The use of “like” on FaceBook is perfectly acceptable to me. Hee hee. Using it in any other ways (aside from proper grammar) is just plain irritating though!

Like all are acceptable and like none should be discouraged.

Hehe! Like is like tottally awsome so like respect the like like. Like thanks!

“Like” should only like be used like as a preposition or like as a verb. Like like should not like be used like any other kind of like type of speech. Like like is so over like used like today, regardless of like how much it was like used like years ago or even like when it was like used. Like like should never be like used more than like once in a like sentence unless it is like used as one of the like afore like mentioned. Like my initial like entry on like Facebook was like way too long, so like I had to like split it like in two. I wanted to like put it like all up at like once, but like FB like told me that like my entry was like 467 characters and I like only could like use like 420 characters.

[...] ‘Like’ — we love — as most humans do, like an addict needs a fix. — Like, who do ya [...]

Well I think it is bad in terms of grammer, it means you’re thinking while you’re speaking when you use -like-. Like, don’t you get it?
LOL

It is acceptable in some places, but when a person speech is littered with it “I’m like, ‘Whatever’ and then he’s like, ‘Fine’ and then she’s like, ‘Sure’ and then it’s like ‘What do we do?’” That gets irritating. If you throw in a lot of “you know,” then I ususally zone out on what the person’s saying and start counting all the “like” and “you know.”

when you stated, “The notorius usage of “like””, i do believe you made a typo. ‘Notorius’ should have read, ‘Notorious’. am i correct (if not, bold) in pointing that out?

I find myself using “like” or “was like” in the place of “say” or “said.” For example, “I was like, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’” It sounds very middle school-ish, and since I’ve been saying it that way since around middle school, it’s so ingrained, that I know I say it all the time without realizing it. I cringe when I do manage to catch myself saying it, but it takes a conscious effort to say it correctly, and it only lasts for a few minutes before I’m right back to using “like.” It irritates me that I sound so juvenile, but short of having a shock collar that goes off when I do it, I’m not sure how to fix it permanently.

‘like’ is used when your not completley sure, or when something is ’sora’

If you look at research studies on the use of ‘like’ there is some evidence to suggest that the Valley Girl movie had an impact on its popularity today. (For instance, people who were 30 years old and younger were significantly more likely to use ‘like’ and these 30 year olds were teenagers at the time of ‘Valley Girl’). In addition, a Linguist would most likely not contend that a particular usage of a word was ‘wrong’ or ‘used where it doesn’t belong’, especially if it was used systematically in the language. It’s simply different than how it was used in the past but language change is an inevitable feature of language. There likely should be less stigma in the use of ‘like’ given its popularity and perceived acceptance, however this is not the case. Good message, thank you for your post.

I like loved this like article. Like who knew there was a history behind like? I mean like are you for real. I like thought it was oly us like teenagers who said like. Wow! Like wow suprise suprise!! Like how freakin unbelievable

I ,like, totally agree with Tim!

yea, like, seriously, it’s fine to like say the word ‘like’ whenever you feel it fits the sentence…

like i like always like use like!!

I’m so guilty of using like in the wrong way….. my mom always tells me to stop

I am 16 and far from a ‘snob’ and I use it daily and at least five times a sentence. It’s so habitual, I don’t even, like, notice it! Everyone of my peers does to, from gangsters to rockers, etc.

Yea i have to agree with monica lol, i like the like on face book.

I like that like the word like is like really like , you know like cool word. I like use it like all the time like really. My friends use like like all the time to. Like is like is just a commonly like used word. Like tell me you don’t use like and like you’ll be like lying to me. Hee Hee. Lol : )

NO matter how this word appeal in there end for me this is still acceptable and can be use anywhere..

sure it’s acceptable–but as teens, we over-use ‘like’ as a filler–i’ve found myself saying “like, yeah, but like, i’m mean it’s like,” and then i want to slap myself because i’m annoying myself.

Shaggy misuses that word alot.

“…a cartoon in the “New Yorker” that depicts two *woman* discussing a man’s workspace…”

It ought to have been “women.” Noted. Thanks.

Its a stalling tactic, it gives your head an extra second to string your thoughts together for proper expulsion while keeping your momentum so you dont trip over your tongue, similar to “Uh”s and “Umm”s.

Its like, like idling your car. Effectivly its just hot air and some people get all offended over the exhaust, but on a cold morning it really really helps.

Any form of “like” should be acceptable. Not in formal writing or speech, of course. Crossing the line occurs when, just like the famous F-word, it is used more than once per sentence (unit of thought.) Then it’s just downright vulgar. (Can you imagine a day when “like” is just as bad as the F-word? I’m tickled just thinking about it!)

