Recently, I read an article by a writer at the Huffington Post who defended over-using the word "like," and it "like" made me want to scream. The writer is one Madeleine Crum and the title of the article is, "It's Totally Okay To Say 'Like.'" Yes, it just gets better from there...
I'll focus on four paragraphs of Ms. Crum's article, all of which come toward the very end of it, where she starts by saying this:
"'Like' can serve two important, or at least forgivable, functions. The first is to allow a certain tentativeness to a spoken thought. Extroverts, like 'Valley girls,' are prone to thinking while they speak rather than before they speak, which means their language is more likely to include filler words, used while thoughts are being formed."
This is an "important," or at least "forgivable" function of the word "like?" For some reason, I'm not thinking public speaking professors would see things that way or the audience of a speech.
Student Alicia Clueless: "So, like, my speech today is like about like beaches, because I like like beaches and stuff, you know? I mean, who doesn't, right? For sure. So, like, anyway..."
Professor Debra Migraine: ::after the class:: "Excuse me, Alicia, could I speak to you for a moment?"
Alicia: "Like sure. What's up?"
Prof. Migraine: "Do you remember the lecture on space-fillers?"
Alicia: "Like yeah, for sure. Why?"
Prof. Migraine: "What were those words again?"
Alicia: "Like like, um, and like uh or something like that"
Prof. Migraine: "Exactly. Do you know how many times you said those words during your speech?"
Alicia: "Like no"
Prof. Migraine: "I counted these words 74 times, which has to be a record of some kind. I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to give you a failing grade on this speech, but am willing to work with you on this so you can improve for the next one."
Alicia: "Wait, like what? Like that's totally not fair! I'm like an extrovert and stuff, so I like like talk before I like think, you know? This is like racist against people who talk a lot or something!"
Prof. Migraine: "Well, since you put it like that, I'll pass you. That was very convincing. Well done, Alicia."
Alicia: "Like hell yeah!"
No, that's "like" never going to happen. Ms. Crum then continues her article with this:
"The second purpose is a hairier one to defend. A more deliberate use of 'like' is to intentionally insert it into a statement in order to soften the claim's blow -- sort of like a euphemism (again, as in, 'I, like, hate Mondays'). Adding 'like' to the statement 'I hate Mondays' nods to the claim's harshness and absurdity.
Like it or not, irony has become an 'ethos of our age.' On one hand, a lack of earnestness makes a speaker seem vapid -- they've nothing substantive to say, so they rely on sarcasm or ridicule. On the other hand, speaking and living with a healthy dose of irony is a way of conveying self-awareness. You can say that you 'like, love watching 'The Bachelor',' which is to say that you sincerely enjoy the show, but also know that it's a silly waste of time."
Wait a minute here... So, is Ms. Crum seriously trying to say that people whom overuse the word "like" often times do so with the intent of being deep and conveying several thoughts and feelings all at once, which provides a sense of ambiguity and mystery? I "like" find that very hard to believe.
As you were saying, Ms. Crum...
"Speaking this way could be interpreted as sardonic and lazy, but it's also a quick means of dictating two conflicting but coexistant viewpoints. It's easier to say 'I, like, hate Mondays' than to say 'I hate Mondays the way I hate meatloaf; both are minor annoyances that are difficult to stomach.' Speaking shouldn't be as ornate and time-consuming as writing. When it is, it comes across as canned or false (imagine saying the latter Monday analogy out loud to your coworkers). Vladmir Nabokov said, 'I think like a genius, I write like a distinguished author, and I speak like a child,' and there's something to this. Both writing and conversation are arguably more interesting when they involve dualities, but in writing, duality manifests itself as intricate wordplay, punning, or metaphor. In speaking, dual meaning often comes from colloquialisms, like 'like.'"
Ms. Crum, I'm sorry, but there is no dual meaning to someone saying, "I, like, hate Mondays." When a person says, "I, like, hate Mondays.," what they're simply saying is, "I hate Mondays, but for like some reason, I can't like seem to like stop myself from like saying the word 'like' every other word, so like yeah, I, like, hate Mondays." The writer then exaggerates to try and prove her point.
"It's easier to say 'I, like, hate Mondays' than to say 'I hate Mondays the way I hate meatloaf; both are minor annoyances that are difficult to stomach.'"
Yes, it is indeed easier to just say, "I, like, hate Mondays" than to say "I hate Mondays the way I hate meatloaf; both are minor annoyances that are difficult to stomach." Instead of saying either, though, how about just saying, "I hate Mondays more than almost anything" or "I wish I didn't hate Mondays so much!" The statements get their points across and without making the speaker sound like a character from the film Clueless.
Since Ms. Crum seems to have a far greater understanding of the complexity behind the word "like" than anyone else, here's how I'd see her interpret the following statements:
Justin Beaver: "It's like a million degrees outside!"
Ms. Crum's translation: "It's really hot, but that fine chick on The Weather Channel isn't on until late tonight, so I'm not going to check it out right now."
Shawniqua St. Cloud: "It's like 5:30."
Ms. Crum's translation: "I checked my watch, but it's not digital, so I think it's around 5:30, but am not sure."
Barry Mammaho: "I like did Priscilla last night."
Ms. Crum's translation: "I can't remember if I did Priscilla or not last night. It was dark, we were drunk, but we were on the same bed, so it might have happened."
Heidi Swankerton: "I like really like Trevor."
Ms. Crum's translation: "I like Trevor a lot, but still don't know if I want him to do me in the butt."
Leonard Nerdz: "I like math."
