#30. Exorcise the words ‘like’ and ‘you know’ from your vocabulary

Over the past few months I have really tried to pay attention to my vocabulary to see how often I use “like” or “you know”, and it’s not often. I believe if I ever used the word ‘like’ excessively it was probably dropped by about age 25. I absolutely can’t stand over use of the word.

And now that I’ve been paying attention to how much it is said it is commonly over used on the local college radio station, on my guilty pleasure 90210 TV show, and by two very young friends of a friend that I spent last Friday night barely tolerating.

“You know” I am far guiltier of using. However, I seem to have replaced it with “just saying” which is basically the exact same thing.

And to get off topic because that’s what I feel like doing there are a few words in the English language that drive me up a wall for no apparent reason, I just cringe when I hear them.

1. Bonspiel – I hate this word, hate how it sounds, hate everything about it. For those of you who don’t know it’s a curling tournament. I want to know why it can’t just be called a curling tournament? There are hockey tournaments and baseball tournaments, why does curling have to make up such an annoying word for the EXACT same thing.

2. Buzzy – I don’t technically know if this is a word, but Microsoft word didn’t try to correct it. My sister and some friends used to use this word to describe things when they were young and thought they were cool – which obviously they weren’t.

So far I can only think of the two, but I’m sure there are more.

Oh wait – Ridonculous (Ri-donc-u-lous). NOT actually a word and people think they are cool for saying it and the only thing they are is ridonculous themselves.

And if people are pregnant they are PREGNANT, not preggo. Preggo is pasta sauce!

So in conclusion - because obviously everything above requires something to conclude this entry. Don’t over use “like” and want to be taken seriously unless A – you live in West Beverly Hills California, or B – you haven’t graduated from a post-secondary institution yet. “You know” is more forgivable, but only if your are not lazy and it is preceded by the word "well" - in my books anyway.