There are some things I have always found to be strange, for example, usually when someone opens a conversation with:
" You know, I dont like to speak ill of anyone but..." you can be sure a lenghty tirade against someone you know is about to begin.
Ive done it, too.
Kind of funny, isnt it?

Like someone taking the last bit of coffee without entirely emptying the pot, leaving mere wet grounds for the next person?

I really hate that.

Apropos to RUR's comments, I realized last night that's impossible to write realistic dialog without using cliches because everyone in Real Life (tm) talks in cliches.

Well, you could follow our host's technique and use lots of so interesting and special characters that they do not use cliches, and some "normal" people thrown in, to show that he could do it. And his "Normals" get very interesting that way, as they in a way are us (unless you are one of those "interesting" people).

I just see it as the interaction of personal interest and sense of wrong. We know we do wrong, but try to seem not to, whether it is taking the last piece to slandering someone.

José

seems along the lines of when you've got something disparaging to say to someone and you say "no offense but"
i think we say stuff like that just to make ourselves feel better

I guess a subheading of this is when some huckleberry comes up to me after a show and says, "I'm not prejudiced, but..." and then proceeds to regale me with every old racist joke under the sun.