Why why???

Posted by Lotg (OZ) on September 09, 2004

Further down the line here I replied to ACME by mimicking (well attempting to) an oft heard Americanism (mainly in Cowdy movies), which is to begin a sentence with 'why'.

eg. How are you Bill? Why, I'm fine thankya. (Apologies if that example doesn't quite ring true)

Why do they start some sentences with 'why' like that?