Inspirational Quotes
Words to motivate, inspire, and guide you.
Language Evolution Quotes
Cultural NormsIdentity NavigationLanguage EvolutionPersonal ExpressionSocial Dynamics Just as the humble, unassuming, assenting 'O.K.' has deposed the more affirmative 'Yes,' so the little cringe and hesitation and approximation of 'like' are a help to young people who are struggling to negotiate the shoals and rapids of ethnic identity, the street, and general correctness.
CommunicationEducationLanguage EvolutionVocabularyYouth Culture Many parents and teachers have become irritated to the point of distraction at the way the weed-style growth of 'like' has spread through the idiom of the young. And it's true that in some cases the term has become simultaneously a crutch and a tic, driving out the rest of the vocabulary as candy expels vegetables.