Barbara J. Hamby

Like Whad’ja Say?

It seems as if American slang, along with the absence of diction, makes the conversation of young people unintelligible to many of us oldsters. The insertion of “like” about every three words, and “you know” at the end of many sentences doesn’t help comprehension any.

When I was in a public elementary school in California in the early 1930’s, I was required to meet with a speech therapist to correct a lisp. Later, I took drama classes and learned to project my voice and pronounce words distinctly. With the exception of a few actors and public speakers, those skills don’t seem to be practiced much these days.

When politicians are spouting campaign promises, every word is distinct. After they are elected and appear on television talk shows, they are less understandable. It may have something to do with not wanting us to hear their answers as to what happened to those promises.

I suspect that the youngsters who’ve listened to loud music for years will have even more trouble hearing and comprehending conversation in their later lives. Many will, I’m sure. Few will look back and remember hearing complaints from their elders when they were younger, I imagine.

Here’s a verse I wrote a while back, which addresses part of the present day problem:

A Moment in Poetry

I stand in the poetry aisle
at the chain bookstore,
absorbing the aura of literati.
A young male voice breaks
the silence. “Like has there like
been like any like discussion
about like putting books like back
in like their right like places?”

“All the time,” the girl
on a ladder drawls. 

So what about putting
words in their right places,
I wonder as I saunter away