To take this rant a step further, for the past two years I have delighted in annoying dozens of young people by challenging them to a bet: $100 says that no one under 25 can go a full 9-hour workday without using the crutch phrases “like” or “you know.” These two abominations–that basically say, “I am incapable of intelligently expressing my thought, so I hope you’ll nod in some vague sense of understanding as I employ this lame verbal crutch”–are positively carcinogenic to good communication. I have yet to pay a dime.
Hey, Paul, aren’t you glad you posted today?
