<p>What do you think of it? I'm not going to deny that it is an extremely handy filler word. It's just strange how much even the smartest people I know (i.e., people who derive equations for fun/make 100s on chemistry finals/took precalc practically in sixth grade) use it. Some of the people in my English class (honors, supposedly) use it atrociously, but they're all so oblivious to it. Think around eighty years ago. Or 50, or even 30. I'm pretty sure teenagers didn't use "like" the way they do now, and I bet they communicated just fine. It only required extra thinking on their part to express themselves effectively, without lazily throwing in a million "likes" . . . and that just proves my theory (actually, a lot of people's theory) that our generation is getting dumber, lazier, and far too liberal. Wait, screw the third one. I just like to throw that out there. :]</p>
<p>. . . Or maybe it means nothing. Maybe it just means that I don't feel like doing my APWH notes. >.<</p>
<p>Yep certain people in my classes use that as a filler word so often it drives me nuts. </p>
<p>In fact, sometimes my friends and I start counting how many times those people use filler words such as "like", "um", or "uh". And for some people we've counted up to 40-50 times in only about 30 seconds to a minute of talking lol.</p>
<p>I try really hard to not use filler words too often. I slip every once in a while but I usually catch myself.</p>
<p>I would personally rather hear "like" used than "umm" or especially "you know," because often times, I don't know. One of my teachers goes insane over that, yet I have not been corrected yet :). The weird thing is that our school is one of the top debate schools in the nation, yet our top debaters seem to use fillers more than the average person.</p>
<p>People have used "like" in that context for decades-it's not a reflection of one's intelligence, etc. I don't think our generation is "dumber"-it's more likely that humans, in general, just aren't all that smart (that's my theory, anyway).</p>
<p>I think like... um... that people... like the smart people you mentioned like to.. you know um... like saying incoherent um... words like... uh... "like". Like I think that liking "like" is not like a bad trait in itself... as like its a good um... filler for conversations like.. those that have uh... absolutely no liking for the likes of proper like expression like those commonly used in like daily speech.</p>
<p>Hahaahahahah I use the word like wayyy too much for my own good.
Once, I had to speak in a meeting (friendly kind of weekly meeting, not super serious) and my peers challenged me to stop saying like and it was impossible. I had to like pause for 5 seconds in between every four words or so and I still said like many times. so embarrassing ): ha.</p>
<p>Yeah, hearing people use "like" excessively is one of my bigger pet peeves. It's okay once in a while -- sometimes you need a pause to think out what you are going to say and that "like..." provides an ellipsis with which to do so -- but not like every like other word like.</p>
<p>I can't stand it. It drives me insane.
However, it's tolerable when you're in high school and below, maybe college. Once you reach age 25, the "like" needs to be dropped. </p>
<p>Sometimes I hear women in their forties speak like teenagers: "So then he, like, totally didn't clean his room. Like what the eff, hubbykins?!"</p>
<p>I've stopped using it as a filler word, for the most part. I used to use it so much earlier that my AP Stats teacher made another kid do 20 pushups each time I said it. Now, when thinking about what I'm going to say, I've mostly replaced it with brief pauses.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I think like... um... that people... like the smart people you mentioned like to.. you know um... like saying incoherent um... words like... uh... "like". Like I think that liking "like" is not like a bad trait in itself... as like its a good um... filler for conversations like.. those that have uh... absolutely no liking for the likes of proper like expression like those commonly used in like daily speech.
[/quote]
Lol, at least 9/10 kids in my Lit class speak this way... alkwelakwefaw!!!! And say "kind of" all the time.. blakwhar.</p>
<p>I use "like" to replace "said". He was like, blah, and she was like, omg rly???</p>
<p>My buzzword is "so", and my handy filler is to ask whatever I'm going to say in question form. So a presentation on cows. Why are cows so important anyway? etc. etc.</p>
<p>^reading jane austen and shakespeare apparently cures this "like" ailment..i've been so freaking formal for the past month that if frightens me.</p>
<p>I say like, like every other word. It drives me crazy, but sometimes when I'm talking to people I have to edit what I'm saying so it doesn't sound dumb. (lol I just had to go through and edit for likes :]])</p>
