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[lawnchair]

Note: A news anchor reading from autocue is probably one of the most (super rare) codified and set-in-stone examples you could think of public oration in general is usually a different ballgame because as part of the persuasive act of language (specifically in public speaking) they have to show decisiveness and precision.

precision is a good thing in all fields of speaking, don't you think? well articulated speech is a valuable thing for a public orator or a regular person.

 

[Featheredkitten]

precision is a good thing in all fields of speaking, don't you think? well articulated speech is a valuable thing for a public orator or a regular person.

You can't trick me into your perscriptivist ways, good sir.

 

[SomTervo]

precision is a good thing in all fields of speaking, don't you think? well articulated speech is a valuable thing for a public orator or a regular person.

What that guy said^

Meaning is all that matters. But in public oration specifically, "ethos" is important - making yourself sound good and convincing to your audience. If you want to do that, then sure, unusually high precision helps. But in daily life, talking to your mum - honestly, can you be bothered?

There are no hard rules about this.

 

[lawnchair]

Meaning is all that matters. But in public oration specifically, "ethos" is important - making yourself sound good and convincing to your audience. If you want to do that, then sure, unusually high precision helps. But in daily life, talking to your mum - honestly, can you be bothered?

sure, i can be bothered. if i have a feeling that i want to express to my mother, i realize it's best to do it precisely. if i have a request for my mother, it's best that i make it precisely. if somebody hurt my feelings, it's best to express that to them precisely. right?

i know there aren't rules or regulations surrounding these things. it's a fascinating subject.

 

[Kinyou]

United States of, like, whatever.

Like, totally

that's what gets you, not would, could, should of?

At least people don't seem to defend that.

 

[styl3s]

It's like "um"

like, um, dude and man are 4 words that just everyone i know including myself (at least in my age range) have been using since the late 80s/early 90s. I'm sure all come before it's just part of my vocab with non-professionals.

I have also come to hate myself for using 73 variations of bro with a specific friend that start out as a joke and now it comes out 20+ times in a conversation and it's a word i never use outside that of that friend.

 

[Sub_Level]

I would hate to have to learn English.

Most of it is probably really easy. But learnin all the tone and subtext. The hidden meanings in both written and spoken word. We take so much for granted and never give it a second thought. Same goes for a lotta other languages I imagine.

 

[Featheredkitten]

I would hate to have to learn English.

Most of it is probably really easy. But learnin all the tone and subtext. The hidden meanings in both written and spoken word. We take so much for granted and never give it a second thought. Same goes for a lotta other languages I imagine.

You only speak one language, don't you?

 

[ViviOggi]

Linguistics threads are my guilty pleasure next to review threads

I feel like prescriptivists are the same people as those who want reviews to be "objective"

 

[Head of Vengarl]

Like, you know.

 

[Jakten]

I thought there's a few studies out there that look at whether or not intelligence and use of filler words are related?

I KNOW I've read one that said filler speech and high social intelligence correlate positively, but I don't remember anything with intelligence (like IQ).

From what I remember, people who use discourse markers are more conscientious. They use discourse markers to buy time while they think of an accurate or more deliberate way of describing what they are talking about instead of just saying what ever. I also recall something about people who say 'like' all the time are better at abstract thought and understanding the relations of things and ideas.

This was the study I think but you need to pay for a subscription to access it: http://jls.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/03/26/0261927X14526993.abstract

 

[lawnchair]

At least people don't seem to defend that.

people do defend would of, could of, should of.

 

[starchild excalibur]

Holy fuck, people. If you think the use of "like" makes you sound dumb, then fine. But if you're going to say that it shows you're dumb, then cite that. If you're going to backpedal and then say it shows you're lazy, then cite that. And if you can't be bothered to cite either, then just leave it at "I think it sounds dumb," and acknowledge that your assumptions about the person saying it may be flawed.

I don't use "like" a whole bunch when I speak and I find it annoying if it's used every other word, but I don't tend to associate it with intelligence but simply with the person's speech affectations.

 

[Haly]

Memetic proliferation of the valley girl speech pattern.

Spoiler

I, like, do it too.

 

[Zipzo]

Linguistics threads are my guilty pleasure next to review threads

I feel like prescriptivists are the same people as those who want reviews to be "objective"

I actually get really annoyed at this as it has become more and more common in any thread highlighting an opinion.

It seems every opinion these days must be prefaced with "DISCLAIMER: THIS IS MY OPINION" to avoid a complete derailment on this persons opinion not being objective fact. Like holy hell, that's obvious!

 

[Andrew Korenchkin]

Whoz ya frontin', dawg?

