“Well she was like he’s being like such an idiot. And then like I left and went to a movie like with my other friends. I like really like him but I can’t like handle this.”
Ouch! Are your ears burning too? This was the extent of a conversation I happened to overhear recently on campus. Our generation must break this terrible habit.
When a classmate starts adding “like” between every other word I become distracted and can’t even pay attention to what they are actually saying because their way of speech is so distracting.
Ashley Gunter, an SMU senior, recently counted a fellow classmate using the word “like” over 60 times during a speech. C’mon! Do you want to go to a job interview and sound like a middle school valley girl? No one is going to hire someone that can’t express themselves without using “like” every other sentence, let alone every other word.
Granted, there are appropriate uses for this word: the statement “I like ice cream,” for example. “The game was like a battle between good and evil,” or the simile, “it was like a synthetic type of material,” description. We cannot, however, use “like” for “…like describing like what she was like wearing or like how I like totally didn’t see the like last Grey’s Anatomy Episode”.
And ladies, we all know this isn’t really a guy problem, but one prevalent among our gender and our generation. Believe me, this observation isn’t coming from an outsider. I was at one time very afflicted with using the word “like”. When I was in middle school my mother used to charge me ten cents every time I said “like” out of context. The money added up exceptionally fast and I kicked that habit, only after losing much of my allowance.
While I might not be the most eloquent speaker, I feel prepared to enter the business world knowing I can carry on a conversation without sounding unintelligent…and yes, when you use “like” all the time you sound dumb.
My advice? Every time you use the word “like” inappropriately and you or a friend catches it, fine yourself a dollar. Put the money in a jar and save up for something you will reward yourself with when you have been distanced from this illustrious habit.
Katie Leonard is a senior advertising major. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].
