The Rampant Overuse of the Word "Like" is Making People Seem Stupid

Americans Have Been Reduced to Sounding "Like .... Um, Idiots"

David Bellm, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Sep 11, 2007 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

We've all heard it, but a lot of people don't pay any attention to it. The overuse of the word "like." Sure, this handy, age-old word has its place. Where would we be without such fine sentences as, "The shirt's color is like a lemon," or I'd like to go to a movie tonight"?

But instead, people are more inclined to use the word "like" in absurd demonstrations of stupidity such as, "When I told him, he got, like, mad," or "I want to get a car that's really, like, fast."

Okay, that's not so bad for junior high study hall. But the young abusers of this word have somehow, "like," graduated. And they're naturally bringing this latest idiotic verbal tick to the workplace. So now, instead of a compelling, articulate discussion of pressing business concerns, we hear such brilliant eloquence as, "I think this new ad campaign will really, like, advance the brand."

Nice. Maybe you could throw in a flourish of pom pons too -- just to, like, really make the point.

Of course this newest piece of verbal clatter is just the latest in a long line of idiot words that bulk up sentences and cut down people's ability to understand what you're saying. Before "like" came along, we had such classics as "you know," "well," and of course the king of dumb words, "Uh."

But the real danger of "like," is that it hasn't seemed to have replaced the old earmarks of stupidity and verbal uncertainty. Instead, it's been brought in as an addition to the previous idiot words. Listen to even some very respectable twenty-somethings discussing matters of importance and you could hear a gem such as, "Well, uh, he meant to make the report, like, really good, but, uh, he didn't have time."

Genius. Should be really something in 2040 or so when a Generation Y'er gets elected President of the U.S. -- "Well, the, uhhhh, real root of, um, war and terrorism is, like, hatred and stuff."

Now, don't get me wrong. I understand that people can't - and shouldn't - speak stilted, textbook-proper English in normal conversation. Those rare individuals who do usually sound exactly like pompous asses, whether they actually are or not. But it'd be nice if people today at least learned to turn off the slangy, dopey speech habits for important conversations. What's fine for chatting over lunch really won't fly in a job interview, professional presentation, or a meeting at work.

Maybe you say it doesn't matter, since your work colleagues are similar-aged people who toss just as many "likes" into the conversation as you do. But I'll bet your clients, your boss's boss, and other key members of your work environment are repulsed by the way many people use the word "like." Don't be surprised if they take it as a sign of flightiness, poor communication skills, and an uncertainty in your own thoughts.

Not exactly the stuff on which great careers are built.

I'd like to be optimistic for the next generation in this regard. But, sadly, the way we use our language will probably only get dumber. As I write this, I'm listening to two elementary-school teachers planning class activities. As they talk, one of them says, "It's very, like, challenging to pull that off."

With such examples in the classroom, we apparently have a long, "like," idiotic sounding future ahead of us.

Published by David Bellm

David Bellm is a veteran automotive writer, beginning in 1999 as a test driver and editor for one of the most respected new-car buying resources, Consumer Guide. In that position he evaluated and reviewed ca... View profile

The Rampant Overuse of the Word "Like" is Making People Seem Stupid

Americans Have Been Reduced to Sounding "Like .... Um, Idiots"

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