Professor Burridge, who with colleague Margaret Florey wrote Yeah-no he's a good kid: A discourse analysis of yeah-no in Australian English, says the phrase is not limited to sport. The paper found that in informal conversations, men use the phrase as much as women but that those aged 35-49 are the worst offenders.

Critics who dismiss the phrase as a glorified "um, ah" are missing the subtleties, according to Professor Burridge. "Even though people hate the 'yeah no', if you stripped language of them, you would see they are very necessary," she says. And we are not alone. While the British have a more literal use of the phrase - which serves as a confirmation - the Germans use a similar "ja nein" and the South Africans "ya nay".

"All of these little markers have a very important role in conversation. They have roles in showing the relationship between speaker and hearer and this one has a linking function as well," Professor Burridge says. In Australia, where the phrase has become entrenched in the past six years, "yeah no" can mean anything from "yes, I see that, but can we go back to the earlier topic" to an enthusiastic "yes, I can't reinforce that point enough". So, where does the distinction lie?

Professor Burridge says the phrase falls into three main categories, each determined by context. The literal agrees before adding another point, the abstract defuses a comment and the textual lets the speaker go back to an earlier point. The next time a footballer answers "yeah no", be aware that there is more to the reply than just an "um-ah" prefix. In this sporting context, Professor Burridge says "yeah no" is often used in its abstract context; as a way to defuse a compliment by a bashful footballer. "You've got to downplay the compliment but you can't reject it because that seems ungracious. It's a complicated little thing."

The phrase, a "discourse particle" in linguistic terms, is all about compromise and co-operation. Or, as Professor Burridge puts it, "yeah no" is verbal cuddling. "It can emphasise agreement, it can downplay disagreement or compliments and it can soften refusals," she says.

Breakfast broadcaster Ross Stevenson doesn't see it that way. He describes "yeah no" as a verbal crutch - an epidemic from which no strata of society is immune. "The moment you think you are superior, you will find yourself using 'yeah no'," he says. So no one is immune, Ross, not even a radio broadcaster?

"Yeah no," he replies.