[...] go Kapow. — And none of them needed US or U. — Take the cue, — fit the shoe, like we do and leave our Gramma alone. –>>Rupert L.T.Rhyme — A Q-Tip maybe, Oui? –JJ [...]

I use the word “like” EVERY SINGLE. DAY!!!!!!
I really need to stop!

idc if people use the word like or not. if they choose to say like for every other word, than that’s them.

I love this. A couple of weeks ago I challenged my friends to go a day without using “like” as a slang injection. They had failed within the first two hours, but are now aware of how often they use “like.”

I love your website. I think you make a point here. “Like” is a very vague word to me. If you use it like this: I was like no way. I think its unnecessary and it’s just too wordy.

likee, really

As long as you are happy with your understanding of what was said, the official correctness of what was said (in short, grammar) doesn’t really matter.

Actually, “like” sounds just as appropriate as “uh” when you’re searching for the next word in your sentence. Either can become annoying. (I must confess, I’ve scattered some “uh’s” through my conversations during my 75 years.)

Krista, I think you meant “as a slang interjection”, not “injection”. That would be an entirely different issue cause for concern!

I don’t, like, mind it as long as, like, the punctuation is all, like, correct and stuff.

To say something is “like” something else implies a comparison, even if the subject of the sentence is the latter object and there is no object being compared. My inner grammar police only blare the sirens when I hear it used as an empty comparison — “This was, like, totally unfair.” Oh, it was only LIKE it was unfair? It wasn’t actually unfair? Well, okay then.

Of course, ANY word quickly loses its appeal if used repetitively, and “like” has a tendency to occur some sixty to eighty times in the average two minute conversation with some girls in this area — and believe it or not, it’s not southern California and these aren’t valley girls we’re talking about. “No, like, she was like, ‘That’s so totally like messed up,’ and I was like, ‘Gee, Tonya, like, that’s so, like, totally like right. Like really!’ ”

*Whoop whoop* PULL OVER THE VEHICLE. DO NOT PERSIST IN THIS CONVERSATION. ANYTHING YOU SAY WILL MOST DEFINITELY BE HELD AGAINST YOU.

Like is fine with me!

The misuse of the word “like” is one of my worst pet peeves. “I think the guitar is so, like, overused” is an example of a sentence misusing the word “like”. “Like many people, I can play a musical instrument” is an example of the proper use of “like”. Another good use for “like” is “I like you”.

To me, improper and frequent use of the word “like” in daily speech signals a couple of things: First, it demonstrates difficulty with accurately expressing one’s thoughts in words – a common problem. Second, it demonstrates difficulty with LISTENING – to others as well as to oneself, which is also a common problem. My advice to anyone who uses the word to the point that it irritates and distracts those of us without that habit is to speak less and listen more. After all, we have two ears and one mouth. Our listening versus speaking ratio should ideally be the same.

Hah! When I was a kid my mother cautioned against using ‘like’ instead of ‘as.’ There was much discussion over the cigarette ad which proclaimed “Winston tastes good, like a cigarette should.” Language changes. Ya can’t stop it.

Like should not be used unless it’s usage is in a simile or it could be replaced with the word approxiamately. (unless it’s used as a noun) I rest my case!!!!!

Even though all of the cited uses of “like” have become commonplace, I still find myself cringing when I hear a supposedly educated adult say, “And I was like…..”
To me, it’s the linguistic equivalent of wearing sneakers with a business suit.

This use of “like” is a sign of insecurity in one’s own communication ability. If you mentally replace it with “something to the effect of…” each time it’s used, you’ll get the intent. It’s used by people who lack confidence in their communication skills, or don’t want to appear in front of their peers that they have a greater vocabulary than the “gang”. That’s, like, the gist of it.

[...] artykuł: The truth behind one of the most disliked phrases in English | The … and-interjection-, and-which, are-acceptable, you-think This entry was posted on lut 17th, [...]

It’s no big deal. I think interjections are fine. After all, “hello” is also an interjection, why doesn’t anyone object to it?

I have a friend who frequently speaks in simile. It’s like, really annoying.

once when i was in the 5th grade this kid whos name i can’t recall couldn;t go one sentence without saying “like”

Ha ha… this is funny because my friend and I like, just had a contest today where we could see like, how many times we could use “like” in a sentence. We were like “Like is like, so fun to like, say because like, it’s like, cool and like, stuff.”

While I am personally aggravated by constant use of the word like, there are certain circumstances where I can understand its use. When people are only interjecting like because they aren’t sure enough of their speech to continue fluidly, I will admit I grow quite irritated, quite quickly.

