When did people, like, start saying “like”?

[WiganNorthWest]

I, like, find myself saying ‘like’ quite a bit to, like, fill pauses when I’m talking, kinda like saying ‘um’. I don’t know many people under like age 20 but I know a lot of people in their twenties do this. Do you ever, like, catch yourself doing this (and how old are you?). Do you ever notice older people doing this-I don’t ? When did this way of speaking start? Do,like, young kids speak like this?

Same as Worra - I'm 51 & still do it if not concentrating - I think it's always been a thing (grew up east Mids).

At least I (and I think other people) no longer say 'know what I mean' on the end of every sentence.

I hardly notice it anymore. It’s so odd how language can change. I bet people from the past would think it was so weird if they heard us speak. It’s looks so strange written down and is really unnatural to write. Sometimes if I am aware of it and try to stop, sentences actually sound odd without it.

I wish it would stop. I find it, like, so annoying! Really. The word makes no sense unless you are saying something is like something else.

The eighties.

I really wish the under 40s would stop uptalk at the end of sentences though.

As long as I can remember! ( I’m mid 30s).

When I was a teenager and I'm 40 something. Same as rising inflection. I did it then and can't stand it now.

This has kinda like cheered me up.

My dad died suddenly on monday (was 62) and I remember a conversation we had maybe 15 years ago about how he "invented" saying like. So now you know.

He also had a plan to invent shortening M.O.T to mot, and then to m. So people would say "I've like got to take my car for an mmm..." that one didn't take off as well as like.

I stopped saying like when it was pointed out how much I use it in my early 20s (29 now) but maybe should start using it again!?!

Unless I was a very early adopter I think like became current a long while before uptalk/ rising inflection.

Wasn't the teenage girl in Harry Enfield sketches into saying Like all the time ? Vicky ?

Must have been early 90s

Vocal fry and upward inflection are so annoying.

I work with a lot of well to do graduates and the early 20s females are the worst for the upward inflection.

Vocal fry is just creepy.

Upward inflection started around 1987 with the huge popularity of Neighbours and then Home and Away too - it started as an Aussie import.

When did people start saying “so” at the start of every sentence.

@deste

When did people start saying “so” at the start of every sentence.

I've noticed a lot of people are also starting sentences with "I mean".

I find it most odd as that's something one normally says to explain something they've said already.

I'm 52 and drove my mother potty with "like" as a teen so certainly 1986ish no TV and certainly wasn't up to speed on slang so it must have already been like in common use then.

Yes stayathome. Same here.

I'm reminded of my dad asking what I thought I was saying!

The flout and flaunt mix up drives me potty nowadays!

@baubled OMG snap!! 😓

@Ingridla

about mid to late 90s, I think Friends or some other American show had something to do with it

My mother spanked me (with a wooden shcoll sandal) for saying it when I was around 10 years old, so at least 50 years.

Valley Girl speak from the 80s, not a recent thing at all

I'm 60, I can remember DM commenting on youngsters using 'like' as a 'filler', so that would have been in the 70s or possibly 60s.

I was bad for this 10 years ago. My trained me out of it. Whenever I'd say like he'd go "like what?" And wait for me to think of what to say. He was quite harsh with it but it was for the greater good. Never say it now

It was a thing at my secondary school in the 1980s.