I ask because I caught myself being a huge hypocrite again.
I’m a millennial and I criticized a Gen Z friend for her constant use of the word ‘lowkey.’
I then realized do I not do the same thing? I often say ‘sorta’ or ‘kinda’ when I do just mean I did the thing in the same way she uses ‘lowkey.’
No, I didn’t ‘kinda’ delete a guy’s account at my stupid IT job. I DELETED HIS ACCOUNT! I didn’t ‘sorta’ leave too late for work. I FUCKING LEFT LATE!
So I am a massive fucking hypocrite who needs to just let Gen Z chill and do what the want as I am the same flavor of asshole, but what about you?
I, like, totally do!
I, you know, low-key do sometimes, ahem, use, like, some, ahem, filler, ahem, you know, words, right.
No really, I do. Not as bad as above “sentence.” But I tend to sprinkle some “basically” and “just” into each comment I make.
And yes, I hate when others do it.For sure, I do. I also think that’s normal, because you sometimes need filler to let your brain catch up with your words. The filler words I find annoying are the ones that don’t “fit” the context, but that’s subjective, and younger people probably think “low-key” fits more often than I do.
I’m the opposite in a way, I tend to look for a specific word and when I can’t find it right away it can make for awkward pauses in my speech. I’m working on it.
But when I was younger, sure, tons of filler words. It gets better
I grew up in a house with a swear word jar, and a filler word jar. The swear word jar worked differently than most. We didn’t put a quarter in every time we used a swear word. We put a dollar in every time we use a swear word incorrectly or as a filler word. According to my parents, “profanity should be used as punctuation and emphasis, not decoration.”
The filler word jar worked like a normal swear word jar. $0.25 in the jar for each and every filler word we used. Since this was in the '80s and '90s, we learned to think about what we said before we started speaking.
Yes
Short and to the point. Gotta hand it to you.
It’s only when I see “lowkey” used to mean the exact opposite of its intended meaning, and without being sarcastic that I get annoyed. If it’s hella loud and/or flashy, that shit is not lowkey, kiddos.
Eh, think about “bad” in the 90s.
Maybe you let your friend know you realized you’re a hypocrite?
IRL I often use too few filler words and get perceived to be blunt or direct. So I think there is a middle ground.
like, totally!
I’ve been pretty aware of fillers from an early age and had a similar problem
I come from low socioeconomic so often a few words was enough. As I have grown and travelled I have adopted fillers, esp when writing. I often feel like I use too many which feels like I am betraying my natural way of communicating. But this also boosted by my likely ADHD. It’s usually too much, or too little, I just can’t get that middle ground.
So, similar background, and my issue is that, as I’ve traveled, widened my circle, and now (in my late 30s) made my way into higher education; I somewhat refuse to use the expanded vocabulary that these more “sophisticated” circles prefer. I feel like I’m exposing myself to thee parts of society in order to bring the better parts of it and ways of thinking back to help build my preferred community, but knowing that the only why I can bring it back is if I maintain the “local lingo” if you will. Otherwise, I feel I’ll be seen as an outsider.
I think I may have gone pretty hard and to the left of what we were originally talking about…but this is the internet, I may have just needed to scream into the void. Idk, but that constant strive for a middle ground is a familiar feeling.
You can adapt how you speak to the people you’re talking to. In fact most people do that somewhat automatically, but you can consciously encourage it to happen more fully.
I do to a point, but there is intended refusal on my part when speaking with those that I get the impression that they do so to be impressive, especially in higher ed.
In a big believer in knowing how to and practicing the ability to speak to the least formally educated among us is a more valuable skill than is using the longest and most sophisticated words I can muster. I know the words, and I CAN use the words, but why? Especially if it runs the risk of someone around me feeling like they can’t or shouldn’t engage due to societal pressures of inadequacy. Fuck that noise.
I have often felt like I don’t belong in the space I am occupying for similar reasons, I would hate to be the reason someone else felt that way.