However, the one acceptable use of the word like– apart from the ‘by definition’ use– is in cases of reiterating a conversation to another person.

For example, if I’m telling a story and I say how “He was like, ‘blah blah blah such-and-such,’” I don’t wish to be interrupted to have my listener ask me if he said that, or if he was like that. Frankly, I feel that if I use the phrase ‘he said’ as a preface, it implies that he did, verbatim, say that. In the context, I’m only relating something along the lines of, or the essence of, what he said. Personally, it seems that ‘he was like,’ makes it clear that I’m giving an overview, not a story with absolutely perfect recall.

@Ginny: A shock collar could work lol

I think it’s definitely okay to say “like” when you’re trying to describe something, for example: “It’s like a German Shepherd-Great Dane-Poodle mix” or “It’s one of those things she does just to like, get attention.” It may not be grammatically correct, but that’s the way I’ve been using it for a while…
I don’t think it’s okay to just use it completely randomly, for example: “Like, thanks so much for like, letting me come to Door County with you!”

You stop saying “like: right meow!
Meow, I’m gonna have to give you a ticket on this one. No buts meow. It’s the Grammar law.

MEOW!

i, like, really dont think it matters….

While it may be irritating to some who consider themselves linguistic specialists/language snobs, when studying linguistics at university we were told to be descriptive, not prescriptive…to study how people use language, not to tell people how language should be used. Language, like everything else, will evolve along it’s own lines.

Just last night I was cringing as my wife interjected “like” at least three times per sentence when talking with my parents. I was thinking it would be fun to record her, bring the sound file into Garageband, and remove all the sound except the likes. I decided against it when I realized it could be grounds for separation

My family HATES when I say “like” a bunch of times in a sentence. It drives em’, like, crazy.

LIKE SHOULD BE USED TO EXPRESS AND COMUNICATE YOUR FEELINGS AND OTHER WORDS TOO.

Technically “Like” is a filler so if you talk too fast (as I do) then you will most likely every once in a while say “Like” by accident. It happens the same way that saying “Um” occurs; when intelligent words are yet to have formed in your mouth you sometimes say a filler as not to have a break in your sentence.

*You Now, like, Have Gained, um, Knowledge From The, like, Amazing Lydia*

Just think of it this way. Whenever you’re talking to someone who places the word “Like” two or three times within the same sentence, they’re obviously a little special. You should feel sorry for them, not degrade their inability to speak like a normal person.. You know, with a brain.

I, like, use ‘like’ every single, like, day. OMG I’m, like, doing it again! Kay, well, that was, like, a cool article. ARRRRGH!

[...] like dictionary.com is on the same page we are today: The truth behind one of the most disliked phrases in English | The Hot Word __________________ "When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on [...]

Like is a word used for similes. I only use it in dialogue when I write. Check me out! I’m 13! And I don’t use the word “like”! Suck on that, slang-itopians!

Like, I like the like but i cant believe that like is like a slang word…..like when have we figured this out?

I think its fine on LIKE, facebook, but when you LIKE, are writing a formal peice, don’t use it.

i think the kind of likes that are acceptable to use in ways are “like” when your explaining something.i think people who use like in a inproper used sentence “like” in a popular way are always going to use the word like addiction.using like in an good way is acceptable but not in a bad way.
watch out for those likes if you “like” too

People use “like” frequently to add style to their speech; to make it unique.
People also use many other words to do this such as “all,” “whatever,” “just,” “so,” “okay,” “mhm,” and the everfamous “uhhh.” Remember Mr. Mackey, mmkay? Think about your friends. I bet they all have quirky little things in their speech, whether it’s the frequent use of a word or phrase, unnecessary pauses, varying pitch, or a distinguishing emphasis on certain letter sounds; everybody has something. “Like” is just like, another one of those things.

@pete
I like forgot what I was like going to say so I’ll like tell you when I like remember it. Like OK?

I like still haven’t remembered what I was like originally going to like say.

If you don’t mind sounding like a ditzy teenage girl, then go ahead and use it just as long as you’re aware of how it fits into your speech. Although, I must say that I can’t stand the fact that the word “like” has replaced any other word that indicates speech. It drives me crazy! On the other hand, forms of conversation like this have the ability to contain a time period within themselves which can be a good tool for style when writing. I guess it doesn’t really matter in the long run.

I like still haven’t remembered my original comment.

