7 Totes Most Legit Overused Words in, Like, the Whole World

Even the best educated among us do it: we’ll slip in a like or a totally in casual conversations. I had a friend tell me once that I said the word like almost every other word.  The best part? I was doing while speaking Chinese. The even better part? I had no idea I was even doing it.  There are some words that are so overused that they have

Here is a comprehensive — but by no means exhaustive — list of words that are constantly overused to the point where they’ve nearly lost their original intent.

1. Like

This one’s obvious, but it needs to be discussed. It’s a conversation filler, a verbal crutch we use to hobble to the next thought. Stop using it if you can; you’ll raise everyone’s IQ around you by at least 10 points.

2. Totes/Totally

I get that “totes” is supposed to be an abbreviation for “totally,” but when people use the word “totes” it takes me a minute for me to realize they’re not talking about slipper socks.

3. Moron

Like the words “idiot” and “imbecile,” the word's moron’s roots stem from a primitive scale of mental retardation. I get that road rage is exasperating, but is it really necessary to call someone mentally handicapped? Next time you get cut off on the highway, you can yell “That action was devoid of ANY consideration!” I can feel a Twitter hashtag coming on any minute now.

4. Universe

Fifty years ago, no one would have used the ever-expanding, infinite universe as a standard of measure for anything, let alone exaggeration.  Maybe it’s because the world has gotten smaller? It’s no longer enough to be the biggest jackass in the world?  It has to be the universe? Can we please at least limit it to the Milky Way?

5. Overrated

The word overrated is overrated. I know — really meta! It’s a hipster’s dream word to use, but it’s the kiss of death if it’s ever used about their taste in anything. Ever locked in a contest of whose favorite band is branded with this horrible label last, hipsters know overrated is a death sentence in the wannabe music scene. Often used with the word totally.

6. Legit

I didn’t think this was a real word: I thought that people were just too lazy to pronounce legitimate. Turns out it is a real word, but it sounds like the complete opposite of what it means. They sound like the quasi-legal guys you call to get the alien corpse out of your backyard. Why do we use it so much?

7. Seriously

Millennials both use this as a question and to attach gravitas to a statement.

“I just saw your best friend go home with that guy last night.”

“Seriously?!”

Evidently, we millennials never know how serious we’re being, hence our need to constantly affirm it.

“Are you being serious right now?” 

“Dude, I’m being so totally serious right now, it’s not even funny.  That’s how serious I am.”  

We need another word to communicate that we’re not joking. I suggest “purple.”  

“I’m totally purple right now.” 

“No you’re not, dude, you’re black.” Hmm. Maybe not.