It matters a great deal.

To hear someone talk "stupid" can turn you off.

Someone I know  says "you know' at the end of each sentence. It sounds so bad I could scream!

The way you speak puts you into a certain class weather you know it or not people DO JUDGE.

I think that how we speak is a reflection of  us and the enviroment that we are in. When at home I may talk in valley girl or hip hop slang. But when conducting business of any sort a professional demeanor is called for.Even when just paying your bills.If you are polite,well-spoken and organized when you are paying your bills, you are more likely to get quicker help when you have a problem. Same thing on the job and at church.Politeness and correct language can get you a long way. At least that's been my experience!

posted by KatieB

I agree 100%!  When I write, my mind goes into a stuffy mode.  Not congestion, but a tendendcy towards verbosity and too many .$50 words.  I guess I feel as if I'm being judged or graded by my intelligence, or lack thereof , and it's difficult for me to let down my hair and get jiggy wit' it.

posted by Katie B

My pet peeve is the word "like."  Drives me bonkers!  But even worse is the gravelly valley girl voices that have gravitated even into the mainstream media.  It's one thing if the language usage is poor but when it's delivered in the nasally, back of the throat, growling I want to clear my throat, leap to my feet and scream at the TV (I have, in fact...)!!!  I've even noticed some local TV newscasters who can't speak properly.  They need voice lessons desperately!

My wife and I attended a Blaze ball game last night.  A young lady professing to being a school teacher came in late and sat near us with her friends.  She some how managed to use the word "like" TWICE in every sentence.  God help those kids!  We kept hoping she'd shut up and watch the game, but......................

We gave up after two innings and moved.

Next time you're watching a TV newcast, notice how many times they'll say "fer" and not "for".  At the Don Martin School of  Radio, Television Arts and Sciences, you would get slaped in the back of the head for that one. But that was back in the early sixties.

The purpose of speaking or writing is to communicate, to be understood, otherwise, don't waste your time.  You should avoid annoying habits such as using the work "like" inappropriately, but you should also avoid habits like using excessive jargon if you happen to be expert in some subject unless you are conversing with another expert.  I have heard many nightmare stories about conversations friends have had with computer technical support; for some, it's like speaking to a creature from another planet.

It is also exasperating to listen to a person speak, or to read the writing of a someone who is trying too hard to appear intelligent.  As speakers and writers we should generally strive for clarity in our word usage, and we should be sure to get feedback to check for understanding.  There is also a time and place for silence; people use words such as "like" as filler when they don't know what else to say - perhaps they should say nothing. 

I think most of us could use some improvement in our communication skills in one area or another, and generally we don't hear ourselves when we make speaking errors.  We could strive to be kind and helpful to others when they demonstrate communication habits that could be corrected.

One of the smartest and most successful people I know uses the term "dude" in every third sentence, not just in private but also in public meetings and even presentations. However, he's in a younger industry that thrives on fresh young minds. That probably wouldn't work so well somewhere more traditional, such as a law firm. I think it depends on the industry you're in and what it values at the time. Like, totally, are you feeling me here, dog?

"Like"..."know what I mean"...two popular things that drive me up the wall.  I know a gal who uses "know what I mean: after EVERY phrase and it's really annoying.  The other one that drives me crazy is when people use "I" when they should use "me".  Take grammar 101 news casters.

Example..Johnny and I are going to the store.  Would you like to go with Johhny and me?

Johnny or Johhny?

Who cares, venom is venom and sweetness is sweetness, but some smart asses try to fool you with their stealth messages.

"You can really stir age differences by using slang and be viewed as less intelligent based on the word selection,"
quote from indystar article

I agree with the above statement. I think it's important to have the ability to talk with anyone without offending or using slang to get your point across. By offending I mean either using words that you know they might not know, or using slang they will most certainy find offensive.

It is true that speaking patterns and slang words used can often tell what age group and even location a person is from. Not always but often.

A dinner table lesson in what to say and what not to say

I was born in 1958. When I was in the 5th and 6th grade my brothers and sisters were in their mid to late teens. They listened to 60's rock and roll. It was Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Doors, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and the Beatles. "Bye Bye Miss American Pie" was #1 pop hit and we had a VW Bug and an Internetiona Harvester Travellal.

I used to have to sit next to my Mother at the dinner table. Common verbage of that era among my big brothers and sisters was "Wow man, really cool man really. Far out!"

I had a bad habit of saying "really" in and around every sentence that came out of my mouth. I would also make a sound that's difficult to describe but it is a clicking lip smacking sound as if to say, "I'm bored". Guess I had said "really" too many times because Mom reached out of nowhere and slapped me upside the head. Two minutes later I had forgotten completely and BAM! Slapped me upside the head again!

All those "really's" and lip smacking were unnacceptable then and in many peoples eyes still unnacceptable. This is true with "dude", "you're gay", "like, this" and "like, that". I think Mom figured it was improper English. She didn't want us to appear stupid or uneducated when the hand came out of nowhere.