The use of "like", "basically" and "literally" in sentences

[amateur]

When people use the words, "like", " basically", " literally" in sentences, does it make them sound "thick".

 

[The_Engineer]

When people use the words, "like", " basically", " literally" in sentences, does it make them sound "thick".

Personally, no. Use of certain words is not a problem. Incorrect spelling, grammar and punctuation - now that's another matter......!

 

[birchesgreen]

Language changes all the time, you just need to like get over it.

 

[507021]

When people use the words, "like", " basically", " literally" in sentences, does it make them sound "thick".

Not in my opinion.

 

[jon0844]

When people use the words, "like", " basically", " literally" in sentences, does it make them sound "thick".

We're getting ever closer to the day where words like that will reflect a higher level of intelligence than the norm...!

 

[hexagon789]

When people use the words, "like", " basically", " literally" in sentences, does it make them sound "thick".

Not thick, no, but I do find it irritating when people pepper their sentences with the word "like".

 

[prod_pep]

'Thick' is a strong word, but it's true that the word 'literally' is grossly overused these days and, more often than not, misused. Coming out with a line like "I was literally on fire today" to mean "I did well", doesn't sound particularly intelligent.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The adverb "basically" is used when making reference to either the main or the most important characteristic of something in discussion. I see nothing wrong with words that are used in their correct context.

 

[DarloRich]

When people use the words, "like", " basically", " literally" in sentences, does it make them sound "thick".

When they are used in a sentence such as this:

basically yeah he like literally exploded blud innit.

Yes it does. and common.

 

[tony_mac]

'Literally' literally means 'not literally' these days - and I mean that literally.

" c. colloq. Used to indicate that some (frequently conventional) metaphorical or hyperbolical expression is to be taken in the strongest admissible sense: ‘virtually, as good as’; (also) ‘completely, utterly, absolutely’."
(This use dates back to 1769, including by Mark Twain)

 

[gazthomas]

Like is certainly misused, often as a pause or as an necessary link. I don't think people who do this are thick, but I am sensitive to it.

 

[Bletchleyite]

One colloquial use of "like" that is interesting is "he was like X", e.g. "he was, like, I'm not doing that, it's too much effort".

It has slightly more meaning than "he said". It's often used quite expressively and includes body language, which "he said" doesn't.

 

[BlueFox]

When people use the words, "like", " basically", " literally" in sentences, does it make them sound "thick".

When people ask a question without using a question mark, does it make them look thick?

 

[amateur]

Thank you. I was waiting for that one. And, yes I am thick. So what!

 

[AM9]

How about the use of the word 'so' before every sentence, or the adjective bad used without a noun (e.g. "my bad"), or the slightly immodest "I'm good"?

 

[Harbornite]

Like, I think people what use the wrong grammer are literally the thickest people going, basically that's all their is to it.

When people use the words, "like", " basically", " literally" in sentences, does it make them sound "thick".

To an extent, although said words are acceptable in some circumstances. I find that the bigger giveaways of a thicko are not starting sentences with capital letters and ending questions with full stops instead of question marks.

 

[Harbornite]

Thank you. I was waiting for that one. And, yes I am thick. So what!

I respect the honesty, but I suggest that you don't lord it over people for using certain words when you are guilty of making basic grammatical errors.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Like is certainly misused, often as a pause or as an necessary link.

We can probably blame Shaggy in Scooby Doo for this.

 

[furnessvale]

You missed unwarranted use of the word "so" to start a sentence!

 

[amateur]

I respect the honesty, but I suggest that you don't lord it over people for using certain words when you are guilty of making basic grammatical errors.

I never check my spelling, grammar or punctuation on this forum. I just let yorkie fix it for me. Everytime I start a new thread yorkie is onto it. I think yorkie is the official proofreader.

 

[amateur]

You missed unwarranted use of the word "so" to start a sentence!

So, basically as I was saying....

 

[route101]

How about the use of the word 'so' before every sentence, or the adjective bad used without a noun (e.g. "my bad"), or the slightly immodest "I'm good"!

My bad and i do not care for are Americanisms arent they?

 

[AM9]

My bad and i do not care for are Americanisms arent they?

Including the lower case 'i', the missing word between 'are' and 'Americanisms', probably 'they' and of course the missing apostrophe in 'arent'? I don't think that the grammatic/capitilisation/apostrophe errors are Americanisms.

 

[Cowley]

Oh man, this is a thread that’ll probably just keep on giving...
It’s like, hilarious.

Thankfully I tend to use my phone to post and with its predictive text function it can make you look more intelligent than you actually are.
I mean you’ve only got to type the first few letters of a word in and it does the rest... God knows what I’d come out with if I was on a PC!

 

[Rob F]

Like is certainly misused, often as a pause or as an necessary link. I don't think people who do this are thick, but I am sensitive to it.

Me too. Some people sprinkle it so liberally through their discourse that it comes across as a vocal tic. It also adds nothing to the point they are trying to get across, so why bother?

 

[DarloRich]

Like is certainly misused, often as a pause or as an necessary link. I don't think people who do this are thick, but I am sensitive to it.

Me too. Some people sprinkle it so liberally through their discourse that it comes across as a vocal tic. It also adds nothing to the point they are trying to get across, so why bother?

It is at best lazy but frankly it is because they are thick and poorly / uneducated. The people using this phrase where not challenged as a child not to do something they have picked up from American TV.

How about the use of the word 'so' before every sentence, or the adjective bad used without a noun (e.g. "my bad"), or the slightly immodest "I'm good"?

I detest the use of the word so at the start of a sentence.

A further example is the use of the phrase - Can I get. Example at a coffee bar: Can I get a cup of tea.

 

[Warwick]

It is at best lazy but frankly it is because they are thick and poorly / uneducated. The people using this phrase where not challenged as a child not to do something they have picked up from American TV.



I detest the use of the word so at the start of a sentence.

A further example is the use of the phrase - Can I get. Example at a coffee bar: Can I get a cup of tea.

They weren't taught the difference between where and were either.

 

[DarloRich]

They weren't taught the difference between where and were either.

Being dyslexic it is difficult to pick up such things when proof reading, especially on screen. From and form/ there and thier cause the same problems - thanks for pointing out the mistake.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Has anyone challenged the use of the word "thick" which is used in the original posting on this thread?

 

[Tetchytyke]

It is at best lazy but frankly it is because they are thick and poorly / uneducated.

Like is a filler, which is a well-known and well-understood linguistic tool.

In linguistics, a filler is a sound or word that is spoken in conversation by one participant to signal to others a pause to think without giving the impression of having finished speaking. These are not to be confused with placeholder names, such as thingamajig, whatsamacallit, whosawhatsa and whats'isface, which refer to objects or people whose names are temporarily forgotten, irrelevant, or unknown. Fillers fall into the category of formulaic language, and different languages have different characteristic filler sounds. The term filler also has a separate use in the syntactic description of wh-movement constructions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filler_(linguistics)

It doesn't make someone sound "thick" any more than using the words er or um do. It's just a new filler word. It's preferable to the f-word, which seems to be a popular filler in parts of Tyneside these days.

It's not appropriate to use it in formal written language, but in spoken language (and text messaging, etc, which is informal) it is perfectly acceptable.

Using literally as a superlative does make me chuckle a bit more, especially in football commentary.