I understand that and unfortunately the industries I work in expect waffle and showiness. The weird thing is in almost every exit interview my bosses tend to mention the appreciated my frankness. It must just slip out. I do get tired of the pretentiousness. It may not be that for a lot of people but that’s how it feels, like a linguistic game.
I think I understand what you’re talking about. I wouldn’t classify the extra words I use as strictly “filler” words. My phrasing is designed to avoid speaking in absolutes. I’m sure it was intentional at one point but it’s been a habit for so long that it’s become automatic.
I’ve considered why I do this and come up with a few reasons. First, because I routinely doubt myself. Even on topics where I am an expert. Imposter syndrome is real. Second, because I often find myself having to deliver news that the other person(s) doesn’t want to hear and I feel like it helps “soften the blow.” And third, to give myself the feeling of plausible denyability; even if there really is none. e.g. “I said <X> could happen, not would happen.”
TLDR: Because I doubt myself and want to avoid conflict.
But there are times when I will drop the fillers. And it’s not really a conscious effort. If I’m talking about something I feel morally responsible for, I will drop the bullshit and get straight to the point. It happens when I’ve decided that I’m going to die on this [proverbial] hill and that doing what I think is right outweighs any potential consequences. I can coun’t on one, maybe two hands where I’ve felt I had to choose between a job or a friend and my personal ethics.
In those moments, the fillers go away because my choice is already made.
uhh NO!?
Oh definitely. The way I use language changes drastically based on the situation. I try to avoid it as much as I can - which means I still end up using them plenty often enough lol. And that’s the biggest culprit right there, appending ‘lol’ in text to come across more agreeable/chill.
I do find it interesting how the filler words differ between generations. Lowkey I mix slang from millenials, gen z, and just a splash of gen x. Whatever suits the scenario and my mood :D
It’s a continued training for me to eliminate these filler words. I try to remind myself that space between words is OK. Silence is ok and actually much needed in our society. Give yourself a second to form your next thought in silence. Yes it’s uncomfortable at first to adjust the habbit. But similar to meditation, dont be hard on yourself when you use a filler word again. Just the repeated act of noticing trains that muscle.
Why use more word when less word work
For decoration, signalling emotional state, and to play with words.
Why more? Less word work
More? Less.
? .
unga bunga, genius!
More word sometimes make talk pretty and precise, but sometimes opposite. Words hard :(
s** world 🐟🌎
Filler words carry meaning, even if they don’t have specific definitions in context. Like, “like” has a dictionary definition, but if you use it as, like, a filler word, you aren’t using that definition (necessarily), but it still conveys something about how the speaker is thinking. They don’t just pop up in speech at random. I like catching them and trying to interpret why speakers insert them where they do.
Like, “lowkey” is
usually* sometimes used to soften harsh language e.g. “I’m lowkey gonna murder Sarah if she doesn’t stop chewing her gum with her mouth open”. Kinda how “kinda” works as a filler to tone down whatever is being said. I don’t actually want to murder Sarah, I just kinda want to murder her. I don’t even know if I would call them “proper filler words” in the same sense that “like” is, since they do have a particular function that “like” as a filler lacks. More research is needed it seems.For me, I let 'em fly. If I had to deliver a speech I would probably include fewer than I usually use in casual conversation, but I don’t hold with the rule that they’re strictly to be avoided. I think they’re neat.
* edit: I just know how I’ve heard it used, I have no idea how it’s usually used. I’m lowkey not in the lowkey demographic.
“Like” can also be a softener.
“I ate like 20 corn dogs” is different than “I ate 20 corn dogs.”
The former means a larger than standard number of corn dogs, maybe six or seven. The latter means twenty.
It has other practical uses as well.
i concluded lowkey is similar to “down low”, personally. a bit like keep this quiet, but…
I’m lowkey literally gonna murder Sarah.
I heard someone use “literally” the other day in a way that made absolutely no sense, even in the not-literally-correct way we’ve all gotten used to. Almost like its heading for the sort of fits-anywhere role that “fucking” has.
Lowkey slay.
Yeah, I think some is phatic and some is to subconsciously maintain rhythm to hold attention. Both of which are not only fine, but if not abused, preferred in many contexts.
