That’s so annoying, you know
Do you feel like screaming when you hear certain words being used to death?
AFRIEND was complaining recently about her daughter’s communication skills. “Actually, how does she expect to get a job after graduating when every sentence she utters includes the word ‘like’ as many times as possible?” she said. “Have you talked to her about it?” I asked. “Talked to her about it? Actually, it irritates me so much that I keep mentioning it to her whenever she utters the word.” “So how does she react to your comments?” “Actually, this is what she said this morning: ‘ Mum, like what don’t you understand about the word like? It’s, like, used by almost all my peers. You should, like, really listen to yourself, because you do the same thing. Isn’t that being hypocritical?’ ” “How did you react to that?” “Actually, I didn’t. It’s a dumb comment, so I just walked out of the room to avoid an argument.” “But she does have a point,” I said. “Actually, I don’t know what you mean. Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?”
“I don’t know if you’re aware of it, and it’s not about taking sides, but you do use the word ‘actually’ quite often.”
There followed a few seconds of silence. Then she laughed. “Actually, you’re right. My husband has pointed it out before. But it’s not the same.” “Of course, it’s the same.” “Actually, I feel bad about saying this, but my daughter sounds stupid and uneducated with all those likes. If I were to go to a job interview and say something like, ‘ Wow! Like, your company is, like, so cool, and I think that I can see myself, like, really fitting in here,’ do you think I would have any chance of getting the job?”
“Depends on the job, but probably not. Still, we’re usually on our best behaviour when we attend an interview, with most of us making an effort to mind our P’s and Q’s. As long as we behave appropriately in any given situation, does it matter how we speak when we’re with family and friends?”
“Of course, it does. Especially when it annoys the @#$% out of your mother.”
Thinking about this conversation now, I realise I didn’t have the same attitude when my children were at home. I was a bit of a language nazi and always pointed out their grammar infractions. I guess it’s easier for me to be lenient with someone else’s children, simply because I don’t have to live with them.
Still, I don’t have a problem listening to other people’s liberal use of “like” or “actually” probably because they don’t change the meaning of what they’re trying to say. However, it does bother me when I have to listen to someone overusing and misusing the word “literally”.
For example, take the following monologue: “I’m so hungry I could literally eat a horse. If I don’t get something to eat in the next five minutes, I’m literally going to die. Today has been such a bad day that I literally died when my boss asked me to work late. He’s literally the most inconsiderate person, ever. I mean to say, I was literally starving at my desk.”
Okay, it’s a little exaggerated but it does illustrate how the word can be misused.
Just for the record, it’s physically impossible to eat a horse – at least, at one sitting. Unless, of course, it’s one of those cute miniature ponies. And as far as I’m aware, it will take a healthy person more than a month to starve to death. Also, if someone literally died, they wouldn’t be alive to tell anyone that their boss is the most inconsiderate person ever. And even if they didn’t die, how do you measure inconsiderateness?
Used sparingly, the word literally can stress a point, but if you overuse it, it will probably serve to make you look literally ridiculous.
While I’m on a roll, I also need to point out the excessive use of “you know”.
Try to avoid something like the following: “I saw my neighbour behaving suspiciously, you know, the other night. He went into, you know, his garden shed. And you know, he was in there for ages. Just before he came out, I heard, you know, the sound of a gun being fired. Then he came out carrying what looked like a rolled up rug, you know. I think he was, you know, up to no good.”
Just a few minutes of all those “you knows” will, like, literally cause your brain to explode.
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