Sir, – We read with interest the brief, yet very negative, description of the word “like” in Adam Brophy’s piece, “That snobbery particular to, like, children” (HEALTHplus, October 16th). Mr Brophy might be glad to hear that his daughters and their peers, who seem to be proficient users of the word “like”, are taking part in one of the most vigorous changes ever documented in the history of the English language.
Mr Brophy need not worry about his children or their friends suffering from some horrible, intellect-destroying, verbal affliction, nor need he worry about the younger generation finding themselves stranded at a “verbal roadblock” were the word “like” to be suddenly removed from their repertoires. Rather, he should take a moment to consider what “like” might be doing by appearing so irritatingly often in his children’s speech.
“Like” is incredibly versatile. No one really has much of a problem with it in its more familiar guises – as a verb, noun, preposition, and so on. It’s when we come to the “like” Mr Brophy describes as a “verbal tic” that the trouble starts. But it is needless trouble. This “like” functions as a marker, separating different sections of speech, focusing the listener’s attention, etc.
Another use of like is with “be”, to introduce direct speech or thought (the “I was like” which is the use people love to hate). “Like” is also used instead of “about/approximately”.
Research has shown that all age groups use “like”. Our own research even shows that the “new Irish” use “like”! Furthermore, “like” has been with us for a very long time: the OED documents examples of “like” (in its “verbal tic” form) as far back as the 18th and 19th centuries.
So Mr Brophy’s daughters and their friends are simply, like, showing how language changes over time; no amount of disapproval can stop such change, and we should allow ourselves to enjoy the living, dynamic nature of our language. – Yours, etc,