I was thinking the other day of the meaning of the word "stuff".

When I was young (many years ago) it mostly meant " a material, textile or cloth - usually woollen."

Nowadays though, it is used to describe almost anything - in a vague, imprecise sort of way.

It has become just a "filler" word.

Here are two examples from the conversation of modern teenagers:

A: Watcha been up to?
B: Eh? ... You mean what stuff?
A: Yeah. Do anything cool?
B: Did some stuff.
A: Buy anything?
B: Nah... just some stuff.

Sharon (whispers): OMG! There's stuff on my computer
Marlene (whispers): What stuff?
Sharon (whispers): It's STUFF ... On my computer
Marlene (whispers): What stuff like?
Sharon (whispers): In my FAVORITES...there's STUFF!
Marlene (whispers): Whose stuff?
Sharon (whispers) : It's not MY stuff... it's like not good stuff, neither.
Marlene: Wow! Let me like see.

Which brings me to the use of the word "like".

To me it means "similar" or "as", but It is now another "filler" word:

1. She like slapped me.
2. I bought like a wallet.
3. It's like huge.
4. I like must have been outside.
5. It's like around the corner.

It adds nothing and becomes a habit, like "basically" - another of my pet hates. Leave it out.

Those are extreme examples, but I am afraid that is the way our English language is going!

Before I close - a quotation I have just remembered from Shakespeare's "The Tempest":

"We are such STUFF as dreams are made of

And our little life is rounded with a sleep."

(But he used "stuff" with the old meaning of "material")

I am always being reminded that the purpose of language is communication and we should not be bound by strict rules.

So, to finish, here is an amusing little anecdote:

A pedantic teacher of the old school was informing his pupils that two negatives should never be used together - as they always make an affirmative.

He went on to say, " However, you can't put two affirmatives together to make a negative."

At which the whole class shouted: "Yeah, right!"