13 votes

‘Like’ isn’t a lazy linguistic filler – the English language snobs need to, like, pipe down

4 comments

  1. Eylrid
    Link
    That was, like, a good read. "Language prejudice is real and needs to be called out." That often seems like the way of it, that language snobbery is often prejudice in disguise. There are multiple...

    That was, like, a good read. "Language prejudice is real and needs to be called out." That often seems like the way of it, that language snobbery is often prejudice in disguise. There are multiple treatises that follow a similar format (and all of them are right and wonderful and I love them): "Thing X is a legitimate part of language. Its use is deliberate and it conveys meaningful information. Putting it down is prejudice in disguise." another good example is tom scotts video on typing

    Descriptivism FTW

    9 votes
  2. [3]
    welly
    Link
    For me, it's not about snobbery, it's about irritation. Unfortunately I can't help but be irritated when I hear a sentence that feels like it is mostly comprised of "like", "omg" and "innit". I...

    For me, it's not about snobbery, it's about irritation. Unfortunately I can't help but be irritated when I hear a sentence that feels like it is mostly comprised of "like", "omg" and "innit".

    I also get irritated by Gordon Ramsey in Kitchen Nightmares (which I can't watch because of this) who keeps repeating wow. "Wow" is also a legitimate part of the language but once you hear GR say it once in an episode, you can't not hear it.

    2 votes
    1. [2]
      Whom
      Link Parent
      You're allowed to dislike developments in the language, it's making them out to be the death of English which is ridiculous. That and contributing to prejudices around language which play into...

      You're allowed to dislike developments in the language, it's making them out to be the death of English which is ridiculous. That and contributing to prejudices around language which play into bigger problems like racism or classism.

      Everyone's got preferences.

      7 votes
      1. welly
        Link Parent
        Every generation deems the English language to be dying because younger people don't speak using the same slang, mannerisms, grammer rules etc. as them.

        Every generation deems the English language to be dying because younger people don't speak using the same slang, mannerisms, grammer rules etc. as them.

        5 votes