UNLIKABLE :

The, like, greater meaning of 'like': A study of the popular slang word, "like", finds it's not just mindless filler but can actually change the meaning of the sentence in which it's used. (AP, 9/04/02)

IT TURNS OUT "like" in its slang form has evolved over centuries, became a Beatnik buzzword and caught the attention of linguists in the mid-1980s after it was popularized by Southern California "Valley Girls" ("Like, gag me with a spoon.").

The Valley Girl version of “like” is classified by linguists as a "discourse particle," along with "um," "well," "oh" and the like.

Unlike mere fillers, however, "like" has the ability to change the meaning of a sentence, according to Siegel's research, which builds on the findings of at least two other studies of the word.

For example, "like" can be a hedge, when the speaker is not quite sure what he or she is about to say is accurate. (Example: "He has, like, six sisters.")

Siegel and other linguists have identified a variety of other uses for "like": a substitute for "said"; a way to introduce an exaggeration ("He"s, like, 150 years old."); and, yes, a filler when the speaker is casting about for just the right words.

Unfortunately though, the frequent use of "like" inevitably leads the listener to conclude the last--that the speaker needs to use filler while they think. Silence would be preferable. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 6, 2002 4:51 PM