# "Like" or snapping gum? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 28, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490 "2008-08-28T00:29:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/1 "2008-08-28T00:29:47Z")
I’m afraid that I will end up doing 30 to life in prison. I can see it happening but I’m not sure what will drive me over the edge. I like women, especially young women. I’m just afraid that someday one of them is going to use the word “like” too many times in one sentence and I will snap. As an example, watch this: Like you’re a brainless idiot. The event that might prevent this from happening is the store clerk or fellow rider on mass transit that thinks the ability to snap their gum gives them some kind of status. Hopefully, capital punishment laws will be passed to take them out of the gene pool before I feel forced to do it on my own. Yea, I know . . . Anger Management. But this is the Pit so I get to say it here. It’s part of my therapy. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/2 "2008-08-28T00:50:46Z")
It’s not so bad, y’know, I mean you could just relax, y’know. They don’t know they’re annoying you, yknow… ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Star\_to\_the\_Right](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@Second\_Star\_to\_the\_Right](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Star_to_the_Right)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/3 "2008-08-28T01:42:48Z")
Sorry. I say “like” a lot while speaking, and I hear myself sometimes and hope the person I’m speaking to doesn’t think I’m a moron. A lot of times I don’t even realize how many times I say it. For me, it’s basically filler; it fits in the spaces between forming thoughts into words. If that makes any sense. I’m a 26 year old female, for reference. (27 in a week). I am with you 110% on the gum snapping thing. I rarely chew gum as it is, and never, ever, ever, snap, pop, or crack it. I think that’s one of the most fucking obnoxious things in the world. Also the people who happily chew away with their mouths wiiide open. Gah. It makes me want to punch something. Maybe I have anger issues too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/4 "2008-08-28T01:58:40Z")
I’ll snap gum, and I can do it loudly to the nth degree, but rarely happens. Can’t stand anyone else doing it, though. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/5 "2008-08-28T02:02:45Z")
You got something against the [quotative](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Like#In_slang_and_colloquial_speech)? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/6 "2008-08-28T02:27:46Z")
[QUOTE=Second Star to the Right] For me, it’s basically filler; it fits in the spaces between forming thoughts into words. [/QUOTE] Silence fills those spaces better. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/7 "2008-08-28T02:28:57Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] It’s not so bad, y’know, I mean you could just relax, y’know. They don’t know they’re annoying you, yknow… [/QUOTE] Y’know, you’re right! I need to relax. Like I hadn’t really thought it through, y’know. If I’d a done that, y’know, I’d a realized there there was something else that wooda driven me over the edge, y’know what I mean. Thanks. Like I think I’m all better now, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/8 "2008-08-28T03:37:32Z")
[QUOTE=Second Star to the Right] I am with you 110% on the gum snapping thing. I rarely chew gum as it is, and never, ever, ever, snap, pop, or crack it. I think that’s one of the most fucking obnoxious things in the world. Also the people who happily chew away with their mouths wiiide open. Gah. It makes me want to punch something. [/QUOTE] Me too. My boss chews gum with her mouth wide open. Smeck, smeck, snap, pop, smeck, smeck…someday I’m going to snap! I can’t stand it. I hope she gets TMJ so she has to quit chewing gum. How can anyone be over 40 and not know how fucking obnoxious that is? How has her family not killed her? I think her kids must have a lot of repressed anger…or maybe they’re deaf. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/9 "2008-08-28T03:53:20Z")
OP’s link doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/10 "2008-08-28T03:57:54Z")
Seconded. It’s not even a link for me, just colored, underlined text. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/11 "2008-08-28T04:04:39Z")
[QUOTE=Freudian Slit] OP’s link doesn’t work. [/QUOTE] OK, I suck at the Internet. I’ll try again. I thought I checked it and it worked. [Like](http://gawker.com/5042719/the-most-important-32-seconds-of-coverage-you-will-see-this-convention) ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/12 "2008-08-28T04:05:04Z")
Okay, I think you have to take the first “http” out and then it becomes a link. > **[The Most Important 32 Seconds Of Coverage You Will See This Convention](https://www.gawker.com/5042719/the-most-important-32-seconds-of-coverage-you-will-see-this-convention?autoplay=true%2F%2F)** > > This morning distinguished political commentators Ana Marie Cox, Rachel Sklar and Glynnis MacNichol filed a slumber party-themed video dispatch from the Democratic National Convention in Denver. At the risk of crushing you with intellectual heft I... ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/13 "2008-08-28T04:20:09Z")
It’s not fair. It ruins the word for the rest of us who want to use “like” legitimately, like when making a comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/14 "2008-08-28T04:21:18Z")
Look closely at the link, and eliminate the extraneous “http”. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/15 "2008-08-28T04:23:22Z")
[QUOTE=Freudian Slit] Okay, I think you have to take the first “http” out and then it becomes a link. [http://gawker.com/5042719/the-most-important-32-seconds-of-coverage-you-will-see-this-convention?autoplay=true//](http://gawker.com/5042719/the-most-important-32-seconds-of-coverage-you-will-see-this-convention?autoplay=true//) [/QUOTE] Er, uh, yeah… and refresh before you post! ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/16 "2008-08-28T05:45:33Z")
Like, I can understand why this should bother me, but it really doesn’t, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/17 "2008-08-28T12:41:09Z")
Also irritating is when a certain person I work with repeatedly says “You know what I’m saying?” No. I have no idea what you’re saying. You’re talking way above my head here. Can you dumb it down a bit for me? Thanks. We could be talking about ham sandwiches and he’d constantly say “You know what I’m saying?” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/18 "2008-08-28T13:21:00Z")
:rolleyes: WhatEVER. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/19 "2008-08-28T13:25:09Z")
[QUOTE=Mince] Also irritating is when a certain person I work with repeatedly says “You know what I’m saying?” No. I have no idea what you’re saying. You’re talking way above my head here. Can you dumb it down a bit for me? Thanks. We could be talking about ham sandwiches and he’d constantly say “You know what I’m saying?” [/QUOTE] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfIsamoNwGk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfIsamoNwGk) - (0:30 to 1:10) ETA: NSFW warning - one instance of strong language at a little past the one minute mark ---
**Author:** ![Mellivora\_capensis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mellivora\_capensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mellivora_capensis)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490/20 "2008-08-28T13:30:51Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] Silence fills those spaces better. [/QUOTE] … [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/like-or-snapping-gum/461490.md?page=2)