Do I, like, sound really stupid?
All languages change and transform over time. The rate at which languages change is accelerating as the world becomes more connected. Film, television and social media are constantly influencing the way we speak. New words and phrases are entering the English language at a much faster rate than ever before. Not only is the vocabulary we use expanding, we are finding new uses for existing words.
The word like is now the subject of heated debate. Several new ways of using this word have crept into the English Language and then proliferated. Many believe that like is now chronically overused. For instance:
The dog, like, literally leapt into the air when it, like, saw the ball, like, flying past.
Young people are particularly prone to using like repeatedly. They probably don’t notice just how often they and their peers are slipping the word into their sentences, so ubiquitous has its use become. But the older generation tend to find the practice incredibly irritating. They can feel that those who overuse like are common or stupid.
Why did people start, like, overusing like?
The increased use of the word like appears to have originated in what is referred to as Valleyspeak. This is an American English sociodialect that evolved during the 1970s in California’s San Fernando Valley. The dialect eventually spread across the States and is also called Mallspeak. It is characterised by the use of the word goes in place of says, an excessive use of I mean, and the frequent inclusion of the word like in sentences.
Valleyspeak is viewed as problematic for the future prospects of young people and is considered by some to be indicative of a lazy mind. For this reason, several colleges and universities in the States are offering speech classes to help students rid themselves of the dialect. It isn’t a good thing to be described as speaking like a Valley Girl.
When is it appropriate to use like?
Of course, it can be entirely appropriate to use the word like. This word may be utilised as follows without issue:
- As a comparative preposition.
The dog is so big that it is like a horse
- As a verb.
He has liked being the centre of attention
- As a subordinating conjunction in place of as.
Just like a good dog should behave
How do young people now use the word like?
Many people, especially youngsters, are now in the habit of inserting like into almost every sentence they utter. The word features in their speech so frequently because it is used in a variety of different ways:
- As a colloquial quotative particle.
He said that the dog was like, “preparing to attack”.
The use of a particle instead of a verb to introduce a quotation is relatively common. But it is only in recent years that like has been utilised in this way.
- As a discourse particle in order to hedge.
I think he is, like, crazy
Here, the word like is used as a hedge when the speaker is trying to moderate the impact of what they are saying. Using like in this way suggests that the speaker is unsure about the veracity of what they are saying or that it might be an exaggeration.
- As a discourse particle which is a filler.
I have been thinking about where to go tomorrow as, like, it might rain
The word like is used here in place of um or ah. The word signals that the speaker is pausing and prevents others from interrupting.
- As a means of indicating that the speaker is about to counter the expectation of their listener.
There was, like, a heatwave in Iceland
Here, the speaker is aware that what they are about to say might be unexpected or surprising.
Is it wrong to use like so often?
The word like now features much more frequently in informal speech but not in writing. Like has proved to be an incredibly useful and versatile word for English speakers. It can be frowned upon by purists but in most instances, its use in speech patterns isn’t grammatically incorrect.
The real issue here is repetition. It’s never good to keep repeating the same word, whatever that word might be.
Unfortunately, some young people utter the word like so often that it becomes irritating for listeners. like, can be particularly irksome as it often appears to be an unnecessary inclusion in a sentence.
When like doesn’t materially alter the meaning of a sentence, its repeated use comes across as merely a bad habit.
In addition, as like is often utilised as a hedge or filler, its inclusion may suggest that the speaker lacks confidence either in themselves or what they are saying.
There’s no doubt that if you wish to inspire confidence in your words and to avoid annoying your audience, it is best to keep your use of the word like to a minimum.
For many young people, this could certainly, like, prove to be, like, a very difficult thing to do like!
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What’s not to like about the word like? The short answer to that question is «so much.» Like has been a particularly bountiful source of irritation for people who get annoyed by the language habits of other people: while most offending words, such as irregardless, find a single specialty and stick with it, like annoys people in two distinct ways. Yet in each case, one can make an argument that like isn’t so bad as one might assume. If you tend to get into arguments about the word like—or if you simply want to know how lexicographers could possibly justify the word’s use—read on.
People have been complaining about supposedly incorrect uses of ‘like’ for a long time. But there’s nothing wrong with using ‘like’ as a conjunction—and the supposedly meaningless use of ‘like’ by young people is not really meaningless, nor is it limited to a particular age or gender.
