Verbal Tics
As I waited on line at the deli this afternoon I counted the number of times the high school student ahead of me said the word "like." "Do you like have potato salad? How much does it like cost? Can I have like $2 worth?" Just a few days earlier, as my husband, teenage daughter and I were driving around town, he cracked a joke about two teen girls who were crossing the street in front of us: "How many times do you think they are saying the word like?" he asked us. I thought it was funny. Our daughter didn't quite get the humor. I can only guess why that might be.
We all are guilty of "verbal tics." Some of us use the word "like" excessively, while others (I'm guilty of this one) say "um" to fill the empty space as we try to come up with the next thing to say. Then there are those who say "you know" at the end of every sentence. I called a small business the other day and the owner's message went something like this: "You've reached the XYZ Company? I'm not here right now? If you leave your name and number, I'll can you back?" Why all the questions? Was she unsure of her company's name, whether or not she was there, and if she would call me back? I've been noticing this particular verbal tic—making every statement sound like a question—for the past few years.
The way we speak says a lot about us. Using the word "like," for example, makes me think I'm talking to a teenager ... in the mid-1980s ... in the Valley. I try to keep myself from saying "um." I think it makes me sound like I don't know what to say next, when I'm really just trying to find the best way to say it. It's better for there to be a microsecond of silence while I collect my thoughts. And as for turning every sentence into a question, unfortunately it makes the speaker sound less than confident of what they are saying.
Do you have any verbal tics? Please share them by commenting below.
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