Sir, – The incessant use of the latest buzzword-like filler phrase, “you know”, is becoming very tiring. Whether walking down the street, browsing in a shop or listening to radio interviews, one is bombarded by its relentless repetition.
It seems to have infiltrated every corner of daily conversation like an invasive linguistic weed.
Please, can we stop treating those being spoken to – or listening – as though they are incapable of understanding simple statements without being constantly checked or prodded? Of course, we know; that is not in dispute.
But being repeatedly fact-checked or implicitly interrogated in the middle of perfectly ordinary conversation is hardly conducive to genuine, thoughtful social interaction.
RM Block
And, dare I say, with the festive season upon us, I positively dread how this phrase will multiply once alcohol and Christmas cheer enter the fray.
If it’s this bad sober, what hope do we have after the third glass?
As we approach the new year, may I suggest a collective effort to eliminate this toxic and profoundly annoying verbal tic? Our conversations, and our sanity, would be better for it.
You know? – Yours, etc,
GERRY HICKEY,
Dublin.
