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I'm reading an Australian novel. There are an expression "Still." but I don't know the exact meaning.
like
She nodded and smiled. "Still. What can I do?"
or
"Still. It's a real shame."
What is the meaning of "Still." in conversations? Is it slang?
user44484
Posted 2016-11-09T12:03:11.980
Reputation: 11
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I don't think this is specifically Australian usage. The meaning of still here is "regardless" or "despite that"; the speaker is saying "*Despite what has just been said, what can I do?" or "Regardless of that, it is a real shame." (I realize that this is difficult because still has so many different meanings.)
– stangdon – 2016-11-09T12:57:56.6431I see it in other regional variations of English. I consider it to be a verbal shrug. "Yes, that may be true, but what of it/what can I do/what do you expect?" – John Feltz – 2016-11-09T15:39:37.070