"Like, whatever!"

As Chris and I were enjoying a late breakfast today, I made note of the table of 20 girls next to us. I was amazed at how often, when speaking, they said, "was like." Sure, "Like, whatever" became a mantra for the 80s generation. But somehow, and at some point in time, "was like" became the definitive word in every sentence that's "like" spoken today.

We also tried determining how we'd describe its usage to our friends overseas who are learning English. Not that "was like" is proper, but when you want to fit in, sometimes you forego the correct way to speak to sound as if you belong. So, with that, we decided "was like" is used instead of the word "said" or, at times, when someone is trying to convey a sense of being.

Take the following sentence for example: "Seriously, I mean, she was like, 'Get out!' you know!" So, in this instance, "was like" takes on a reference to "said." Or, in the case of the following, "was like" identifies how someone feels: "I was like, DUH!"

All of which made me once again appreciate how, in Europe, at times we couldn't understand a word around us. Because in circumstances like this, it's better not to know.