Band Trash yay

Like

So this is a subject that my friends and I discuss probably more than we should considering it's probably not all that interesting. But whatever - I find it interesting.

Basically, what we've noticed our excessive use of "like," "uh," "dude," and, occasionally, "bro." This gets annoying when you try to talk and then realize every other word you say is "like," and suddenly you feel like you can't say anything.

There are also variations: when interjecting oneself into a conversation, simply start off with an unnecessary "no but like." No, saying that does not mean you're disagreeing with what was said; in fact, it's often used to introduce a new, unrelated topic.

Example:
Person 1: "I can't stand the characters! Like dude they all fucking suck!"
Person 2: "No but like seriously, I don't get why that show is still going."

There's also different uses of "like" other than using it as a filler. The most common being, never ever say "said" - say, "was like." Otherwise it just sounds weird. Imagine having a conversation and being like, "Like I gave her the thing and she said" - like, no. You have to go, "Like I gave her the thing and she was like."

Also, don't say "for example" or "specifically" - say "like."

Here is a typical conversation, using these conventions:

Person 1: "Bro they have these weird-ass pretzel things in the cafeteria, like wtf"

Person 2: "No like I think they're trying to make pizza, but like on pretzels"

Person 1: "What? Like dude, I swear they've tried every form of pizza at this point, they've done like stick pizza and inverted pizza and like bagel pizza..."

Person 2: "Yeah like it's like they want excuses just to charge us more. It's still fucking shitty-ass pizza. Like seriously dude."

None of this is an exaggeration btw, we actually say "like" that much when speaking out loud.

The point of this is that we were wondering if other people use that... slang (for lack of a better word). I actually want to know, do you and your friends say "like" (and dude and bro) as much as me and my friends? Actually no, as much as basically everyone at my school/choir?

Are these words universal? Idk. All I know is that this is definitely the most pressing issue right now.