Idiosyncrasy or verbal crutch?

The disclaimer: Yep, I use a couple of these myself, without even thinking about it. And it must stop.

Have you ever noticed people peppering their speech with useless or even erroneously used words and phrases? Do you think it’s colorful or just annoying?

 I’m talking about things like:

·         “Actually.”

Example:  “So, I actually called the phone company, and I actually complained about my bill. And then, they actually told me that my bill was correct.”

People carelessly throw this word in to modify their verbs all the time, as if you wouldn’t believe they actually did what they said they were doing. But it would work so much better in moderation and in cases where the action was outrageous. For instance, “So, I actually got on a banana boat going down the Limpopo River and I actually fell out, and then a water buffalo actually tried to eat me.” Then again, it would work just fine without the actuallys.

·         “You know what I mean”? Also, “You know what I’m sayin’?” or simply “You know?”

Example: “So, I was over at the place, you know? And those guys, they were all [gestures], you know what I mean?”

This is especially heinous when the person is telling you a story about something that happened to them while you were not present, or explaining something that you are not familiar with. No, actually, I don’t know what you mean. That’s why you’re explaining it to me.

·         “Like” and “all”

Example: “So, like, this dog comes running up to me, and I’m all, like, you know, and it’s all snarlin’ and I’m like, ‘dude’!”

While this communication can be fairly clear in person due to the addition of facial expressions and gestures, can it really be called communication? There is so little meaning in it.

·         “Literally”

Example: “Like, that movie literally blew me away.”

Um, no it didn’t.  They have not yet invented the technology by which a movie can exert enough wind power to physically move you into the next county.

See plenty of real-life examples of this nonsense on Literally, A Web Log.

·         “So….”

Example: “Well, yes, I do find myself using these words erroneously from time to time, so….”

You hear this all the time stuck on the end of a sentence with an audible ellipsis, as if the speaker would like you to make some inference about his or her point. Or maybe the speaker is just afraid of the inevitable silence that would occur after he or she is done speaking and feels the need to throw in one last syllable to help fill the emptiness.

So….

You know what I’m sayin’?