• photonic_sorcerer@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    9 months ago

    ‘Be like’ is a new phrase coined sometime in the last two decades, I think. Anyway, it’s widespread, understandable and you’re not going to stop anyone using it. Language evolves! Waddya know.

    • workerONE@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      6
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      I appreciate the intelligent response but in my opinion this isn’t an evolution of the English language. I think it’s a phrase from Ebonics which is an English dialect.

      Gineva Smitherman, Director of the African American Language and Literacy Program at Michigan State University, implies that “be like” is Ebonics in the title of this essay https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/black-english-ebonics-what-it-be-like/

      It seemed strange to me that people are using this phrase so much. Sorry to interrupt the shitposts

      • Miaou@jlai.lu
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        9 months ago

        Why would those two things be mutually exclusive? That it comes from Ebonics, and au the same is becoming used in other English dialects? I have an idea of what the answer is but I’d like to give you the benefit of the doubt

      • tjsauce@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        9 months ago

        Does it matter? Saying “be like” feels fun, it rolls of the tongue well. If you understand me, communication was successful, end of story.