@pete
OK I think this is what I was going to say b4. “Like” is OK with me as long as it’s not like how you did it pete. But that was like totally funny. FYI, I usually don’t use like as many time in writing or speaking as many times as i did. but i thought this would be a good exception. Bye and go Lord of the Rings!
“Like all that is gold does not like glitter, like not all that like wander are like lost.”
LOL Bye

What is like so wrong about like, using like? I think it could be like, used, like basically anywhere except formal essays!

1. It will be best to dispose first of what is, if it is a misuse at all, the most flagrant and easily recognizable misuse of like. A sentence from Darwin quoted in the OED contains it in a short and unmistakable form: Unfortunately few have observed like you have done. Every illiterate person uses this construction daily; it is the established way of putting the thing among all who have not been taught to avoid it; the substitution of as for like in their sentences would sound artificial. Besides the Darwin quoted above, the OED gives indisputable examples from Shakespeare, Southey, Newman, Morris and other writers of standing. It remains to give a few newspaper example so that there may be no mistake about what the vulgar or slovenly use in its simplest form is: – Or can these tickets be kept ( like the sugar cards were ) by the retailer? The retail price can never reach a prohibitive figure like petrol has done. Wasub’s words sank into Lingard’s heart like lead sinks into water. They studied the rules of a game like a lawyer would study an imperfectly-drawn-up will.

2. The rest of this article is intended for those who decide against the conjunctional use that has been already discussed and are prepared to avoid also some misuses of a less easily recognizable kind. Of sentences in which like is not followed by a verb, certain forms are unexceptionable, but are liable to extensions that are not so. The unquestioned forms are He talks like an expert and you are treating me like a fool, in which like is equivalent to a prepositional adverb = similarly to; and you, like me, are disappointed, in which like is equivalent either to an adverb as before, or perhaps rather to a prepositional adjective.

3) People get alarmed on each occasion on which ( like the present case ) dying children suddenly appear. He has completed a new work in which, like its author’s recent books, no failing in sparkle or vigor will be traceable.

4) Like his Roman predecessor, his private life was profligate; like Antony, he was an insatiate gambler.

Like. In formations intended as nonce-words, or not generally current, the hyphen is ordinarily used” . I would like. Even on those who use should and would idiomatically under all ordinary temptations the verb like seems to exercise a corrupting influence; a couple of examples follow pro forma, but anyone can find as many as he pleases with every little search: We would like to ask one or two questions on our own account. There is one paragraph in it that I would like to refer to. If the shall and will idiom is worth preserving at all, I would like is wrong, and I should like is right.

Once someone uses the word “like” around 3 times in a fairly short duration I simply ignore what they have to say and begin to count the amount of times “like” is used for my own personal amusement.

I use “like” all the time, but it feels weird to write it out.

Like you know whatever…

I think you made like, a small mistake on your facts; “A Clockwork Orange” came out in 1972, not 1962.

I think most people misuses the word like, like wise i myself talking.

Like, I like, like this likeable article about like, like! Seriously, Hot Word, it isn’t always used like that. However, it is true that it is a very commonly used word. Like has various meanings, which explains why you’re always hearing it in different contexts. Sometimes it means “to have a passion for; adore; love”, whereas there are other times when it means “similar to (She is just like her identical twin)”. Then there is the more informal meaning, which is just a piece of “garnish” – “Like, she was saying, ‘I can’t believe what happened!’ “. Like is also used informally in contexts like “He was like, ‘Oh no! I forgot it! Oh no!’ “. It’s amazing how English speakers have this way of twisting the English language. 99% of you could make a resolution not to say like (especially informally), but would end up saying it again. That’s just life.

–Melody

Scooby-Doo’s friend Shaggy says like a lot too, in the cartoons anyway, not sure about the movie though…

@Borghese:

We were referring to the book, and not the movie.

Borghese, FYI, A Clockwork Orange the movie came out in 1972, A Clockwork Orange the novella was written in 1962.. because you do know it was first written, then turned into a movie, right?

What I learned on this post is that I are a self proclaimed linguistics snob myself. And that I are the grammar police for my students. I won’t use “like” as a linguistics filler. Whenever I quick-search the right word while speaking, I used to wipe my glasses in order to gain some more time.

Me think it’s for people that seek for an easier way out when they are entangled in the web of the appropriate use of a particular word.

However, it’s not a bad idea, though frequent use of it can make irritatingly abusive.

I’m sorry, but like, I think like the movie, “Clueless”, like, left us all, like, stupid……….

I do believe there are numerous posts above with syntactic and spelling errors. Spelling is an important part of good wordsmith’s toolbox.

@Rachel: I think that anyone who is around 30 y/o now was probably a baby at the time of Valley Girls and not affected; however, I’m not like totally sure what you were trying to say, so I might just be like, way off, like base here.

