AIBU to detest kids saying 'like' 4 times per sentence?

[Snidpan]

or to put it into youth speak:
"Like: when do - like - kids, stop like...saying "like", you know, 4 times per, like, sentence?"

When do they, like, grow out of it?

I agree like is annoying and also obviously 'I like went to the shop and obviously like bought milk'

How is it obvious?

I did a study about this at university (I know, nerd) specifically about like as a quotative (i.e "I was like") as opposed to it being used at a filler, hedge, or approximater - which I think it's a combination of habit/fashion and lack on confidence in what one is saying.

It was only a pilot study but I think the results suggested "I was like, he was like, she was like" is a combination of convenience (e.g very quick and easy, all-purpose quotative when your goal is to report speech quickly and absolutely clarity isn't a concern) and shifting meaning to suit the teller's agenda. I found the latter really interesting: it basically means if you're telling a story and you want to tweak what actually happened to make the story more interesting, or shift accountability for something towards or away from one speaker or the other, it's very handy because of how non-specific it is. If the police were taking a statement from you, they wouldn't settle for "and the he was like blah blah blah", they'd ask "what did he actually say?".

It's interesting as a linguist because these things always happen for a reason and it's fun finding it out but on the other hand there are loads of super words that like will edge out even further. Perhaps I'll make an effort to say that someone "exclaimed" something today Also with my super objective linguist head on you could argue that if one language item does the job of so many others maybe the language vocabulary is too big to be practically useful anyway. Boring lecture over!!

My 23 year old, very intelligent, communicative son peppers every sentence with like.

Sometimes I just mirror his speech and answer him with my own likes liberally sprinkled into my chat. It takes a while for him to click, then we both have a laugh about it, he rolls his eyes and then the rest of the chat continues with fewer likes.

It's an annoying habit as I sometimes find myself focussing on the number of likes used rather than what he is saying. Which, in turn, must drive him mad!

Actual announcement over the tannoy at our local co op this morning.

“So this is, like, your customer service announcement...”

@Hangingover but how does peppering ‘like’ in your sentences makes things ‘quick and easy’ or ‘shift accountability’?

I think people use ‘like’ in the same way as those who start sentences with ‘basically’, ‘essentially’, ‘so’ or ‘at the end of the day’ - they’re all buying themselves time to formulate what they want to say.

Every generation has its verbal foibles. They'll (mostly) grow out of it. It is a bit annoying though. I love (non-offensive) teen slang though. It amuses me to use it back to my teenagers (who only use it 'ironically' apparently). "You good, fam?".

I used to say "right" and "yea" several times in a sentence. My step-dad used to answer with "left" and "no"

No, you like totally like right about this.

My current gear grinding linguistic tic is people who start sentences with ‘No’ & then go on to agree with the previous speaker or statement.
Not even BBC R4 - like once the nation’s repository of like well spoken English & journalistic excellence, like the best evah - is free of this illogical reflex.

My speech is liberally peppered with like and sort of and I wish it wasn't. I catch myself doing it, but by then it's too late. I tend to do it far more when I'm nervous, and those are generally the times when you want to make a good impression, not come across as inarticulate. It's frustrating!

but how does peppering ‘like’ in your sentences makes things ‘quick and easy’ or ‘shift accountability’?

I wondered that too. Those are very interesting findings, but I would have thought that 'he said, she said' would suffice for speed and clarity, wouldn't it? Authors are sometimes criticised for using 'said' all the time instead of varying it with 'she retorted, he replied, they exclaimed, he ejaculated* etc.', but in ephemeral everyday speech, it's simple and does the job.... innit?

*that one might be slightly dated now, and possibly miscontrued, granted....

I get the rage with Johnson's (and many others) inability to pronounce the word "to", preferring the abridged version - t'

He has some odd verbal tics, but what I find oddest is the way he puts emphasis on random words and paces his phrasing as though he's sort of taking a run up at the end of each clause.

Very odd. I'm going to try and perfect a Johnson impersonation, so I've been studying him quite a bit.

They do eventually grow out of it

I'm not sure they do, so many adults are incapable of constructing a coherent sentence without like, um, err, y'er know etc.

Don't get me started on people who answer a question with So.... if it were an interview situation and they didn that they would be crossed off the list straightaway!

