Most of us have been criticized by friends (playfully) and English teachers (earnestly) for slipping up and using words incorrectly in a sentence, and while many of us like to think we have the basic grammar principles down, we still misuse some common words in our everyday conversations.
Dictionary.com compiled a short list of these words that we carelessly slip into sentences to give ourselves more time to think and, in doing so, ruin the sentence. These so-called “crutch words” detract from your main message and don’t add useful meaning to your statement.
So what are some commonly used crutch words?
<strong>Actually</strong> – The literal meaning of this word signifies that something is present or exists in reality, but it is often used incorrectly to add an extra punch to the sentence.
<strong>Basically</strong> – This word should be used to signify a simple or fundamental point, instead people often use it incorrectly in a statement to add weight and instill a sense of finality.
<strong>Honestly</strong> – People often use this word to add either authority or amazement to their statements. Its correct usage adds meaningful honesty to what the speaker is saying.
<strong>Like</strong> – Okay, we’re admittedly guilty of this one. We just can’t seem to shake this filler word, which was adapted into our vernacular after movies and shows like <em>Valley Girl</em> and <em>Clueless </em>introduced us to the so-called 'Val Speak.' Just like “um,” we involuntarily slip the word into our conversations, but it should be used when describing something that has the same form or character as something else.
<strong>Literally</strong> – This often used crutch word can irritate scrupulous listeners, as the incorrect usage of the adverb can render a statement senseless. The word is supposed to describe something in a strict manner without exaggeration, instead speakers often use it in figurative or hyperbolic sentences.
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Count how often athletes and other people use these words: “You know, I mean, you know, I mean, you know, I mean….”
Oooo, that bugs me too! Especially when they start a response to a question with the “I mean…”, as if we obtained the first part of their answer through osmosis, and they felt the need to emphasize only the second half of the response through spoken language.
I’ll be the first to admit that I break every one of the 5 rules stated above at times, and they are perfectly valid points, however I would have believe there are much more egregious errors made in everyday conversation, such as “me and my friend went to the…” or “that was one of the only times I…”. I hear these infractions repeatedly every day and it literally drives me nuts!
(sorry, I couldn’t resist!)
I agree. “I mean” is, by far, the most overused phrase in the English language. What is weird is that many people who have only recently learned English have somehow gotten into the habit of using it. My theory is that “I mean” has replaced the “uhhh” that once was the usual sound-pause used when searching for the next thought or words in a conversation.
You are wrong, the most over used phrase is “you know”. Just count the number of times some of these slow thinkers use that phrase because they usually cannot think in straight lines to express a cogent thought.
“Overused” is one word, so I guess you won’t be joining the elite caste of fast thinkers any time soon.
Like, totally! For sure.
Words change according to usage. Language serves people, not vice versa. I have a book by a Columbia professor from around 1900. He lists slang and neologisms, (newly minted words), and predicts their survivability. Many he thought would vanish still survive as accepted parts of the language to this day. Others he thought were worthy have vanished without a trance. About 75% wrong on both counts at least. As an expatriot Brit I realise American is a dialect in the process of becoming a language!
“literally” is never going to mean “figuratively,” no matter how much it is used incorrectly. yes, language is fluid, but these words have meanings. dictionaries exist for a reason. colloquialisms do not change words’ meanings, they just obfuscate them.
by your argument, any word in any language can come to mean anything. honestly, that point literally is actually like basically ridiculous.
Ker, Your post is excellent! ‘that point literally is actually like basically ridiculous.’ You could have ended it with “just saying!” but I’m glad you didn’t.
kewl
I mean, like, whatever.
And then Ker could have inserted the word “AWESOME!!!!” randomly in her comment, just to complete the set.
well done
Yes, it’s perfectly true that any word in any language can, over time, come to mean anything. That’s how language works.
You betcha!
A dictionary is a history book. It is a history of what a word meant to users in the past. King Charlie 2 said St Paul’s “is awful.” He didn’t mean it was bad, he meant it filled him with awe.
If you believe that, then you have no knowledge or understanding of the history of language. Language is dynamic and will change with time. There are hundreds of words in our language that have changed meaning over time. Then again, I’m sure you’re aware of that.
