When I use those phrases I'm indicating uncertainty, so really, PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong.

I used to work for a guy who was never wrong. He didn't talk much but when he did say something, it was always correct. He still hedged a lot, so he would say "I'm not sure you're right; I think the answer might be X." What that meant was "You are certainly mistaken and the only reasonable answer is X."

My memory is actually not 100% there so when I use those phrases I do mean "if I recall correctly", lol. I think I use "we're all free to think what we think" if I wanna keep the conversation going or "fair enough" when I wanna exit it. 👍

Most of the time when I use those phrases I’m not actually 100% sure and want an out in case I was wrong

I hate not using that phrasing because I know I am fallible, but to many normal people, even if you know you can be wrong, you give a confident response.

If there is any chance I could be slightly incorrect I use this phrasing, but this really has meant that some people are more grating to me than others because they will think you arent confident or smart if you show any signs of being able to acknowledge your fallibility

"Is that right? I had heard an alternate theory..."

You're definitely wrong, and I know more about this than you do.

I only use it to cover my ass because I’m not sure I’m right

"AS STATED CLEARLY IN THE PREVIOUS EMAIL, f*ck you" My brain, 4 times a week

That's funny because when I say those things it usually means "you asked me for an answer so I'm supplying you an answer despite having no personal confidence in my answer. If you act on based on this information alone it's your own damn fault."

IIRC is my way of getting out of citing sources, often because I don't remember exactly what it was, say if I saw it during a nature show on PBS or a segment on SciShow

Sometimes I don't remember if it was AP, Reuters or Mother Jones where I got a fact or a take, but it was someplace I could probably trust. So If I remember right...

Curiously, if I don't trust a source and can't recall who it was, I'll attribute it to vicious rumors or some muckraking rag or but it sounds like something FOX News would put out, so take with salt.

Really? Because if I use "if I remember correctly" I mean I'm not 100% sure of I do and am completely open for someone else to come along and show me the correct answer.

There are a few times I mean it cynically.