"I was like"

[LeTyan]

Hi,

Is saying "I was like...", "He was like...." and etc instead of "I said", "He said" a typical American thing or are they universal in all English-spoken countries?
It seems to me that teenagers and youngsters use that more often, am I right?


Thank you

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hi,

Is saying "I was like...", "He was like...." and etc instead of "I said", "He said" a typical American thing or are they universal in all English-spoken countries?
It seems to me that teenagers and youngsters use that more often, am I right?


Thank you

Unfortunately, it is common in the US.

 

[Rover_KE]

It's common in the UK, too.

 

[MikeNewYork]

It's common in the UK, too.

:roll:

 

[JMurray]

not a teacher

It's like really common here, too.

 

[Barb_D]

In the US, we use it to introduce both what was said (actual or paraphrased) and what was felt. Is it the same in the UK?

And I was all like "Oh no you don't" and managed to say calmly "I don't think you should do that" but inside I was all like "I'm gonna kick his a** if he does that!"

And he was like all pissed off about it! And I'm like, where does he get off being mad when he's the one who acted like a jerk? So I'm like "Look, you've gone out with your friends every Friday for the last month, so you have no business getting all up in arms when I say that next Sunday I'm going out with the girls."

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

When I'm reading such examples I'm starting to figure out that my English is not prepared to live in the US. :-D
By the way, we have the same contruction in Russian. A lot of people, who have a limited vocabulary, use it.


After ten minutes of struggling with Barb_D's message I got the meaning!

 

[tzfujimino]

When I'm reading such examples I'm starting to figure out that my English is not prepared (I'd say "not good enough", but probably, the following "to live..." doesn't work.) to live in the US. :-D
By the way, we have the same construction in Russian. A lot of people, who have a limited vocabulary, use it. (I'd delete the commas.)


After ten minutes of struggling with Barb_D's message I got the meaning!

Hello.:-D
Like you, Boris, I sometimes find it difficult to follow when native speakers say things like Barb's example. (I know it's natural English, though.)
The speaker in Barb's example is obviously not in his/her usual calm state of mind. Thus he/she, I imagine, might be speaking faster than usual, which makes it more difficlut for non-native speakers to follow.

 

[Barb_D]

That's very perceptive to realize it's often used when we are upset. Or at least surprised. I'm sorry to say it's very typical usage.

 

[MikeNewYork]

When I'm reading such examples I'm starting to figure out that my English is not prepared to live in the US. :-D
By the way, we have the same contruction in Russian. A lot of people, who have a limited vocabulary, use it.


After ten minutes of struggling with Barb_D's message I got the meaning!

Not all Americans speak that way. I don't and I doubt that Barb does.

 

[Barb_D]

I absolutely do.

 

[probus]

This Canadian would never speak that way. I regret that my children sometimes do.

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have found myself using this more and more in the last couple of years. I wouldn't do it in a formal setting but informally I use it quite a lot. It's usually when I'm describing a recent situation or conversation to a third party.

I was at work today and this guy came in and he was like "Where are the sprouts? It's Christmas. You must have sprouts. It's ridiculous!" and I was like "Of course we have sprouts. They're over there. Loads of them" and he was like "Oh I can't believe I didn't see them!"

That might be a bit of an exaggeration but it's not far from the truth.

 

[Tdol]

I'd like to think I don't use it in that way at all, but it might creep in occasionally.