Overuse of the word like.....

Adam · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:45

This has annoyed me for a while and I really do pick up on it. The worst are conversations which explain a conversation:

"So I was like...."
"They were like...."
"I was like...."

It seems as if it's particularly common with younger people but I have also noticed some intelligent and well educated people using the word in situations where it makes absolutely no sense. It seems as if it's become a fashionable filler word.

Does this annoy anyone else or am I alone? :confused:

Hopefully it won't be one of those irritations that you notice more after reading this thread

Cosimo · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:47

I find it really annoying like.

Jokester · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:47

As far as I was aware like is a filler word.

I overuse basically when I'm explaining things, does my head in.

bloodiedathame · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:49

In conversation it's replaced the pause 'umm' and taken it to a new level of brainfade by people writing it!

Strife212 · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:51

Don't you like it?

4T5 · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:51

One i hate is "I Swear Down" :confused:

+

Instant RAGE

arknor · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:52

seems like we hasve gone back in time around 10 years then if everyone is like yea like but like oh like yes i do like

buckeejit · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:52

Jokester said:
I overuse basically when I'm explaining things, does my head in.

I'm the same

arc@css · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:52

4T5 said:
One i hate is "I Swear Down" + Instant RAGE

Never heard of that one.

Monkeymatt · 6 Feb 2011 at 14:57

When I saw this thread, I was like, no way did you say that. I swear down I'm annoyed

bash247 · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:05

Jokester said:
I overuse basically when I'm explaining things, does my head in.

I do the same.

Pestilence · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:10

To be honest, I hate overuse of any particular words or phrases when people are talking. Constantly "I was, like, doing this thing, like, and then like this other thing happened and I was like, OMG", or the above mentioned "basically".

Also "know what I mean?" and "yeah?", eg. "I went down to the shop, yeah(?), and, like, there was this big sign for like 15% off, yeah(?), but it actually cost more than I could get it from here. So I thought, that was crap... dyaknowwadimean?"

*GRINDS TEETH*

J-FRO · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:14

If you ever watch an interview with Jermain Defoe you will hear him say "you know" every sentence.

Cosimo · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:16

4T5 said:
One i hate is "I Swear Down"

I swear to god that I’ve not heard that one before.

int · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:22

An unfortunate by-product of importing American TV shows.

Jingo... · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:22

I dislike it when I use the words 'basically' or 'like' when constructing the rest of a sentence.

As said, it's a 'filler' whilst thinking but a habit I'm trying to remove

elmuzzy66. · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:26

You should hear Russell Peters take on this

Valentino · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:26

Personally I find it strange anyone would care how someone speaks unless they couldn't understand it.

You clearly all think you speak perfect English, but if we took you back to Shakespeare's era you would be mightily out of place.

Tikkabhuna · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:28

Jokester said:
As far as I was aware like is a filler word.

I overuse basically when I'm explaining things, does my head in.

I do that too. I hate it when I catch myself saying it.

semi-pro waster · 6 Feb 2011 at 15:38

4T5 said:
One i hate is "I Swear Down" + Instant RAGE

What does it mean in context? I can't rage against it properly if I don't know what it means...

Valentino said:
Personally I find it strange anyone would care how someone speaks unless they couldn't understand it.

You clearly all think you speak perfect English, but if we took you back to Shakespeare's era you would be mightily out of place.

Maybe everyone who has posted does speak perfect English but I don't get the impression that's the point that's being made. When you notice someone overusing a phrase or an action then it can become all you notice about the message the person is trying to communicate - I've had lecturers where I've simply been counting the time between certain phrases being repeated rather than paying attention to what they're saying because they used them so frequently.