I think you said those who were 30 & under were influenced by the Valley Girls and then said something else about 30 y/o, which I took to mean those who are that age now.

Too many “like, you knows” or “ums & ahs” or “ok’s” or whatever interjection someone might come up with in any conversation/speech becomes annoying and difficult to listen to. It also makes the speaker sound, as someone pointed out, juvenile and in some cases, not very bright.

I’m guilty of misuse myself and recall being told in Jr. High that “And he was like…” was incorrect that I should say, “And he said…” I have tried to be cognizant of that as much as possible–especially in professional situations.

It is fascinating to learn the origins of this over usage DIDN’T start in the 80’s!

Another very bad habit that people have slipped into is the sloppy truncated spelling used in txt msg! It’s seeped into everything! Please save it for text messages! IDW to decode everything I read because people are too lazy to spell words out. OMG, IDK what IDW means! (I don’t want)

Using the word “like” multiple times in a series of sentences just gives the impression that the “liker” may be one of the following: uneducated, unpolished, immature, not a “word” person, one who does not read much, you get the point. That said, I am an outgoing, extemporaneous, friendly kind of person who desires to give an impression of an educated background. I am quite certain that when I am excited about a story I am relaying, I am guilty, but the use of like as a slang has now come to my attention, so I am going to determine myself not to say “like” unless I want to express that I like Hostess orange Twinkees. But that isn’t really true because I LOVE them. Now there’s another debatable word usage. We say we love everything from our lovers to our new nail polish, but at least we’re using the word properly. It is an understood acceptance in our culture to express love for whatever we wish, even if the depth of the word is vast with our usage. The object of the verb is the key – love has many meanings, too bad there are not more words for this feeling, as in other languages. Well, I digressed, isn’t that just like me?

Like should only be used as an expression, not as an interjection.

My mother got so sick of hearing “like” used as a filler word that she instituted a 25-cent fine for using “like” as a filler. Doesn’t sound like much of a deterrent, but when one only gets paid $5 every other week (if one is lucky), twenty-five cents adds up pretty quickly. (The best part was that if we caught her using “like” as a filler, *we* got the twenty-five cents!)

like this is totally likeable i mean like this is soooooooooooo weird

I agree with “like” should be use only as verb and preposition. As an English language learner I feel it is more comprehensive in use. Since English has always been the easiest language to learn, If you make this word so extensive will make it confusing, and also without structure. Simplicty dosen’t mean disorder in a language, I mean a little bit of rules in a language is always necesary. But do what ever you want woth a word is “like” licentiousness

Use it as you see fit. Language is ever-evolving.

Also; popularised in 1982? Did no-one like, watch Scooby Doo before that? Shaggy like says it all the time!

i use “like” like for ever and i don’t think any thing is wrong with like

IMDB: Clockwork Orange: 1971

yeah i use to read readers digest too.

Old enough to not have been particularly influenced by a pop singer’s slang, I think “like” is today much over-used. Speakers especially use “like” carelessly as it seems to fill in for a lack of interest in more accurate, descriptive, and less boring speaking. The under 35 crowd use “like” as a code word of social awareness and groupie acceptance. As with any word in the language, its overuse dulls the listener’s attention and displays a cavalier attitude toward clarity and empathy to listeners or readers who quickly tire of droning repetitive slang.

Have I ever used “like” in speaking? Yes today, and if I recall, once in 2005.

Haven’t you forgotten someone? Weekly, on the 60s sitcom “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” Bob Denver treated us to his portrayal of the little beatnik Maynard G. Krebs. “Like, wow.” His character may have done more to put this usage of ‘Like’ in the lexicon of my generation–and possibly the subsequent “Nick at Nite” generation–than your other references combined.

I hesitated reading the comments because I knew people were going to run “like” into the ground. And I was right. Thanks to the few that replied to the post without belaboring the point. Monica & Joey (ha are y’all “friends” I too like like on FB. Now I have used it more than 1ce. %-/

Awww, come one guys! Don’t blame us SoCal folks for our “bad grammar.” We’re pretty intelligent people! We just like to spice up our conversations and make other boring strict grammar lords and ladies laugh. Like, is an awesome word. And slang, if you haven’t noticed, is a part of society. Face it, it’ll always be around!!

Well we all SAY ‘like’, but we actually write down ‘like’ in a sentence other than using it as a n opinion, so i dont see the problem really…I like, say like alot

You people are so annoying. Use the correct usage of “like” or don’t use it at all!

in scotland we say ‘like’ at the end of sentences quite often, like. the southern english stereotype of the geordie uses this same phenomenon. im finding it hard to describe how it is used but i can give examples; for example if my pal said he couldnt come out on friday night any more i would say ‘how, what’s up, like?’ and if he responded saying that he had to stay in and do uni work i would say ’still not done your essay, like?’

if that helps, like…

this is just a feature of a dialect of english. if other dialects don’t use it or consider it wrong then they can get it up the, along with their pretensions.