Annoyance #1: Using Like As a Conjunction
In 1954, an advertising firm working for Winston cigarettes adopted a tried-and-tested method of getting their product noticed: they irritated people. They did this in a fashion so spectacularly evil, so ingeniously vile, that people are still talking about it today. Brace yourselves. Are you ready?
They took a word that many people thought should be an adverb, and they used it as a conjunction.
The 1950s were a different time, but the advertisement that resulted was one of the most famous ads of the 20th century: “Winston Tastes Good, Like a Cigarette Should.” Mass hysteria and outrage soon followed. The journalist Walter Cronkite, when given this advertising script to read on the air in between news broadcasts, refused—not because he was advertising a product that caused cancer, but because he didn’t like the syntax. Instead, Cronkite promoted the carcinogenic product with the phrase «Winston tastes good, as a cigarette should.»
Here’s the interesting part: like had been used as a conjunction in English since the 14th century. It was uncommon, which may explain why the complaints about it don’t appear until the late 18th century, but enough people employed the conjunctive like between 1800 and 1950 that we find a steady stream of language watchers cautioning against it:
Like has always been widely misused by the illiterate; lately it has been taken up by the knowing and the well-informed, who find it catchy or liberating, and who use it as though they were slumming.
—Strunk & White, The Elements of Style, 1959Shorts are not acceptable dinner attire in most better-grade restaurants…. Similarly, the use of like as a conjunction is not acceptable in better-grade writing…
—Theodore Bernstein, The Careful Writer, 1965The ad writer who dreamed up the Winston commercial should be jailed.
—Charles Kuralt, in Harper’s Dictionary of American Usage, 1975
In spite of these mid-century admonishments, people kept using like as a conjunction. In fact, the conjunctive like is now so prevalent that many people pay it no attention. And why should they? Again, the conjunctive like has been in use for 600 years. It is firmly established. It has been used by many prestigious literary figures of the past, though perhaps not in their most elevated works; in modern use it may be found in literature, journalism, and scholarly writing. One may avoid it as a matter of preference, but one cannot deny its existence.
However, this does not mean that like has finished its assault upon the sanctity of our language. It has not.
Annoyance #2: Using Like When It Doesn’t, Like, Mean Anything
Once people stopped getting upset about like as a conjunction, they found a new reason to dislike it: its use as a meaningless word by young people.
Fair enough. Except that this newfangled use of like is not restricted to the young—it has been found across all ages of English speakers—and it isn’t at all meaningless.
Linguists who study this use of like have identified numerous functions. When someone says “That has to be, like, the fiftieth time you’ve told me to not use like,” the word functions as an approximative adverb, and informs the listener that some estimate of quantity is included in the sentence. When that same person says “My mother was like, ‘please don’t use like so much,’” like serves as a quotative compartmentalizer: something that indicates a portion of the sentence is quoting or paraphrasing another speaker.
Like is often found grazing at the beginning of sentences, in a position that is generally thought of as a discourse marker. A discourse marker is the word you use at the beginning of a sentence when you say «Well, I think that using like in that way makes you sound foolish.» It serves a very similar role to the word at the beginning of the sentence uttered in response to your disapproval: «Like, that’s just your opinion.»
A hundred years ago, some writers on language instructed writers to avoid well for many of the same reasons that people condemn like today. Ambrose Bierce, in his 1909 book Write it Right, referred to well as «a mere meaningless prelude to a sentence.» But there was never any widespread outcry against discourse markers, largely because most people, writers on language included, did not know what they were. Unless you’re planning a career in linguistics you needn’t concern yourself overmuch with the subject, except to know that discourse markers are common, especially in speech, and that pretty much everybody uses them.
Like is not content-free and meaningless when used in these instances. It provides information, although that information may be subtle and difficult to parse. If you haven’t the patience to decipher whether you are hearing a quotative compartmentalizer or a discourse marker, take heart in the fact that like is serving another vitally important lexical role, and one which is quite easy to understand: it is giving millions of people something to complain about.
Consider the following conversation:
A: “Yesterday was, like, the worst day of my life. I got home from work around five-thirty and I was, like, so hungry so I went to the fridge to make a sandwich but when I opened the door there was, like, a whole family of mice inside! I, like, died when I saw them.”