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

I know I am very childish, but like the sensible friend in the Maleficent costume post upthread, I am always so tempted to jump right in and sing 'Briiiiiiiight eyes!' at the top of my voice whenever somebody invokes an unnecessary 'turned around' - every single time they do it

I will join you. We could start a movement.

DH and I combat our eight year old’s use of like by shouting ‘LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE!’ with the same inflection as the seagulls in Finding Nemo saying ‘MINE MINE MINE MINE’ etc. It doesn’t actually stop him saying ‘like’ every three words, but he’s so embarrassed by us he pretends not to know us and stops talking.

innits

They are holiday makers in the West Country

Innit that view good
In it lovely down here
Innit the food good

Aren't they emmets?!

@Ilen

DH and I combat our eight year old’s use of like by shouting ‘LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE!’ with the same inflection as the seagulls in Finding Nemo saying ‘MINE MINE MINE MINE’ etc. It doesn’t actually stop him saying ‘like’ every three words, but he’s so embarrassed by us he pretends not to know us and stops talking.

Jesus that sounds insufferable!

Recently, while we were away on holiday, I offered my 14 year old £10 a day with the proviso that I would deduct fifty pence every time I heard her use the word "like" in this way. It cost me £60, but now she no longer uses "like" as punctuation, which, in my opinion, is a very good deal.

I do this. I'm 29. I dont know how much I do it because obviously when you try and count, you don't speak naturally so it happens more or less. I should get someone to count but I expect I do it a lot.

I am well educated and have a professional career, so it's not as if it has held me back. I suspect I dont do it as much when I'm at work etc. and thinking harder about what in I'm saying.

It like "er" or "um" for me. Like a thinking gap in a sentence.

@Hangingover

I did a study about this at university (I know, nerd) specifically about like as a quotative (i.e "I was like") as opposed to it being used at a filler, hedge, or approximater - which I think it's a combination of habit/fashion and lack on confidence in what one is saying.

It was only a pilot study but I think the results suggested "I was like, he was like, she was like" is a combination of convenience (e.g very quick and easy, all-purpose quotative when your goal is to report speech quickly and absolutely clarity isn't a concern) and shifting meaning to suit the teller's agenda. I found the latter really interesting: it basically means if you're telling a story and you want to tweak what actually happened to make the story more interesting, or shift accountability for something towards or away from one speaker or the other, it's very handy because of how non-specific it is. If the police were taking a statement from you, they wouldn't settle for "and the he was like blah blah blah", they'd ask "what did he actually say?".

It's interesting as a linguist because these things always happen for a reason and it's fun finding it out but on the other hand there are loads of super words that like will edge out even further. Perhaps I'll make an effort to say that someone "exclaimed" something today Also with my super objective linguist head on you could argue that if one language item does the job of so many others maybe the language vocabulary is too big to be practically useful anyway. Boring lecture over!!

That is interesting. My daughter is 3.5 and learning how language works. She narrates her imaginary stories with her little playmobil saying things like "come over here, he exclaimed", "no! She growled" and it sounds really funny because, although we use those words in writing they're hardly ever used in every day speech.

@Ilen

DH and I combat our eight year old’s use of like by shouting ‘LIKE LIKE LIKE LIKE!’ with the same inflection as the seagulls in Finding Nemo saying ‘MINE MINE MINE MINE’ etc. It doesn’t actually stop him saying ‘like’ every three words, but he’s so embarrassed by us he pretends not to know us and stops talking.

That sounds hideous. Your poor child. And it doesnt even work!

I just find it interesting. I don't like the way so many people have this contempt for the way others communicate. It's all valid!

Not trying to be funny but you sound just like my parents. They constantly picked on any turn of phrase or idiom that they considered common. It was like I was constantly auditioning for a 1950's BBC announcer. In the end I just stopped talking to them about my day-to-day stuff and kept it simple. Just as well they didn't know what I was up to in grandads boat house with my BF. Always put a grin on my face , in more ways than one. Ah, happy days. Life was just one mad fumble to get your bra back on in a hurry.

@Hangingover

That’s very interesting. Using “like” instead of “said” (or exclaimed! 🤣) is exactly what my 14 year does and it drives me crazy! “She was like .... then I was like....” etc. Unfortunately, I sometimes find myself correcting her instead of really listening to what she’s saying but I’m just trying to break the habit!

KitKatastrophe. Cultivate that! She sounds like she'll be a good writer in the future!