how to like, totally dumb up a conversation
The dreaded "like" can dumb up a conversation rather quickly. As a Californian, I've been a victim and can sympathize. One can only attempt to bring awareness and encourage ending this conversational cancer. I have noted problematic reoccurances of the work like amongst my academic peers, co-workers and intellectial compatriots. Even if you start off saying something relatively intelligent, once you say like, your validity is pretty much discredited. It's word filler; a verbal crutch of sorts. Did I already say it makes you sound dumb and illegitimate? I'm pretty sure I did. How about an example to help you visualize? Which sounds better:
Ex. 1)
Sucrose consists of a glucose and a fructose in a glycosidic bond.
or
Sucrose, like, consists of a glucose and a fructose in a glycosidic bond.
Ex. 2)
How do you get to the 5 freeway from here?
or
How do you get to the, like, 5 freeway from here?
Ex. 3)
Wind gyres determine oceanic species richness due to their clockwise or counterclockwise motion that causes nutrient upwelling.
Wind gyres determine oceanic species richness due to their, like, clockwise or counterclockwise motion that causes nutrient upwelling.
I think the choice is clear.
We don't live in the San Fernando Valley and it's not the late 80's. Nor are we in high school. Then why do we talk like this? Perhaps it's just a bad regional habit that sticks. A similar situation to those hailing from Northern California and say "hella" every other word. People hella think they say hella a lot. It's hella excessive. But they just can't stop saying hella.
Or it could be that some people just aren't articulate. For instance, people who end every statement with, "you know what I'm saying!" don't know what they're saying. They're just flapping their gums for attention. The entire strength of their argument lies solely on that always affirming "you know what I'm saying" latched to the end of every sentence. You end up robotically nodding your head, for fear they may continue talking otherwise. It's a total red flag, watch out for it.
Beware of the like. If you're over19, cut it out of your vocabulary. Especially while at school. Rule of thumb: unless you are comparing something or describing a time frame, you don't need it. It won't help get your point across.
1 Comments:
I don't know how to say this, so I'll quote someone who did: "If you can't put it into English it means you don't understand it yourself" (Jerrold Zacharia).
I've been told that "like", "um", "ah", and the like are used as filler when the speaker is still formulating an articulation of a thought yet does not yet want to relinquesh control of the conversation. I don't know who told me that. Come to think of it, i may have just made it up. Ah, forget it: 'you know what I'm saying'.
I've heard that used often when someone talks herself into a logical circle and in some long-winded fashion has contradicted herself. Often, it is easier for both the speaker and the listener to merely discount the rhetorical fumble and move on, rather than attempt to explain it.
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