Terminal inflection and the over use of 'like'

[Pennies]

so I'm (like) sitting on the (like) pisshead express from (like) kings cross and I'm (like) earwigging on the conversation of (like) two (like) twenty year old girls and (like) instead of using (like) full stops or commas? Well they're (like) either using "like" or terminal inflection? I mean (like) they sound well educated? And (like) I wonder how I can (like) stop my DDs talking in this (like) totally inane manner?

My brother (sort of) has a similar (sort of) affliction, and he (sort of) can't (sort of) speak without (sort of) adding superfluous words.

Drives me (sort of) nuts.

Ok just timed one of them and she used "like" 18 times in two minutes. Like. ?

I need to boil my head.

Ok just timed one of them and she used "like" 18 times in two minutes. Like. ?

I need to boil my head.

I have to admit I'm a terrible one for likes. But I use them instead of said, thought, etc. And I was like yeah, and she was like no, and I laughed and was like this isn't going anywhere, like.

(Just kidding with that last one).

I get so utterly infuriated with myself as I hear them spewing from my mouth. Really. I'm getting quite annoyed thinking about it now.

Surely on the pisshead express the usual frequently-inserted word is the one beginning with "f", isn't it? And it rhymes with "tucking".

Innit

Another one inserted willy-nilly is "right"; it is also terminally inflected!

Is it.

• It was really difficult
• Is it
• I was terrified
• Is it

(rams long skewers into ears)

I basically used to go out with a bloke who, basically, said "basically" a lot.

The outcome (basically), was that, basically, he didn't last.

Have you noticed that terminal inflection (or what a friend calls 'the moronic interrogative') has started to seep into writing styles?

I often notice posts (here and elsewhere) where simple declarative statements have a question mark at the end, frequently in combination with an exclamation mark. For example:

I've been invited to a wedding without the children?! And it's about an hour's drive from where I live??

My son's going in for surgery on an undescended testicle!?

Well, is he or isn't he?