Word Confusion: Nope, It’s Not As You Like It!

Revised as of 4 April 2020

Well, we all, like, you know, know, that like is, like, really abused, ya know—like that. There are even subtle abuses between as and like. At least, they are subtle, ya know?

It’s always practical to understand the difference when using as or like, especially when writing a dialect or when creating a character through dialogue. Like is informal, casual, and accepted in casual speech…or informal writing *grin*.

As is the proper word to use in formal writing. Or if your character is formal.

Word Confusions…

…started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noir for you from either end. Consider sharing this Word Confusion with friends by tweeting it.

As	Like
Credit to: English for Students; Quick and Dirty Tips
Foaming Beer Mug by AILes and Quaint Urban Brick are both under the Pixabay License, via Pixabay. — That’s what I like to say, a proper “as…as” in “Beer as Cold as Your Ex’s Heart”.	QS Icon for Like by AleXXw is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — A QS-Icon for like.
Part of Grammar:
Adverb	Preposition
Adverb: Usually used as…as Introduce a clause using: as as if as though	Use to point out similarities, although such is probably more suitable. Never use to introduce a clause and do not use as a conjunction!
Examples:
It’s as if my cousin thinks he is Batman. My neighbor yelled as though he had seen a banshee. My brother is as tall as my father. Like As I told you earlier, It looks like as if it’s going to snow Johnson kept looking out the window like as though he had someone waiting for him. My brother can’t play the piano like as he did before the accident. It’s like as if I’m looking at my twin. The college has several highly regarded neighbors, such as the Mark Twain House, St. Francis Hospital, the Connecticut Historical Society, and the UConn Law School.	My cousin looks like Batman. My neighbor yelled like a banshee. My brother is tall like my father. This community college is like a two-year liberal arts college.
History of the Word:
Late-18th century

C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves?

Pinterest Photo Credits

As U Like It, a 2006 poster, is a digital capture derivation from the VHS or DVD cover by Malo and is in a fair-use size, via Wikipedia.