Funnily enough, the word ‘literally’ can be used to describe something figuratively, at least according to the Merriam Webster dictionary. This ‘misuse’ of the word has been going on for some time!
Totally.
You are right! We shouldn’t change the definition of a word because people are too stupid to use it correctly.
I agree. This means we can now go back to saying someone is gay when they are happy and light-hearted.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally
Except that dictionaries are now listing a new meaning for the word “literally” which does define it as used for emphasis more akin to figuratively.
http://theweek.com/article/index/241002/how-the-wrong-definition-of-literally-snuck-into-the-dictionary
This is the excuse that is too often used for sloppy language. Sorry, but it doesn’t work. There is change in language and then there is just plain laziness.
How much longer before prescription gets a dictionary entry as perscription. Unbelieveably, I’ve heard pharmacists use ‘per…’ But then, using correct pronunciation is so time consuming and tiring to to use.
Don’t forget RELA TOR Jew la ry
Thank goodness you wrote this out, because we couldn’t understand you if you were speaking aloud. All that chuffing, chewing and gargling of words you Brits do, oy. E-NUN-CI-ATE!
It’s not just the English. Anyone can butcher a language, and I would say, every single country – be it English speaking or not – has completely abused and misused many parts of their own language. So don’t go around abusing the British when, chances are, you’ve been guilty of this as well.
Based on your analysis I believe that the spelling of realise will be changed in the dictionary…
Realise is the correct British spelling bro…”Just sayin’ “
Still survive? What’s wrong with survive?
Well now, you have opened a huge can of worms! As my British friend like to say, we are two countries divided by a common language!
In American English the variations of speaking patterns & words among geographical regions are most commonly considered “accents” whereas the word dialect generally imposes a more strict (and somewhat snobby) meaning in which the spoken words of one region are barely recognizable to another, much like the dissimilarities of French and Spanish, despite both languages having the same common roots in Latin.
As a native born American who has professionally worked quite extensively with Brits for many years, I am almost constantly reminded of the British sense of language superiority simply because the basis of our common language is named for one of your countries.
American English has not emerged, and will never develop in the same isolated manner as British English because ours is little more than an flexible amalgamation of every Latin based language, with strong influences from a number of other languages.
Primarily due to our constantly changing genetic makeup, it is highly unlikely that American verbal mannerisms will ever become stale & rigid like the traditional languages spoken in European countries. Though a keen ear can easily detect that modern communications and a somewhat mobile population have definitely begun to diverge accents from the heavily regionalized mannerisms in older citizens and the more more modern normalized, or standardized American English spoken by the younger population.
As a country, American citizens tacitly recognize and accept there will always be some differences in our spoken accents, as well as many other components of our lives, for it is who we are.
Word.
OMG! TS, I’m gobsmacked! You’re reading my mind!
Clearly. I’m just not sure yet if the language it becomes is going to be English!
without a “trance”
Honestly, you, like, basically missed actually the mostly stupidest word literally used by everybody, totally.
Bill, hahaha! Love it!
> Honestly, you, like, basically missed actually the mostly stupidest word literally used by everybody, totally.
Duuude, that was awesome!
Dude!
I agree with the statement made with Hypnosis Hypnotherapy LA. Language is evolving all the time. The first three examples did use the words correctly. “The game is over” is a simple and fundamental point. If that drink you had is the best you’ve ever drank then that’s an honest statement. If you are not sure of something, it exists in reality.
These words don’t make a person sound dumb – these do: double negatives, using “me” and “I” incorrectly, the word “irregardless” and the word “ax” when meaning “ask” (yes, it may be considered a dialect but is just as bad as “ain’t” for sounding less than intelligent).
This was truly a terrible article. I hope the author wasn’t paid for it. If so, I want a job where I get paid for awful journalism!
@David… he who is without sin… you misused “drank” – it should read, “the best you’ve ever drunk.” Drink, drank, drunk. Basic dumb mistake.
or worse, a whole culture calling the thing itself (drink or drinks plural) drank or dranks as in We had dranks at the club or I need a drank. I don’t mean just some, I mean errbody. ignorant at best; low life at least Hah!
drink drank drunk got drunk last night got drunk the night before gonna get drunk tonight like we never got drunk before!
