On Vagueness, and Quack talking

[WalOne]

This article by Clark Whelton, a former speechwriter for New York City mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani is well worth a read.

Like, if you're not like, into language, or use like, quack talk you won't enjoy this.

Vagueness

I've never heard the label "quack talk" before, but it's so, so, like succinct

Although it doesn't reach any conclusions, the erudite few on this forum should enjoy the article. I don't like, claim to consider myself like, erudite but if that cap fits then, like I'll wear it. And I've enjoyed like, deliberately using like, like in this post.

[johcar]

"Vagueness" is alive and well in New Zealand and is being actively encouraged by NCEA.

[R2x1]

Dis-like.

[Chilling_Silence]

Haha that's brilliant

[John H]

Excellent. I hope SurferJoe reads this because it illustrates the problems we face with Ameringlish!

However, half way down (in 1986) there is a discussion of the rising inflexion, where it sounds as though people are asking questions rather than making statements. It was a pain in the fundament in NZ for a few years. Apparently we exported this horrid habit to Australia, and it looks as though it ended up in the USA. I have also heard English kids doing the same thing.

One hopes that this is not the legacy that NewZild has bequeathed to the rest of the (ostensibly) English speaking world.

[WalOne]

Dis-like.

[pctek]

And he was like, you know, ‘Helloooo, what are you looking at?’ and stuff, and I’m like, you know, ‘Can I, like, pick you up?,’ and he goes, like, ‘Brrrp brrrp brrrp,’ and I’m like, you know, ‘Whoa, that is so wow!’ ”


It's ****.

[WalOne]

And he was like, you know, ‘Helloooo, what are you looking at?’ and stuff, and I’m like, you know, ‘Can I, like, pick you up?,’ and he goes, like, ‘Brrrp brrrp brrrp,’ and I’m like, you know, ‘Whoa, that is so wow!’ ”


It's ****.

That's the point Whelton was trying to make.

[Terry Porritt]

Younger people on PressF1 are now writing their posts in that fashion, like and stuff...............

[gary67]

We cured my step son and his cousin of using the like word in every sentence by the simple procedure of slinging it right back at them. We used like as every second word each time we spoke to them for a couple of months, they got so annoyed it cured them and now they are quite articulate in their speech which isn't bad for a 16 and 17 year old