seeing as

[Kondorosi]

Seeing as how you waived your right to councel, Mr. Shelton, Do you have anything to say?

 

[Frank Antonson]

"Seeing as" is a paraphrastic (how about that for a word?) way of saying "since" -- a little like "is going to" for "will".

 

[Kondorosi]

as = expletive?

a word or phrase conveying no independent meaning but added to fill out a sentence or metrical line

 

[Frank Antonson]

"seeing as how" is the whole paraphrastic "since".

I guess "as" could be considered an expletive, but I don't think of it that way.