What does it mean? : )
The sentence: I second what X said.

I've seen this sentence many times on italki's comments. And I guess it means "I agree..." according to the context. Am I correct? And what's the difference between "I second..." and "I agree..."? Can "I second..." be used in any situation or just for writing comments?

Thanks in advance : )

Question

What does it mean? : )
The sentence: I second what X said.

I've seen this sentence many times on italki's comments. And I guess it means "I agree..." according to the context. Am I correct? And what's the difference between "I second..." and "I agree..."? Can  "I second..."  be used in any situation or just for writing comments?

Thanks in advance : )

Answer

the expression comes from formal meetings where a motion is moved by someone to do something, and that motion is seconded by another person - effectively, they have to agree with the idea being put forward, before it will be considered by the committee or put to the whole membership for a vote.  In casual usage, if someone says something that you wholeheartedly agree with, you can say "I second that".