my DH.
• “Yada Yada Yada”: The Little Guide to Seinfeld is part of a Little Books series to movies and TV shows.
• While Yada Yada Yada: Life-according to Seinfeld’s Jerry, Elaine, George & Kramer by Daniel Jeffers and illustrated by Chantal De Sousa is a fun read!!
  

🧠 So What Are Filler Words Really?

Technically, they’re called discourse markers. But filler words sounds better, right? For they’re the little sounds and phrases we toss in when we’re thinking. When we’re unsure. When we’re not ready to let go of the mic just yet.

Stuff like:

• um
• like
• you know
• well
• yada yada
• blah, blah, blah
• and TBH, even those awkward silences

They’re the white space between our thoughts. Not always polished, but very human. And like the white space on paper that makes it all look clearer, maybe these can help make our important thoughts stand out too, when used correctly and in the right amount.

🗣 Why We Use Filler Words (And Maybe Even Need Them)

Turns out, filler words aren’t just noise. Linguists have found that they help us:

• Hold the floor. They signal that we’re not done talking yet.
• Buy time. Our brains need a second? These words fill the gap.
• Soften things. Sometimes we’re not ready to be blunt or certain, and these little pauses help us get there.
• Guide and continue the conversation. They help us take turns, react, signal subtext.

They might seem like fluff, but really, they’re tools. Kind of like a breath in a conversation. You can speak without breathing… but it’s not gonna last long. Also check out Um…: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean by Michael Erard, which is totally a fun and relatable read!

(sources: JSTOR Daily, BYU, English Feed )

🌍 Filler Words Around the World

Just researching for and writing this part made me smile—every language has its own version of “blah blah blah.”

• In German, it’s äh or so.
• In French, there’s euh and bah.
• Hindi uses matlab (meaning) and woh na (“that…”)
• Turkish speakers might say yani (like “I mean”), şey (“thing”), or falan (“etc.”)

These expressions aren’t just for stalling—they reflect culture, rhythm, politeness, and even emotional distance (source).

✨ What We Don’t Say (And Why That Matters)

There’s something kind of beautiful about not saying everything.

Like, think of this line:
“He looked at me and… well, you know.”
You feel what’s not being said. That pause is doing more work than any extra sentence might.

Filler words and hesitations can carry emotion, tension, uncertainty. They let us imply without explaining. That’s especially powerful in writing and storytelling, where what’s left unsaid often speaks the loudest.

🚦 But…

Of course, there are times when filler words don’t help. Like during a job interview or presentation. Too many “ums” and “likes” can make things feel scattered or unsure. I’ve found that being aware of them—just noticing when and why they show up—helps.

And sometimes, a pause… just an actual silence… says more, and is better.

👶 From Babble to Babel: Sounds to Words

One other thing that made me think: babies don’t start with words. They start with sounds—repeating the same syllables over and over. Ba-ba, da-da, ma-ma. That babble isn’t random—it’s them learning rhythm, language, tone.

So maybe “yada yada yada” isn’t that far off. A kind of grown-up babble. A way to play with speech, to buy time, to connect. To say, I’m thinking, when the words haven’t caught up with our thoughts yet.

And Now, the End of This Post: or – Final Filler Words!

Dear reader, some final thoughts on filler words. While they are easy to dismiss, they are also kind of comforting and ,well, kind of brilliant. Like, you know, when used well, they make us sound more like ourselves, showing our discomfort, our fears, our emotions. Staying human.

So the next time you catch yourself saying “um” or “like” or “yada yada yada,” it is ok to not rush and fix it. For after all, you might be saying more than you think. Do let me know your most-used filler word(s), and your tips to use them well, well!