“Ain’t” is a contraction of “am not”, just as “won’t” is a contraction of “will not”. I don’t understand why somebody decided “ain’t” is always wrong, resulting in people saying, “Aren’t I?”, when they would never say “I aren’t”. It makes no sense whatever.
Language is dynamic – stupid.
Missed a big one on the list…’irregardless.’ Amazed how often this one is used; not so much by athletes using ‘media-speak’ but more often by top-level corporate execs.
thank you for adding that! it’s another one of my pet peeves – when people add endings to words to make them mean what they already mean! irregardless is one of the worst offenders. “normalcy,” which is only in the dictionary because Woodrow Wilson used it frequently (what is easier, telling a self-righteous president his grammar is poor, or adding the word to the dictionary?), instead of normality. off the top of my head i can’t come up with more right now, but when i clicked on this article, i expected to see words like that, nonsense words, on the list. regardless if language is fluid and living, we don’t need words that have built-in redundancies.
@ker – two strikes and your out… it is Warren G. Harding, not Woodrow Wilson you are thinking of. Normalcy was an important part of his campaign. Strike two? The word normalcy dates back to the early 19th century and is not a neologism of the 1920s. Great rant about Wilson! You don’t look too foolish.
Two strikes and “you’re” out. Maybe you should get some “Today’s Wine.” Notice the correct use of the apostrophe. Before you criticize someone, be sure your own post is edited.
Yesterday’s Wine….the proper contraction of “you are” is you’re.
HS English teacher 22 yrs.
One of my biggest complaints is the phrase “very unique.” Something is either unique or it isn’t. No superlative is required.
For example, the song Stone Love by Kool and the Gang, in which they say: “Our love is so unique, it’s one of a kind.” It makes you wonder what they think “unique” means.
They left out one phrase
“You know”
Agree with those that have stated language is dynamic, but as of now the stated definitions are correct. Just like “google” meant nothing before, it has now been defined. It will take time to add other various meanings, if ever, to these words.
Google DID mean something before – ask a mathematics major.
You’re thinking of “googol”, not “Google”.
In mathematics, a “googol” is a 1 followed by 100 zeros.
If that’s what the “Google” people meant, they spelled it wrong!
Considering the original word was a nonsense word made up by a child upon request of a mathematician, I don’t think spelling matters.
And what of Barney Google?
Under “like” the author claims that “it should be used when describing something that has the same form or character as something else.”
I was taught to avoid using “like” in that manner, and to use “such as” instead.
Here’s my list of MOST HATED PHRASES/WORDS: “…know what I’m sayin’”, “…or whatever”, “‘…cray”, “…conversatin’”, “word!”, …”ya feel me?”
The use of Like was mis-attributed. Norville Rogers first popularized this filler word (for those who don’t know, that’s Shaggy from Scooby Doo).
Before Shaggy, “like” was a favorite of the real and pseudo-Beats: Kerouac, Krebs, etc.
Notice that all those words, except for “like”, are adverbs. All the most unnecessary words are.
i wouldn’t call descriptors unnecessary. adverbs are often necessary in all languages. they are just as necessary as adjectives. that is why they exist.
even the most polished public speakers use “fillers” from time to time. but using words to mean exactly the opposite of what they mean, when you are not speaking satirically is grammatically incorrect. we can’t just throw out the dictionary because people want to use words incorrectly. using “literally” when you mean “figuratively” is not the same as using “bad” to mean “good,” because that usage is a satirical colloquialism. it stems from a idiomatic source of irony. if one means “figuratively,” then say that. “i could have died” is the correct idiom, not “i literally died,” unless you are speaking about a time when your heart stopped beating and/or you stopped breathing. the other words, i do take issue with on this list, because they are descriptors – many times unnecessary, but they are not used incorrectly, just too often at times when they are not needed. now, if you want to talk about words that will make you sound stupid, “true fact” is a nonsense term. that is another of my pet peeves; irregardless and true fact. both are redundancies, which are, at least to me, vulgar.
“irregardless?” Really???
And how about that old standby, “vicea versa”. That one is ACTUALLY annoying.
I think I agree with you, except that since so many so-called facts are made up, massaged, and cuffed about these days, we know certainly that there are false facts aplenty. Surely everyone has heard the expression phony facts. So, I think it depends.
ker: you wrote “a idiomatic source of irony”…i hope you just did not press hard enough on the ‘n’ in an.