B: “Ew, that’s like so gross!”
A: “Yeah, and the worst part is that when I told my wife she was like, ‘well, it’s your fault for always leaving food out on the table.’”
Written down, the above conversation is infuriating. Spoken out loud, though, it’s not too different from the way that people talk to each other every day. So what is it about the word like that gets under people’s skin, and is it possible we’re not giving the word as much credit as it deserves?
The Evolution of “Like”
The word like comes from the Old English word ‘gelic,’ which meant, ‘with the body of,’ and was essentially a way of saying ‘similar to.’ For example, something that was giraffe-like would be something ‘with the body of a giraffe’ – namely, something tall and therefore ‘similar to a giraffe.’ Over time, ‘gelic’ shortened to ‘lic,’ which eventually took on its modern form, ‘like.’ Like was then used for a long time as a sort of adjective add-on, meaning that you could slap it behind an adjective, as in slow-like, strange-like, or angry-like, and it gave whatever you were describing the quality of that adjective. Though this formulation can still occasionally be found in colloquial modern English, the like add-on eventually modified into its own suffix: -ly. So now, instead of saying slow-like, strange-like, or angry-like, we say slowly, strangely, and angrily.
Because we tend to relate like to its historical definition – similar to – young people’s frequent use of the word can easily begin to look like overkill. Is it really necessary, after all, to say that something is like another thing instead of just saying what something is? Those who constantly use comparisons and approximations, some might reason, must do so because they are afraid of speaking definitively, either because they lack confidence or because they lack intelligence. Or maybe they’re using the word as a constant filler: a signal that they need more time to formulate a thought as they go, similar to words like “uh” and “um,” because they can’t think quickly on their feet. But since the word like is a common feature of the language for most young people, does that mean that they’re all harboring some sort of mysteriously potent inferiority complex? Before we start making sweeping generalizations about half of the American population, might it not make a little more sense to examine the way like itself has evolved over the past few years?
It’s, Like, Complicated
In reality, like is one of the most complex and versatile words in the English language. It can be used as a noun, verb, preposition, adjective, conjunction, adverb, hedge, intensifier, quotative, and finally, as a filler.
The first six uses listed are not quite as modern as the following four and therefore tend to be more widely recognized as the kinds of likes that don’t ‘grate the ears.’ We have:
-
- like used as a noun, as in “She has many likes and dislikes”
- as a verb, as in “I like green grapes”
- as a preposition used in comparisons, as in “Her pink sweater is just like mine”
- as an adjective, as in “The two were of like mind”
- as a conjunction, as in “He looks like he’s having fun” (although some prescriptivists dispute this usage, arguing that ‘as if,’ or ‘as’ should be used instead)
- as a colloquial adverb used in the construction be + like + infinitive, which dates back many hundreds of years, and is currently only used in a few dialects of American English. An example would be, “he was like to go mad,” wherein like means ‘likely to, ready to, or on the verge of.’
Already used in such a wide variety of ways, it isn’t all that surprising that modern English has continued to diversify the uses of like. Let’s look back at the example from the beginning.
Like as a Hedge
In the first sentence, like presents as a hedge. A hedge is a mitigating word, meaning that it is used to lessen the impact of the utterance to follow. This is the way that most people tend to think of like: as a softener or an approximator. The reality, though, is that most of the time when like is used as a hedge it’s done so intentionally, as a way of being polite, especially when delivering negative news. If you invite someone to a party, for example, and they respond, “Sorry, I’m tired,” it sounds harsher than if they say, “Sorry, I’m just like really tired.” This is true because the like here acknowledges the discomfort in the situation and softens the blow to come.
Similarly, like as a hedge can be used to suggest that what follows is an exaggeration, as in the sentence, “Yesterday was, like, the worst day of my life.” The use of like here indicates to us that yesterday was not actually the worst day of Speaker A’s life because it softens the phrase that follows by marking it as exaggeration. In fact, without the word like here, the sentence would be taken at face value, and Speaker B would probably expect Speaker A to elaborate about a death in the family or coming home to a burnt down house rather than going on to tell a humorous anecdote.
