Why do Americans overuse the word "like"?

Question

"like I know", "like I care", "it's like ok", "we can like go bowling tonight"....

Is everyone a Beavis&Butthead-sort-of retard in the USA?

(I bet my clown's a s s that at least one person will use the word "like" in their answer)

In Spanish we use the word "este" in the same way, and the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language calls these short words "muletillas" or "mini-crutches", meaning they are needed for a crippled mind to be able to hold a conversation.

Answer 1

Like, I dunno what you mean like i've never like over used the like word like before and like that's kind of like silly to like ask like such a question..

ROFL.

Seriously, I used it a lot in my youth as a segway between words when I wasn't sure what to say next. That nervous tick kind of thing.

Answer 2

"Is everyone a Beavis&Butthead-sort-of retard in the USA?" This is uncalled for. First, not all Americans do this. Second, use of 'like' long pre-dates B&B. Third, linguistic oddities are common to many cultures and are NOT a sign of brain damage. Fourth, are you always this rude to hundreds of millions of people you don't even know?

Why do so many Canadians say "eh?" all the time? It's often a linguistic filler, like "er" or "uh" that many people use while searching for the next word. Sometimes it qualifies the word or phrase following, as in "I was, like, loosing my mind."

You got a PROBLEM with that?

PS regarding your additional comment. If your linguists believe that meaningless fillers and other linguistic habits and oddities are a sign of brain damage, then they are a bunch of retards who need to look at how people actually act and talk.

Answer 3

Lol, now people'll try to not use that word. I don't think I over-use it. If you're from America, you probabely just met a majority who use it, but if you aren't, you must be watching Laguna beach, or the media, or something 'like' that.

Oh no! I said like! TWICE!! =O THE TERROR!

P.S. I'm a teenager by the way. Valley girl talk is very annoying. ;)

Crippled mind? Ok, you've made me ticked. For your info, the people I know that say like a bit too much, they're in all Advanced classes. I don't see how they're crippled in that way. Sickening...

Answer 4

American adults do not speak that way. The language you're describing is primarily used by teen agers and children.
Is your entire opinion of Americans based solely on what you've seen on television?

Answer 5

I know! Like, that word is so like, overused. I just can't like, even understand like, why anybody would use it like, that much. It's like, not even that like, amazing of a word. Beavis and Butthead is like, the worst movie I have ever like, seen in my life. I just can't stand people who like, use that word in every like, freaking like, sentence. OmiGod!

Answer 6

And this pertains to the topic at hand how?

Just because you don't use the word "like" doesn't make you any more intelligent than those that do. . .

Answer 7

Like Yup! You like named it with your, like, Beavis & Butthead comparison, MAN.

Answer 8

because TV is bombarded this word... like, into our brains that it becomes like, um... an automatic in our speach you know what i mean?
Its like, we dont live in a world where there is statements.. only interagotive sentences... know what im saying? Its like... so... strange.

Answer 9

omg like i dont know like its so weird.....
no j/k I dont know its how WE americans are
it was a slang term used mostly in the 80's

Answer 10

no its just there are a lot of superficial people we call valley girls and they talk as if they are retarded

i know how you feel it annoys the hell out of me too