So does saying often times! Often is word enough. Try it.
You know what I hate worse than people who butcher the English language? Grammar Nazis.
How about the use of the word Nazis? I’m like not normally easily offended but that one bugs the crap out of me.
Don’t forget HOPEFULLY. It is also used incorrectly.
The battle over hopefully is over.
Good ones…though the author forgot “often times” which is grammatically incorrect and conversation slang only…but go ahead and use it while you’re criticizing words that make people sound “stupid.” Excellent.
Oftentimes is a word. It dates back to late Middle English. It’s in all dictionaries. It is one, not two, words. It’s longer, it’s bulkier, it’s not used much and it’s not very elegant. But it is not incorrect and it is not new. Often is a stretching out of oft, the latter pretty much having fallen into disuse. If you’re going to be a grammar cop, go to school before you pull someone over for bad writing or thinking.
Uhm……so Basically we like cant Actually use words like this to make sense? Honestly we talk like this all the time,like Literally!
(Said in a Harry Styles voice )
Your Forgot “Irregardless”
The word that I know makes people sound ignorant is IRREGARDLESS. That is NOT a word and I pray people will stop saying it. It’s either REGARDLESS or nothing! My boss tried to have me type that word in one of her letters and I put in regardless and she said (with a master’s degree) “I wanted to say irregardless” and I informed her that was not a word. She searched and searched but to no avail. Another word is CONVERSATE…the word is converse, OK? God bless us one and all. (SMILES)! KMS
Don’t forget “you know”, “what ever” and “quite frankly”.
If you were making a top ten list then “awesome” would have to be added as well. This word means something that is awe-inspiring, in the sense of being breathtaking, such as staring out from the North rim Grand Canyon, as opposed to the current meaning, which finding a quarter in your sofa cushion.
Supposably…is the one I hate to hear.
Well, on that front, “flustrated”. Getting “flustered” and “frustrated” all mixed up. Literally.
Honestly, Is this a joke, because I must be in the “Twilight Zone” or something. Actually, it is quite hypocritical for people to critique others spoken language, while their own written language is poor.
For example, see the vast majority of the comments/replies WRITTEN on this post? I rest my case.
…you mean how you wrote “critique others spoken language” when you should have written “critique others’ spoken language”?
(=
Many of the words cited in the article fall into the category “unnecessary.” I think that “crutch” is too strong of a description. They are “fillers” or “discourse fillers.” We use dozens of phrases that show emphasis (sometimes without reason). If I say, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” I’m adding even more emphasis to an already frank phrase. Rhett’s words to Scarlett would have meant something quite different if he simply said “I don’t give a damn,” and exited. “Basically,” may not mean what it was originally contrived for, but may convey “I’m boiling a bunch of ideas down into a form we can readily understand for the purposes of this conversation.” Not exactly “basic,” but close enough for grins. I don’t find the use of “literally” to be the one that’s off, but it’s new companion, “virtually.” “Virtually” has come to mean, in some people’s minds, “literally.” “I was virtually the last person at the party.” A good trick. “Actually” is the trickiest of the words critiqued. It has multiple meanings and uses, actually. (To express a contrary opinion.) Actually, I didn’t think there would be such an outcry. (A reaction to something that expresses that the first speaker is saying something unexpected.) I can’t condone these tight definitions, actually, especially when they are -ill-founded. (To indicate some level of surprise.) Actually can also be used to indicate that a new topic is being introduced. Speaker 1: I love baseball. Speaker 2: I do, too – I played on the minor league level for 2 years actually.
Basically, I like honestly don’t literally understand why people get so upset about how I talk, basically.
Another is “preventative” … the word is preventive.
No. Preventative is a word.
Preventative is the noun and preventive is the adjective. However, people often use preventative in place of preventive, which is incorrect.
axe, as in “Can I axe you a question?” If I were responsible for hiring people and someone came in with that I’d eliminate them first thing.
Ha! As a Southern Californian, I frequently find myself slurring “ask” and “asked” into “ass” and “assed”, respectively.
Like, this article literally blew me away. Basically, this is honestly the craziest article ever! I mean, who would’ve actually thought to write this?