I think it’s silly for people say to ‘like should only be used as a verb or preposition’ and ‘a little bit of rules in a language is necessary’. Like is extremely rule governed in our language. If you were to analyse where is occurs syntactically it doesn’t just occur ‘anywhere’ and as any type of word-class. So it is not a filler and it is not useless, otherwise it wouldn’t be used. Current perceptions of the use of the word ‘like’ are really no different than perceived prestige of some language varieties. However, hopefully it will change.

Just like ’say to’ sounds weird and it should be ‘to say’, ‘like’ isn’t used in a syntactic order that doesn’t sound right. Tt is rule governed.

Agreed – this is dialect English. It is said in deference to the listener and shows an endearing lack of confidence. At the grammar school it was so entirely disapproved of that it became taboo.

Personally, I think people who use like in such an incorrect manner should have their tongue cut out, or at least tied in a knot. {Only partly facetiously stated.}

I used to play the bala-like-uh.

As much as we try to reduce the use of them, profane words are bound to exist in any language. Though it may be considered profane, the f-word is quite an interesting word linguistically speaking, appearing in the corpus as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, interjection, and even more that I could even fathom. There are even phonetic rules as to where in in a word in can be inserted e.g “That’s fan-f’ing-tastic” not “That’s fantas -f’ing-tic.” Though this blog is meant to be family friendly (though the comments are exceptions), It would be interesting to know how the word come into the language, and like the infamous “like”, why can it take the place of so many parts of speech.

I’ve never really been on board with using ‘like’ in a sentence too often; apart from a preposition or a verb, and it really annoys me when people speak otherwise. They sound very uneducated.

I think that LIKE should be used properly, as in the phrase “I like you.” Other phrases LIKE: “I like to go to the Bahamas for the warmth.” etc, as acceptible.
I think also, that LIKE being used the way it is used today, and the usage of it that plainly goes over the deep-end, is really foolish. It only shows how uneducated, as well as ‘willing to look foolish’ people can be in order to be accepted.
Personally, it seems to me that that type of ‘talk’, runs right along with the foolishness of people dressing in ‘fashion’, no matter how foolish, and other things that make them look like they have never had an original thought or action in their lives.

Uh, “like” is not a phrase.

Y’all are,like, impaired somehow if you dion’t intuit my deeper meaning when i use “like” that way.

Where is the “like” button?

“Like” is tricky. You sound vapid if you throw it in every other syllable, but if you stubbornly refuse to use it, ever, you can end up sounding stilted and pretentious to others.
I use it; I think it helps us to connect with people. It’s not exactly friendly to proclaim that you think “like” is the first sign of the deterioration of society, and watch, aloof, as all of your friends stumble over their speech, trying to sound ‘good enough’ for you.

As an author and a teenager, I am torn on this subject.
It’s acceptable to an extent, but is not correct grammar and should not be used in professional speech (books, essays, office meetings, ect.).
That is only my opinion.

There is an equivalent in French, “en fait.”

It’s translation would be ‘actually’ in English, but people use it too much, IMO.

i accidentally say ‘like’ when i should say ‘for instance,’

Every one likes something
but it shouldn’t be forced
On others to like…

Every gene has different taste
As every eyes
As every lips
As every ears

Sometimes we like someone…something
with our ears…
Which applies on music…
Telephone calls…

And some they like an ugly face
because they find something in thems
Those others’… can’t see!

my teacher like gets so like mad when we like say like

Perhaps McD’s should change their slogan from I’m lovin’ it to I’m likin’ it? XD

It’s like (I’m using it properly, folks) the British overusing the word “right.”

Blind man: “Right, how do I get to (insert location here)?”

Another man: “Right, you take a left on that road over there.”

Blind man: “Wait, take a right where?”

Another man: “No, you take a left, right?”

Blind man: “Right…”

See how annoying it can be? Play the beer game while watching a British show!

In colloquially terms, I think the word “like” is perfectly acceptable when used as a filler or expressing uncertainty. For example, if someone asked, “At what time is he arriving?” one could respond, “He’s arriving at, like, 3:00.” You wouldn’t just say he’s arriving at 3:00 if you are uncertain of his actual arrival time. Of course there are far better words that can be used to express uncertainty, but “like” sounds natural and, as Hayley said, allows you to connect with others on a more personal level. Inserting four-syllable words into a conversation makes you sound pompous, but using the word “like” makes you seem more genuine. “Like” used incorrectly obviously does not belong in the professional world, and it should never be used in essays, papers, etc. However, in friendly conversation I think it certainly has a place.