 

[EGM1966]

God I hate the use of "like" too.

More than that though I hate current trend of saying "you know?" instead of simply delivering a full sentence.

I've had to mercilessly beat it out of my kids.

Not really but I have managed to wean them off it thank Christ.

 

[encephalon]

I think maybe it's an apples to oranges thing, in this case, from language to the other.

English is a very figurative language. We often describe things as completely different things, for example when you want someone to leave a job or something...

"You should leave that sinking ship!"

Being native in English will help you understand that statement immediately, but as an example my wife speaks English quite well but it's pretty rough around the edges, mostly the basic stuff (she's Japanese) and if I said that to her she would be utterly confused.

We do this often in English and I've noticed over time I'm running in to these situations where I'm often just letting these types of statements roll out, and then I have to either explain to her what I meant or just avoid using these types of phrases altogether.

As a result of being a very figurative language, it would actually seem quite fitting that our filler word of choice would be a word such as "like", it's as if you are constantly predisposed to set up a comparison, or a way to alternatively explain something in a 2ndary way. Let's put it in to a realistic context that it would typically be used "improperly" and as a filler.

"I hate that food, like, I can't even eat it without gagging"

Ignoring that these phrases are often grammatically incorrect from a written standpoint, if you actually consider the placement of the word in the spoken phrase, you can see that it's actually sort of preparation for an example of something. Something meant to elaborate on the aforementioned thought. You hate a food. How much do you hate it? So much you can't eat it without gagging. It's like that.

Japanese does not really have this. Trying to speak like this in Japanese is confusing, while it's not unheard of to make a comparisons in speech to make a point, it's not nearly at the level we do it in English.

That being said I think "sa" is only a Tokyo thing, but I wouldn't argue that it maybe closer to "like" than "eto" or "ano". The thing is that "sa" is also used as sort of a lazy ambiguous "meh" as well (sorts).

I hear "sa" all the time up north. It's used to entreat the listener to hear out what you have to say.

"Like" is similar. In the example you gave, it's not just filler. It's saying "this is how it is," which is often how it's used. Like "sa," it's asking to listener to hear what you're about to say.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

The 80s and 90s were totally worse.

 

[the_batman]

it's, like, an easy way to tell, like, who isn't very intelligent, like, they don't have much to say.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

it's, like, an easy way to tell, like, who isn't very intelligent, like, they don't have much to say.

Not reading the thread doesn't exactly paint you as a scholar.

 

[heyf00L]

OP, are you telling me your native language doesn't do this? Just listening to people speak in other languages, I've picked out filler words, like "yani" in Arabic.

 

[yongeandcollege]

I hate the phrases:

"I don't disagree"

and

"I know, right?" and "Right?"

The first is a double negative and makes your counterpoint less direct and less impactful. The second ones aren't even sentences.

 

[Linkark07]

I would hate to have to learn English.

Dunno why but for almost all my classmates English was like, you know, quite hard for learn. Well, doubt they were the only ones, most people here have problems with English (yet they also have problems with Spanish, their native language).

Now, I'm not saying I am an expert in English but it was quite easy to read, write and speak. In fact, many teachers were surprised at my knowledge of the language.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there's always been folder words and I'm sure you use a ton if you're a non native speaker like you say.

 

[Hilbert]

I hate the phrases:

"I don't disagree"
.

"I don't disagree" does not mean "I agree". There is a difference.

 

[Amibguous Cad]

I thought there's a few studies out there that look at whether or not intelligence and use of filler words are related?

I KNOW I've read one that said filler speech and high social intelligence correlate positively, but I don't remember anything with intelligence (like IQ).

This study, maybe? http://www.bustle.com/articles/2770...llers-such-as-like-are-smarter-than-you-think

Also, I think "like" is similar t "yall" in that it's a word doing good work that is unfortunately undermined by classism. The quotative "like" expresses something that nothing else in the English language does - it's sure a lot pither than qualifying " I'm loosely paraphrasing here, but..." But unfortunately people would rather look down on people with that kind of speech pattern rather than embrace a perfectly good tool, so...

I hate the phrases:

"I don't disagree"

and

"I know, right?" and "Right?"

The first is a double negative and makes your counterpoint less direct and less impactful. The second ones aren't even sentences.

That's the point. Sometimes you want to take a lighter touch. Also double negatives are something like the injunction to not use passive voice. I mean, it's not a bad rule of thumb (see, completely appropriate double negative there that serves as a more qualified endorsement than "good rule of thumb") but onceyou know what you're doing you can communicate a lot with a good double negative, mostly, as with these two examples, of softening or moderating the stated stance.