The word “like”. A rant…

[GH85Carrera]

Back in the "olden days" I was dating a chick when the Valley Girl talk started. She instantly started like that. That was my clue to end the relationship.

[ckissick]

My 8th grade English teacher had a cure for this, but then it was for "you know". Whenever one of us had to speak extemporaneously in front of the class and inserted a "you know", everyone in the class was to immediately and loudly repeat "you know!" It stopped the "you knows" in short order.

[Gogar]

Just like - Sit him down and let him like - watch this

[bob deluke]

Forgot about that one Craigster, God forbid. Then all my aunts would cross themselves….

[Tobra]

Like, chill out dude.

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by masraum

I think "like" replaced "um" as a way to give folks a moment to think of the next thing that they want to say...

Wait until you spend more time around speakers of Mandarin! Enough so that years ago my cousin had to warn/explain this to his family (us all) when his new wife's mainland family was coming to visit. Let's just say that one of their common filler words sounded quite a bit dodgy in English.

(stolen from the webz)

"Nčige" used as a filler word:

...in English, you may say "umm" or another
filler word. In Chinese, the word for this is 那个 (nčige).
(The word 那个 can be pronounced both "nŕge" and
"nčige," but for this usage, "nčige" is normally used.)

[mjohnson]

To the main topic - I think "like" is nearly unfixable. It's like (heh) breathing for so many.

I had a very annoying verbal habit of using "clearly", especially with some new engineers. One particularly aware victim started using with me in at least every other sentence. No other remarks - not even a smirk or a second glance to see if I noticed.

I noticed, and it hit hard! It had me fixed of that little issue in less than a month.

My particular hangup now is anyone responding to my side of a discussion with "Anyway, ..." I don't take it well and I've tried to give it back, as in the "clearly" example above, and typically they're so contextually deaf that it doesn't even register.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by mjohnson

To the main topic - I think "like" is nearly unfixable. It's like (heh) breathing for so many.

I had a very annoying verbal habit of using "clearly", especially with some new engineers. One particularly aware victim started using with me in at least every other sentence. No other remarks - not even a smirk or a second glance to see if I noticed.

I noticed, and it hit hard! It had me fixed of that little issue in less than a month.

My particular hangup now is anyone responding to my side of a discussion with "Anyway, ..." I don't take it well and I've tried to give it back, as in the "clearly" example above, and typically they're so contextually deaf that it doesn't even register.

Clearly, you need to get everyone that you work with in on the punchline like in the school situation above. Repeat it back out-loud any time it's heard.

And yes, most folks don't see/understand what the problem is with filler words.

[Bill Douglas]

It works out quite well. I tracked down some internet scammers and went in and had a word with them. A girl there said "Are you a like Private Investigator?" I said "Yes."

Because I was like one, but not actually one.

[917_Langheck]

Originally Posted by astrochex

Moon Unit Zappa approves this topic.

This is the precise moment in time: if you matured before this moment, like is most probably seldom used outside its intended use; after, you're most likely an annoying sot. 😉

[berettafan]

Tucker Carlson does it. Drives me up a wall. Maybe an age thing.

[VINMAN]

[wildthing]

Nobody taught them to avoid filler words.

[berettafan]

So is it not a clue that the person speaking isn't really paying attention to the conversation?

[look 171]

Originally Posted by mjohnson

Wait until you spend more time around speakers of Mandarin! Enough so that years ago my cousin had to warn/explain this to his family (us all) when his new wife's mainland family was coming to visit. Let's just say that one of their common filler words sounded quite a bit dodgy in English.

(stolen from the webz)

"Nčige" used as a filler word:

...in English, you may say "umm" or another
filler word. In Chinese, the word for this is 那个 (nčige).
(The word 那个 can be pronounced both "nŕge" and
"nčige," but for this usage, "nčige" is normally used.)

Some USC professor was fired (I think?) due to complains from a certain demographic about that filler word. I read that several years ago due the height of BLM BS.

[look 171]

Like it was used often during the 80s around here from the typical talk. Yeah, like they like really talk like that when I went to school out there for a year.

I catch myself saying "You know" more then I like if I am not paying attention

how bout' "you know what I mean,Man?"

[Bill Douglas]

It's quite good playing games with people.

Him "So it's like $50 for it?"

Me "No it's not like $50, it's exactly $50."

[red 928]

The worst IMO is "at the end of the day".
It's just another way of someone telling you they have the IQ of a raisin.

Irregardless.

[KFC911]

I happen to like raisins ... and what I like might differ from what you like... you know? That's what matters ... at the end of the day...

[ramonesfreak]

There’s a certain person that posts here that actually types “like” in his posts, almost as if he is using dictation to create his posts. Please explain to me why you would take the extra step to add that to a written sentence. I’ve wondered for years and all I can come up with is he does it to emphasize his point? It triggers something malevolent inside me every time I see it


I don’t wanna get …like…banned for calling him out so let’s not try to guess who I’m talking about