The final sentence of this paragraph, “I, like, died when I saw them,” is also a hedge, this time showing that the phrase that follows is to be taken metaphorically or as hyperbole – the speaker, of course, did not actually die upon seeing the mice.
Liking Intensifies
In Speaker A’s second sentence, the problem with the theory of like as a symptom of youthful hesitancy is really brought out into the light. After all, Speaker A seems to be telling a story with zeal and vividness, not hesitation. The like in “I was, like, so hungry,” isn’t there to show approximation or uncertainty, but rather to intensify and underline the speakers point: in other words, Speaker A was really, really hungry. Speaker B’s response mirrors Speaker A’s usage with another intensifying like. Again, “that’s, like, so gross,” could be rewritten as “that’s extremely gross.”
Jumping back to when Speaker A says, “there was, like, a whole family of mice inside,” like as intensifier takes on even greater complexity. Here, the speaker is not only underlining the utterance to follow, but also acknowledging the speaker’s counter-expectation. It’s as if, just by inserting one little word, Speaker A is now saying, “there was, contrary to what you might believe because it’s so shocking, a whole family of mice inside.”
Like as a Quotative
In the last sentence, Speaker A uses like as a quotative to introduce a quotation. Though some people might object to this usage, suggesting Speaker A should have said, “when I told my wife, she said,” rather than, “when I told my wife, she was like,” the quotative like here is more accurate, because it implicitly acknowledges that what follows is not an exact quote, but rather an approximation of what was said.
Notice I didn’t provide an example of the last use of like – a filler – from the above conversation. That’s because even though to a casual observer they all might have looked like fillers, none were. So, what can we conclude from all of this? I’d say the most obvious takeaway is that like, contrary to popular belief, is a complex and rich word representative of the incredible range of nuance that is accessible to us in modern English. Far from exposing its users as unintelligent, overly self-conscious, or slow to formulate thoughts, one could argue that it shows them to be masters of the English language, capable of intuitively producing like in all its varied permutations while seamlessly digesting and responding to its diverse effects on meaning and tone.
Janet Barrow writes about the places where language meets history, culture, and politics. She studied Written Arts at Bard College, and has fiction work forthcoming in Easy Street. Recently, she completed a diploma in medical interpreting. Raised in Minnesota, she currently lives in Lima, Peru.
For more information on language training, visit https://www.altalang.com/language-training/
Often times, when we are writing or speaking, we will come to a point when we may be stuck. In order to give ourselves more time to think of the right word to use or a better word, we use a crutch word.
The words are also used as a way to try to bring more attention to our statement or emphasize the sentence. These 10 crutch words to avoid using when either speaking or writing the English language are the most commonly used incorrectly.
Not taking the time to notice them and avoid using them can become habit forming. Before you know it, you may begin to use the words so much, that they become verbal tics at an unconscious level.
Basically –
Too many people – especially when speaking – use the word basically too often. And incorrectly, for that matter. Basically can be either used to summarize the most important aspects of a statement. It can also be used to emphasize confidence, honesty and simplicity. The problem for many people who use basically too often is that they use it as a way to make their statement stronger. Or to accentuate finality or assurance in their statement. In most cases, things are far from being simple in order to require using basically.
Example: So basically I told him to decide which one of us he would take to the prom.
You should also take a look at The Correct Way On Using Bi, By, Buy And Bye
Like –
The word Like is often used incorrectly by people when speaking and when they are writing. When the time comes for people to wrongly use the word Like, it even becomes repetitive. This is especially a problem with many young teens today. They continually try to use the word, to signal that what they are referring to, was ‘like’ that thing. But when something is ‘like’ what you are trying to describe, it is NOT that. Find other words to emphasize your idea better.
Example: I was like really angry at first. But then, I calmed down.
Actually –
A large majority of students, speakers or writers rely on the word actually to try and actually state what they mean. The word is supposed to be used in order to point to something that is truly there. However, the vast majority used it to make their statement stronger, or to add more punch to their sentence. Some even use the word at the very beginning of their sentence, which is actually incorrect.
Example: The teacher was saying something but I actually had no idea what it was.
Really –
The word Really is probably one of the most misused words in the English dictionary. Since we want to tell our audience that what we are referring to is ‘really’ great, we use it to emphasize that. But is it really necessary to use really that often? In reality, it is not and you should avoid using it unnecessarily.
