Well, You Know, We Don’t Like It

Matt Johanson dissertates (Commentary, May 5) on the propensity of high school sophomores to insert “like” superfluously within almost every sentence. At least this tendency seems to fade as one reaches adulthood. Not so the habit of inserting “you know” multiple times within a sentence. Seemingly adults today who should know better actually cultivate this mannerism as a kind of trendy newspeak. Often I can barely resist responding, “If I knew, why would I be listening to you?”

Fred Hoeptner

La Crescenta

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Your criticism of the use of the word “like” leads me to request that you start a similar campaign to eliminate the use of the word “well” whenever an interviewee answers a question on TV. Listen to them and you will find it is used more than the teenagers use “like.” Well, I’ve made my point.

Henry W. Abrams

Encino