I saw myself interviewed on Public Access TV today, when asked "How students should particpate in local politics I said this;
“It’s like everyone should like get involved with their school first and like know like what’s going on with like the people that like run their school like actually like know what’s going on so like the school board can like look at us and be like ‘those kids know like what’s going on’ like we could like be like taken like more seriously because like they couldn’t like have jobs without us, you know what I’m saying. Like we should all like make time to like go to school board meetings and like actually like witness like how they run our schools, you know what I’m saying. Like everyone that is watching like may not like be old enough to vote then like you can tell your parents like who they should vote for like as far as like the school board and if you are 18 like then like there is no excuse like not to like atleast like come to one meeting and like vote when elections come up, you know what I’m saying…”
My Mom video taped this to send to relatives so I kept watching it over and over wanting to jump into the TV and shake myself.
Maybe I was just nervous but I didn’t feel nervous, I had good things to say about being involved in politics. I said “Like” so many times in the few minutes I was on the air. I don’t know if I talk like that all the time.
I know I say “Like” a lot but I didn’t know I couldn’t get through a sentence without saying it. At some point in the interview I said “Like, like, like this is like serious…”
I highly doubt it’s genetic but my mother said she talked the same way until she was in her late 20’s and I have brothers right now that say “like” a bunch of times.
Any suggestions on how to get rid of this “verbal tic” before I’m 29?
Like, chill, dude!
I think it’s nervousness. I tend to say “like” and “ummm” when I’m thinking about what I want to say. IMHO, Think clearly about your point, then say it. It’ll help cut down on the “filler”.
I was exactly the same when I was younger. But once I realised what I was doing, I noticed it every time I said it. And was soon not saying ‘like’ as much. So now you’ve noticed it, you may find yourself saying it less and less.
watch yourself for the tic, notice it when it happens, and it will decrease dramatically. Also, pause for a few seconds before you say anything of the least importance. A decent pause (I found anyway) can set the precedent that you’re not in a mad rush to get the words out, and you end up speaking more slowly and carefully.
If you don’t find yourself noticing it, you could ask a good friend to give you a nudge each time. My university roommate and I used to help each other shake a lot of irritating catch phrases and stuff that we’d pick up and use way too much, and it worked really well. There were some that we would actually fine each other a quarter every time we caught the other using it, and it really worked well to make us very aware of each word we were saying.
I had this great English teacher my sophomore year of hs, and if anyone used “like” when speaking she would say, “It’s not ‘like’ anything.” That just stuck with me over the years. To this day, if I catch myself, I think, “It’s not ‘like’ anything.”
She also had different things she would say if you said, “Um,” or other verbal no no’s. This was AP English, so I guess she figured we had no excuses to go out in the world sounding like morons.
I’ve started saying like a lot. I do it when I’m either nervous or trying to sound common. I have a paranoia that I sound too posh so around certain people with strong regional accents I add ‘like’, and a slight scouseness to my voice.
But the way I use it (and many on this side of the pond also) is different fromt he American way. We don’t say “It’s like, sooo cold” We say “It’s cold, like.”
Well I’m 30, just over your cut-off age, and I still say “like”. I also watched myself on tv saying it too many times, and after that, I put myself on high alert. I notice when I say it now. I don’t care if I use it in informal situations. But if I’m in a new situation, a formal situation, or just getting to know people, I consciously remove it from my speech. Same goes for anything really. I wouldn’t say “shit” in front of a judge but I would in front of close friends, etc.
Was watching a bit of pimp my ride on MTV. this one guy like, right was like saying ‘ynamean’ an ‘ynamsay’n’ like right like three or four like times every sentence like, ynamsayin?
Knowing that you do this is definately the first step in stopping it. You’ll notice it more now, and you can make a mental note to avoid saying ‘like’ so much. Even if you don’t catch yourself, you should still notice and remind yourself and that’ll reinforce the idea to not talk like that. I used to do the same thing too, and I rarely do anymore. (And no, I’m not from California)
Advice to us all - Don’t go on Weakest Link.
The moment you say ‘erm’ or ‘like’ You’ll be interrupted by a parroting from the red-haired devilwitchhound that is Anne Robinson.
The reason why it will go away when you get older is because you have more profesional relationsihps. When you are back with your old friends you’ll revert back. The best thing to do is to put yourself in circumstances where it is innappropriate to use it, and carefully monitor yourelf. Speaking to a professor is a particular example and once a professor called me on it!