Ms. Crum's translation: "I have no translation. I actually like don't understand this statement."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/madeleine-crum/in-defense-of-like_b_4214943.html
I'll focus on four paragraphs of Ms. Crum's article, all of which come toward the very end of it, where she starts by saying this:
"'Like' can serve two important, or at least forgivable, functions. The first is to allow a certain tentativeness to a spoken thought. Extroverts, like 'Valley girls,' are prone to thinking while they speak rather than before they speak, which means their language is more likely to include filler words, used while thoughts are being formed."
This is an "important," or at least "forgivable" function of the word "like?" For some reason, I'm not thinking public speaking professors would see things that way or the audience of a speech.
Student Alicia Clueless: "So, like, my speech today is like about like beaches, because I like like beaches and stuff, you know? I mean, who doesn't, right? For sure. So, like, anyway..."
Professor Debra Migraine: ::after the class:: "Excuse me, Alicia, could I speak to you for a moment?"
Alicia: "Like sure. What's up?"
Prof. Migraine: "Do you remember the lecture on space-fillers?"
Alicia: "Like yeah, for sure. Why?"
Prof. Migraine: "What were those words again?"
Alicia: "Like like, um, and like uh or something like that"
Prof. Migraine: "Exactly. Do you know how many times you said those words during your speech?"
Alicia: "Like no"
Prof. Migraine: "I counted these words 74 times, which has to be a record of some kind. I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to give you a failing grade on this speech, but am willing to work with you on this so you can improve for the next one."
Alicia: "Wait, like what? Like that's totally not fair! I'm like an extrovert and stuff, so I like like talk before I like think, you know? This is like racist against people who talk a lot or something!"
Prof. Migraine: "Well, since you put it like that, I'll pass you. That was very convincing. Well done, Alicia."
Alicia: "Like hell yeah!"
No, that's "like" never going to happen. Ms. Crum then continues her article with this:
"The second purpose is a hairier one to defend. A more deliberate use of 'like' is to intentionally insert it into a statement in order to soften the claim's blow -- sort of like a euphemism (again, as in, 'I, like, hate Mondays'). Adding 'like' to the statement 'I hate Mondays' nods to the claim's harshness and absurdity.
Like it or not, irony has become an 'ethos of our age.' On one hand, a lack of earnestness makes a speaker seem vapid -- they've nothing substantive to say, so they rely on sarcasm or ridicule. On the other hand, speaking and living with a healthy dose of irony is a way of conveying self-awareness. You can say that you 'like, love watching 'The Bachelor',' which is to say that you sincerely enjoy the show, but also know that it's a silly waste of time."
Wait a minute here... So, is Ms. Crum seriously trying to say that people whom overuse the word "like" often times do so with the intent of being deep and conveying several thoughts and feelings all at once, which provides a sense of ambiguity and mystery? I "like" find that very hard to believe.
As you were saying, Ms. Crum...
"Speaking this way could be interpreted as sardonic and lazy, but it's also a quick means of dictating two conflicting but coexistant viewpoints. It's easier to say 'I, like, hate Mondays' than to say 'I hate Mondays the way I hate meatloaf; both are minor annoyances that are difficult to stomach.' Speaking shouldn't be as ornate and time-consuming as writing. When it is, it comes across as canned or false (imagine saying the latter Monday analogy out loud to your coworkers). Vladmir Nabokov said, 'I think like a genius, I write like a distinguished author, and I speak like a child,' and there's something to this. Both writing and conversation are arguably more interesting when they involve dualities, but in writing, duality manifests itself as intricate wordplay, punning, or metaphor. In speaking, dual meaning often comes from colloquialisms, like 'like.'"
Ms. Crum, I'm sorry, but there is no dual meaning to someone saying, "I, like, hate Mondays." When a person says, "I, like, hate Mondays.," what they're simply saying is, "I hate Mondays, but for like some reason, I can't like seem to like stop myself from like saying the word 'like' every other word, so like yeah, I, like, hate Mondays." The writer then exaggerates to try and prove her point.
"It's easier to say 'I, like, hate Mondays' than to say 'I hate Mondays the way I hate meatloaf; both are minor annoyances that are difficult to stomach.'"
Yes, it is indeed easier to just say, "I, like, hate Mondays" than to say "I hate Mondays the way I hate meatloaf; both are minor annoyances that are difficult to stomach." Instead of saying either, though, how about just saying, "I hate Mondays more than almost anything" or "I wish I didn't hate Mondays so much!" The statements get their points across and without making the speaker sound like a character from the film Clueless.
Since Ms. Crum seems to have a far greater understanding of the complexity behind the word "like" than anyone else, here's how I'd see her interpret the following statements:
Justin Beaver: "It's like a million degrees outside!"
Ms. Crum's translation: "It's really hot, but that fine chick on The Weather Channel isn't on until late tonight, so I'm not going to check it out right now."
Shawniqua St. Cloud: "It's like 5:30."
Ms. Crum's translation: "I checked my watch, but it's not digital, so I think it's around 5:30, but am not sure."
Barry Mammaho: "I like did Priscilla last night."
Ms. Crum's translation: "I can't remember if I did Priscilla or not last night. It was dark, we were drunk, but we were on the same bed, so it might have happened."
Heidi Swankerton: "I like really like Trevor."
Ms. Crum's translation: "I like Trevor a lot, but still don't know if I want him to do me in the butt."
Leonard Nerdz: "I like math."
Ms. Crum's translation: "I have no translation. I actually like don't understand this statement."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/madeleine-crum/in-defense-of-like_b_4214943.html
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