Some of us have fallen into the trap of picking up on conversation fillers and it's gotten out of control -- totally. "Totally" is one, its purpose being to establish that we hang out with others who don't eat dinner at 5:30, serving the same purpose as "I'm giving you a heads up" to let others know we are connected enough to pick up not only things that require antibiotics, but popular expressions.
I may be the only one bristling at trendy speech patterns but, quite frankly, that would surprise me. "Quite frankly" is another, turning up with great regularity in inappropriate places, most often preceding something that is no more revealing or intimate than what came before it. Watch any cable news show and start counting how many times you hear "quite frankly," but be warned that you will also hear "sort of" just as frequently. An MSNBC host used them all in one sentence last night. Care to guess which one?
Pity any adjective that isn't "amazing" or "awesome." These have taken over at the expense of all other descriptions. Anything slightly less unpleasant than having a mammogram is lauded with one of these two words. This president (yes, that's another) often suggests we band together to create change; I am proposing we do the same and put an end to word abuse. We've proved we can do it. We were once in love with whatever, surreal and let's not go there, but we've moved on, just as we've let ISIS make al-Qaeda seem like Quakers.
We take the time to check for ticks after being in the country. I propose we screen our speech habits for tics. The most common is "like," the non-essential "like," so popular with whatever the name is of the generation that likes "like," as in "I told him I, like, wanted to go to a bar, but he, like, said he was like tired." There are, to be sure, acceptable uses for "like." "I like what you said," is reasonable. "I would like the steak rare" is also fine -- unless you're a vegetarian.
I am also fine with, "I would like one of your pique assiette pieces," which you can see on my web site, www.sybilsage.com. Please take a look at the unusual, contemporary vases, picture frames, planters and other items there and, like, let me know what you like. Having a piece in your home or giving one as a gift will establish you as being connected.
