Crutch Words

We all have crutch words, and they probably say something beyond what they say:

Crutch words are those expressions we pepper throughout our language as verbal pauses, and sometimes as written ones, to give us time to think, to accentuate our meaning (even when we do so mistakenly), or just because these are the words that have somehow lodged in our brains and come out on our tongues the most, for whatever reason. Quite often, they do little to add meaning, though. Sometimes we even use them incorrectly. Almost always, we don’t need them at all, which doesn’t mean we won’t persist in using them. Here’s our list of frequently used crutches, and what your crutch of choice has to reveal about you.

Like… actually… as it were…basically… in a weird way … um… for what it’s worth…seriously…honestly… literally.

What are your pet peeve crutch words?