meaningless fillers
Fowler's Modern English Usage:
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meaningless fillers
This is a term used to describe phrases such as um, er, I mean, you know, and like, which are inserted spontaneously as asides into conversation in order to fill pauses and maintain the flow of speech. Like is associated especially with the language of youth.
| meaningful, mean, meagre | |
| means, meantime, meanwhile, measles |
