[Grammar] That said, ...

[inase]

Hello,

The phrase "That said, ..." which I often come across in English speakers' messages seems to be used to mean "Therefore, ..." as well as "However, ..."

1. ... All in all, I like pet snakes. That said, I don't think I can keep and get along with wild snakes. (contradictory)
2. ... All in all, I like pet snakes. That said, I think I can keep and get along with wild snakes. (resultative)

I would like to know both are equally acceptable and whether the frequency level of each usage is almost the same or not. My impression is that the contradictory junction as in Sentence 1 is more frequent.

Inase

 

[GoesStation]

I have no idea about their relative frequency, but your definitions are valid. That said has become a very common expression in American English.

 

[Skrej]

You'll also hear it as 'that being said', which is the way I tend to use it.

 

[Phaedrus]

You'll also hear it as 'that being said'

An even longer formulation is "that having been said." I look at all three formulations as transitional phrases. The transition is to a contrasting point. Between "therefore" and "however," I definitely choose "however" as the more appropriate one-word paraphrase. Having said that, (I shall further say that*) these transitional phrases frequently introduce a point which not only contrasts with what has been said but also concludes the discussion or train of thought.

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*I've added the words in parentheses lest someone think "having said that" is a dangling participle without such an addition. One benefit of "that said," "that being said," and "that having been said" is that they are absolute constructions and thus can't dangle, but they serve the same function as "having said that."