Yesterday I was at brunch and was surrounded with a horrifying chorus of "LIKE". When did this word so profoundly begin to fill our speech?! I catch myself saying it sometimes and I say to myself "Self, you betta remove that word from your lips in the name of JESUS!!!!!" I absolutely hate the way that it sounds coming out of my mouth. Now I have friends that say it and it sounds kinda cute - but coming out of the mouth of a big ole' black man, well, it is just not cute at all! The girls on both sides of us at the restaurant easily used LIKE about 7 times per sentence. I had thoughts of THE LIKE DEMON possessing them and taking control of their tongues. I was expecting their heads to spin around and for them to start projectile vomiting pancakes.
I remember when the Valley Girls trend originally exploded in the 80's but who'd-a-thunk that over 20 years later, that crazy twang would pop up on the tongues of seemingly ultra-modern New Yorkers? I think it has something to do with the suburbanization of America, even our major cities. I also think that this trend was bred and spread in the colleges of America - kids from all over the US packed up their backpacks, birkenstocks and the word LIKE and descended upon NYC like locusts. Let's not forget the suburban meccas of Long Island and New Jersey and the influence they wield on NYC (even though New Yorkers would never admit it).
Well, at this stage, I should do one of those crazy self help tricks like snapping a rubber band on my wrist every time I say the word or by eating a small piece of Irish Spring every time the word escapes from my lips. Maybe that isn't severe enough. I wonder if there is a 12-step program for this malady - LIKE-Anonymous, maybe. In any case, keep me in your prayers that I am delivered. Like, thank you.
I remember when the Valley Girls trend originally exploded in the 80's but who'd-a-thunk that over 20 years later, that crazy twang would pop up on the tongues of seemingly ultra-modern New Yorkers? I think it has something to do with the suburbanization of America, even our major cities. I also think that this trend was bred and spread in the colleges of America - kids from all over the US packed up their backpacks, birkenstocks and the word LIKE and descended upon NYC like locusts. Let's not forget the suburban meccas of Long Island and New Jersey and the influence they wield on NYC (even though New Yorkers would never admit it).
Well, at this stage, I should do one of those crazy self help tricks like snapping a rubber band on my wrist every time I say the word or by eating a small piece of Irish Spring every time the word escapes from my lips. Maybe that isn't severe enough. I wonder if there is a 12-step program for this malady - LIKE-Anonymous, maybe. In any case, keep me in your prayers that I am delivered. Like, thank you.
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3 comments:
Dahling, you have my utmost sympathy! Not only do woman use the word "like" obsessively, they have this maddening upward sweep at the end of their sentences. My dear, that must be stopped! At least black men don't do THAT! Can you imagine??
As LIRR commuter, I totally relate to the “like” story ‘cause its so like totally, like nails on a chalk board! There’s a women on my train with a machine gun mouth complete with rapidfire “knowhadamean” interjections after every statement. Thank God for the Ipod. Think I'll employ the rubber band just in case...
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