Aliens in the Apple

Is it vague, or is it lazy?

Franci 18 Feb 2011 Culture Funny things

This article is best read out loud for maximum effect.

I like read this interesting article the other day, and, you know, I thought it was pretty interesting, so I thought I’d like link to it. It was like talking about how people these days talk real vague or something. After I read it, I was like totally paranoid about talking all wrong, you know, but it’s like, yeah. I think I’m over it, you know?

But it like got me thinking how often I say “you know”, or like more to the point, how often other people say “you know” and I have like NO idea what they’re talking about. I feel like yelling like “NO, I don’t know!” You know? Maybe it’s because some people want what they’re saying to like please the other person and not offend them, so they like ‘pad’ everything they say with “you know”s and stuff. Maybe it’s because they want people to like them! Haha, sorry, I like totally couldn’t help myself. But yeah, you know?

“Like” on the other hand has just become a filler, I think. It’s not as if we like say “um” that much anymore these days, or like, um, do we?

So like… you know… yeah.

And yeah, you know, I must admit that I talk like this all the time, but it’s like really hard to write this way!

I think you should like read it and tell me what you think, you know?

Comments (3)

Bruce 18 Feb 2011 at 4:57pm

Reminds me of a passage Elisabeth Elliot wrote in “The Mark of a Man” about a “person” who swaggered up to her after one of her talks, hands thrust into jeans’ pockets, belligerent jaw thrust forward and working vigorously on a wad of gum.
“You know, I disagree with a lot of the stuff you say.”
“Okay. You’re allowed to disagree with me. But can you be specific? Tell me two things you disagree with.”
Well, I don’t know, I mean, like, you know, I just don’t like some of the stuff you say about women.”
It wasn’t the time to point out the difference between not liking and not agreeing. I find that my students in the seminary often confuse the two. … But I met her on her terms.
“Okay. Fine. Tell me what you don’t like.”
“Well, like, you know, I just don’t like to think of myself as, like, you know, as a woman.” The gum was getting a terrific workout.
“Really? How do you like to think of yourself, then?”
“Just a person. You know?”
Everything about this person testified that she was trying. She was doing her best not to be a woman. But it was a poor show, because, come to think of it, there aren’t that many options.

Rick 18 Feb 2011 at 11:49pm

“I know, right?” - I hate that phrase

Hannah 19 Feb 2011 at 9:47pm

It’s like…yeah…totally. I wish I could think of a recent good example of when someone stopped mid-sentence and…yeah, you know, never finished it but like expected me to, you know…. I might agree with them if they could ever bring themselves to finish their sentence, but they totally leave out the punchline, subject,…something majorly relevant to like communicating. And it’s too awkward to say like “and…?” So… (As a college student I seemed to end a lot of conversations with that little word; probably still do. Random.)