Example: They were having a really great time.
very –
When it came to the word Very, Mark Twain said best in this statement. “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” Too many writers use the word very as a crutch word to embolden their statement. So if someone was very interested in finding out the truth, there is no need to use ‘very to magnify that. Before you know it, you will be using the word very often to try and make your sentence very strong.
Example: He was very worried that she would say something wrong.
Literally –
Believe it or not, the word Literally is one of the most misplaced modifiers used by people. Literally is meant to signify something that occurs in the strictest sense of the word. However, most end up using it figuratively to accentuate something that is meant to be exaggerated. Just remember that the word literally means ‘actually, but without exaggeration.’
Example: I literally ate 7 hot dogs the other day.
Stuff/Things –
If you want your sentence or speech to demonstrate a lot of stuff or things, then you have to find better words. A significant amount of writers and speakers use things and stuff incorrectly, too frequently. When we use either of these words, we leave our readers wondering what the things or stuff actually are.
Example: There are so many things and stuff I want to do this weekend.
Honestly –
Once again, here is another word used too often by people to highlight their statement or sentences. The problem is that when you tell someone “I am honestly trying to make this better,” you end up leaving an opening. If you use honestly to say to the reader that the particular statement was true, then what does that say about the rest of your writing?
Example: Honestly, why he said those things are beyond me.
A lot –
The word A lot can become a crutch word for many people and they don’t even realize that they may be using it a lot. When you want to let someone know that a lot of what you are saying is good, then avoid being so vague. A lot can mean any kind of an amount if it doesn’t have context attached. While ‘a lot’ may seem like a significant high number to one person, it can mean very little to another.
Example: A lot of the people at the party left early.
Don’t miss reading about these Commonly Misused Words – Learn to Use Them Correctly
Obviously –
Just like the words ‘Actually’ and ‘Literally,’ the word obviously, is often misused by too many out there. It is supposed to refer to something or someone that is understood, easily seen or recognized. Instead, people use it to wrongly accentuate things that are not in truth, obvious.
Example: He obviously forgot how to say what he means.
“Like” is one of the most commonly used words in English – and when you’re new to learning the language, it can be a bit of a confusing one, as it has so many different meanings!
In fact – did you know that there are actually five different ways to use the word “like”? Phew! Sounds like hard work.
You might hear it a lot in everyday spoken English – especially as it has become very popular to use colloquially. But if you’re not sure on how to use this word correctly, then read on to find out.
Like – to enjoy
One of the most common ways that you’ll hear the word “like” is as a verb – “to like”.
This is a verb used to express the fact that you enjoy something, and it can be used just like many other verbs in English.
For example: “I like walking to work, but she liked to drive instead.”
Nice and simple!
Would like – to request something
“Like” can also be used as an alternative to the verb, “to want”, in a form that is considered less aggressive and demanding, and more polite. You would use the word with the modal verb, “would”, and you always need to use the full phrase “would like”.
For example: “She would like to place her order now.”
Be like – to describe the characteristics of something
This is when the uses of “like” start to get a bit more complex. In this use, the word is used to describe the personality, character or particular traits of something.
In this case it is used with the verb “to be”. If you are using it in the past tense, only the main part of the verb “to be” is changed, and the word “like” stays the same.
For example: “What was he really like?”
Like – as a simile
Developing from the previous use of the word, “like” is often used as a simile – or a comparison with something else, in order to describe something.
Sounds confusing? Let’s take a look at an example!
“The bedroom was like a disaster zone.”
In a simile, you still need to use the verb “to be” with the word “like”, but instead of describing the actual characteristics, you can use something else – which might be drastically different.
For example: “She was nervous and shaky, like a mouse.”
This is a great way of adding a bit more personality into your spoken English, but you would not use similes very often in written English, unless you are writing creatively.
Look like – describing appearances
The last common use of the word “like” is to describe experiences. This is done through the verb “to look like”. You can use this just as in the previous examples when you used the form “to be like”. In this case, the part of the phrase that changes according to tense and subject is “look”, while the word “like” stays the same.
For example: “I look like a really messy person, while she looks like a celebrity!”
Your turn
Understanding how the word “like” is used in different contexts and forms is a really helpful way to build on your English skills – make sure you practice each of the five uses as much as you can!