Doubt about the word "LIKE" !!

[BRENOIRONMAIDEN]

Hello friends! I'm Brazilian and my english is poor. :/

I have a doubt. In a interview, Steve Harris, the founder of the band IRON MAIDEN, explain the origin of the name of the band.

"How come selecting the name IRON MAIDEN??"

Steve Harris: "Well, you know, it's like a medieval torture device. It's like a big case with spikes in it."

Why he speak "like"??? (An Iron Maiden is EXACTLY a medieval torture device!)



a) He selected the name iron maiden because this name approximate (this is not exactly from the medieval torture device) the medieval torture device of the same name, but the real reason of the choice of this name is not the medieval torture device.

b) He selected the name IRON MAIDEN exactly from the medieval torture device of the same name. (He use the word like because a habit of speech?????).

WHY HE USE THE WORD "LIKE"??????????????????????????????

 

[tedtmc]

not a teacher

I thought the word is simple enough?
like - similar to
It's using comparison to describe something.

 

[Raymott]

a) He selected the name iron maiden because this name approximate (this is not exactly from the medieval torture device) the medieval torture device of the same name, but the real reason of the choice of this name is not the medieval torture device.

b) He selected the name IRON MAIDEN exactly from the medieval torture device of the same name. (He use the word like because a habit of speech?????).

WHY HE USE THE WORD "LIKE"??????????????????????????????

I think b. is right. "Like" is used as an interjection in very informal speech.
So the interviewer's like "Why Iron Maiden?", and he's like, "An iron maiden is like, you know, a mediaeval torture device."

He's not talking about similarity. He's, like, saying it is a mediaeval torture device.

I don't advise using this word like this!

 

[BRENOIRONMAIDEN]

So, on this case,

"Well, you know, it's like a medieval torture device. It's like a big case with spikes in it." = "Well, you know, it's a medieval torture device. It's a big case with spikes in it."

??

 

[Raymott]

So, on this case,

"Well, you know, it's ... like ... a medieval torture device. It's ... like ... a big case with spikes in it." = "Well, you know, it's a medieval torture device. It's a big case with spikes in it."

??

Yes, with the punctuation. You don't hear that in speech. It's used somewhat like 'er' or 'um'.