What is ironic is that the thesis statement uses the phrase “a lot” which is also regarded as a frequent mistake because it makes no sense XD

When I was a small child, in the late 1950s and early ’60s, I recall a TV show my parents would watch, “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.” (It’s now in syndication, and I’ve seen some of the reruns on a retro station, so I’m not simply going by memory here.) Bob Denver, who later achieved fame in “Gilligan’s Island”, played a supporting character in that show, Maynard G. Krebs, a beatnik, who seemed to insert the word ‘like’ between almost every other word of any sentence he spoke. I don’t know if this was typical of the beat generation as a whole, but I’d say Maynard had at least a couple of decades’ headstart on the Valley Girls in his abuse of the word….

I think people need to unbunch their knickers and accept that they have no control over common parlance, which is just as well because it fuels the evolution of language and if they were in charge we’d still be speaking ye olde Englishe, verily.
Language evolves, pedants do not.

Well, I don’t even know what his Valley Girl thing is, but I say ‘like’ a lot, so I don’t think it has anything to do with that. Hate it when like is used way to many times in a sentence. Once had a classmate who was giving a speech and every other word they would say ‘like’ to stall time because they didn’t bother to memorize their speech.

I (ironically) hated the shield-stealing like-likes in the Legend of Zelda series until they became the awesome, ginormous, easy-to-avoid 3-D ones in Ocarina of Time … *chuckle*

It is 6:39 pm and this is the first time today i have used the word like in a sentance.

I agree with Samael. It’s completely inappropriate to say “like” as a spacefiller. Whenever I hear people use “like” incorrectly I glare at them and punch their arms (my dad did the same thing to me when I was younger). My friends have learned to think before speaking from this, something everyone should do. There are times when people say “like” so many times that I can’t even understand what they’re saying so I make them stop and start over (and even then it’s not enough).

It also gets on my nerves when people who are professionals (like the English teachers at my school) say it. You would think that they know better than to do that. The spacefiller “like” is inappropriate in conversation; if you don’t know what to say then don’t say anything.

I go to high school and have to listen to all the stupid girls in my class say “like” about 30 times per sentence. I don’t care if you think I’m mean. Only stupid people need to use “like” as a spacer in their sentences because they can’t think of what they’re going to say before they say it. It’s just aggravating. Spit it out!

Somebody, like, spelled notorious wrong.

WITH THE MYRIAD EXPRESSIVE WORDS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONTAINS, WHY MUST THEY ALL FALL BY THE WAYSIDE IN FAVOR OF SO FEW. I.E. LIKE, YAKNOW, AND THE UBIQUITOUS “F” WORD?

DON’T THROW “YAKNOW” AT ME ON THE END OF EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE.

I GRACEFULLY REPLY, “NO! I DON’T KNOW!” EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY SAY IT.

IN TURN THEY ARE SURPRISED THEY EVEN SAID IT. ARE THEY SITTING ON THEIR BRAINS?

I AM SO SICK TO DEATH OF THE SAME WORDS USED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AD NAUSEAM ! ! ! ! ! !

WELL,WELL,WELL——— NO COMMENTS ON MY COMMENTS?

I THOT FER SUR I’D RUFFLE A FEW FEATHERS.

I’VE HAD 89 YEARS TO PERFECT MY ORNERY THOTS.

Well, there are two fundamental uses for ‘like’.

1. Attraction — I like her.

2. Similarity — A is like B.

It is sense two that has been wildly overused in modern speech. My thought is that we use ‘like’ to avoid 100% commitment to what we say. Since ‘nothing is certain’ and ‘everything is relative’, yet we simultaneously have an urge to express our opinions about a variety of topics, ‘like’ creeps into our language as a way to express a ‘coating’ of approximation.

That’s why teenage talk is so rife with ‘like’. They can say any old bullshit whilst justifying it with ‘like’.

E.g. “I didn’t ACTUALLY say that X is Y; I said that X is LIKE Y’.

The important thing is not the degree of similarity, but the fact that the statement is not indisputable fact.

Liza, I do exactly the same thing! Do people even listen what it is that they are saying? Personally, I think that, if a word is not necessary, you shouldn’t use it.

