On: Language history and we: the case of “like”

[cempaka]

I've tried to get out of the habit of this one now that I have kids learning from my example, but it really takes a lot of focus. What's funny is that I can remember the period as a kid where it was taking and being bothered by it ("why does everyone want to sound like Shaggy from Scooby Doo?"), before I apparently gave in and adopted it.

[JohnFen → cempaka]

Language is a social construct. People tend to modify their speech to be in line with the speech of those around them.