DiscoverThe Sunday MagazineWhy we can't stop saying 'like' – whether you like it or not
Why we can't stop saying 'like' – whether you like it or not

Why we can't stop saying 'like' – whether you like it or not

Update: 2025-08-13
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If you've ever been told to stop saying "like" so much, or caught yourself cringing when someone else does it... you might want to reconsider. Journalist Megan Reynolds says the much-maligned word is actually a linguistic powerhouse. In the latest edition of Word Processing, our ongoing look at language, Reynolds speaks with Saroja Coelho about the history, gender politics and surprising functionality of "like", as she explores in her book Like: A History of the World’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word.

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Why we can't stop saying 'like' – whether you like it or not

Why we can't stop saying 'like' – whether you like it or not