It’s tru. There’s really no need to say like all the time. I’m 13, and I hate it when my friends do it. I tell them that they sound really dumb, because there’s no need to say like al the time!

all you people who have used the word like to introduce examples in the debate above should know that “such as” is considered more appropriate.
like is also used for comparisons in which the proper syntax should be followed. eg: like josepph, I…
Like Joseph’s car, I…. would be considered wrong.
Like can also be used as a preposition when it is used to mean – “in a manner similar to.” In such contexts like cannot be used to introduce clauses and the word “as” is considered more appropriate.

really i dont think like should be used if unnessasary

I think its fine to use “like” in a sentence besides its usual usage as long as you don’t act and overuse it like all those imfamous middle/high schoolers that talk/type like “YOUR LEIK TLLY ANNOYING AND STUFF, WHY DONT U LEIK JUST SHUT UPPPPP!” in their annoying sassy high pitched voices and their horrible grammar and improper usage of things like “You’re”. Surprisingly I haven’t really met a real one even though I’m only just starting the 8th grade, but c’mon. we all know they exist.

The English language is, arguably, the greatest gift that the English nation has given to the world – purely due to the language’s adaptbility and lexical diversity. After all, as someone who hearalds from this ’sceptered isle’, I would be the first to say that we haven’t offered much else! It is a language that, for all of the destructive forces of former imperialism, and the ensuing mess that such endeavours left, has been welcomed with open arms across the world. However, that is my problem with the increasing, pervasive and corrosive use of ‘like’…

Many words that are adopted into the English language add to its diversity and range of expressiveness. The language’s ability to adapt has enabled it to evolve and grow. Unfortunately though, this increasing use of ‘like’, coupled with accompanying gestures does nothing to enhance a language.

Using this simple word in place of the multitude of verbs that the English language offers isn’t evolution – it’s regression. It’s nothing more than a grammatical cancer, supressing the use of the specific and soliciting social interaction to the lowest common denominator.

I fear that its near ubiquitous use now undermines the marvelous multifariousness that has endeared this language to millions across the world.

Did William Tindale really burn at the stake in 1536, in the cause of the then developing English language so that we could all once again see our speech subjected to a form of social reductionism – returning to not much more than the utterances and non-verbal gestures common to cave men? I think not…

Verily, perhaps this vichyssoise of verbiage has perhaps veered a little too verbose, but allow me me to add simply that for those who value our language, please, please join me and fight against this fashionable, virulent, vernacular virmin!

I call these people who overuse the word like all the time…”The Likers”

In my job, I spend a lot of time listening to people speak from all different walks of life and different parts of the country. I think Ginny is the one who really nailed it. Most people these days who are younger than 40, male and female, have been subconsciously programmed to talk in Valley Speak by their peers, television or their kids.

These Likers really have no clue. They are not even cognizant anymore of how many times they overuse the word like in their sentences. These days, if you ever talk to one of these robotic Valley Speakers, and you mention anything about how many times they say the word like, or “so”…they will usually get irritated or go hostile on you.

Back in the 90’s, The Likers were a small group and still had some shame about overusing the word because on a faint level they still had some awareness about it. The Likers these days are just flat out indignant about it and wear their Like Addiction as a badge and put it right in your face.

The ritualization of the word like is now cemented in modern culture and has become some kind of “linguistic rite of passage” into the 21st century. That’s why there are so many middle-aged people now who are converting over to becoming Likers. Subconsciously they don’t want to feel left out or excluded from everyone else in the Liker race.

When I see how flippant some of the comments above are with reference to the use of ‘like’ so much these days I despair for those of us who really care about speech and proper use of language. English is a beautiful language and it pains me to see how it’s been managled particularly over the last twenty years or so.

Another great misuse of language is the reply we so often get when we ask ‘How are you,’ instead of ‘fine, thank you,’ which is concise and polite, we very often get the awful ‘I’m good.’ – another dreadful Americanism.

Like literaily it’s alot worse in text then it is when you talk, because some people (including me) talk really fast and it just pops in there and you don’t even notice until people tell you. But when you type it’s not as fast so you don’t use it that often as some of the above mocking comments. It’s just a bad habbit!

Like OMG right? Like gosh. Like totally like whatever, like yeah. I talk like this everyday like totally yeah. LOL! LIKE TOTALLY LOL!! ttyl!

The bastardization of this horrid little word is more tragic than most here seem to realise. I am barely able to accept its overuse when someone speaks aloud (truth be told I want to slap them but I keep that a secret) but to see it actually typed in a forum scenario (imdb please stand up!) is beyond a joke. Not one for generalization, it appears to be the more vacuous and narcissistic members of society who are so deeply enamoured with its use. Half the comments here are by people who clearly think it’s a humorous and natural evolvement in etymology. I strongly disagree.