The word “like”. A rant…

[Chocaholic]

Our son-in-law is a software engineer with a great job with a military contractor. He’s 28. Every sentence he utters has the word “like” in it at least four times (I count them). Went to our son’s graduation from law school last week. Met several other graduates and his new girlfriend. I never heard more “likes” in my entire life.

For some reason, my kids don’t do that. But I’ve become so tuned into it that I almost don’t hear what they’re saying, but make a hobby of simply counting the “likes”. The young gal who stays with our dogs when we travel gave us the rundown on them when we got home yesterday. Must have been 20+ likes in a 5 minute chat. Didn’t hear a word she said otherwise.

Rant over.

[KFC911]

I like a good rant

[rfuerst911sc]

I " like " your rant

[oldE]

I see your "like" and raise you "So..."
In the infrequent times I view television news, this speech tic frequently presents itself.

Best
Les

[stevej37]

Facebook effect.

[astrochex]

Moon Unit Zappa approves this topic.

[rwest]

Two other common things people around here add that aren’t needed are saying “right?” after making a statement not asking a question. The other is asking “does that make sense” after giving simple instructions.

[cabmandone]

I know! Right? I mean... like... why do people do that stuff?

[A930Rocket]

How about, “you know”?

I was reading some news online and the person they quoted must’ve said you know four times in a three sentence “.

You know what I mean…

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

I know! Right? I mean... like... why do people do that stuff?

Yep. Way overused…and by older people.

[bob deluke]

My hometown was mostly Italian, as am I. Always heard “cuz ya know” from the old folks all the time.

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by cabmandone

I know! Right? I mean... like... why do people do that stuff?

That one annoys me to death. Literally!

[masraum]

Some folks do it a lot, others don't. What seems ever crazier to me is when folks write it. We have a poster here that is supposed to be very smart, I think, an engineer, and often rudely proclaims how dumb others are and how much smarter he is. He puts like in the middle of sentences the same way folks use it in speech as being discussed in this thread.

[peppy]

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah or
Right, right, right
As they are interrupting what you are saying so they can talk.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by bob deluke

My hometown was mostly Italian, as am I. Always heard “cuz ya know” from the old folks all the time.

What about "God forbid"?

"You know, all Johnny does is sit around the house. Like, he could never think of getting a job, God forbid".

[stevej37]

^^^
That's 'Dope' man. :

[Scott Douglas]

Like when they interview a race winner and like he starts off with "I mean, yeah, it was like really hot out there and like it was hard to see."

[Evans, Marv]

I think that happens a lot in cultures. I remember when I was in Guatamala in the early 70s, I found it irritating that locals started almost each sentence with "Si pues." Kind of beginning sentences with "Yes, well." I suppose you have to live long enough for those things to go out of vogue.

[GH85Carrera]

All the F1 drivers use Yea, constantly. Even YEA, no to start a sentence.

[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.

And most folks in society want to fit in, so they mimic the other people around them that they want to fit in with. So once one person does it it spreads to others. I think some folks are VERY likely to mimic and other folks are less likely to mimic. It starts by infecting the more likely to mimic but then once enough folks are doing it, the less likely to mimic start because a much larger portion of the group that everyone wants to fit in with is now doing it.