bpr20121003_3.mp3

Atlantic Wire writer Jen Doll and Merriam-Webster Dictionary editor Peter Sokolowski joined Boston Public Radio to discuss crutch words in light of Wednesday's presidential debate.

Listen for lexical fillers such as "umm", "uh", and those words that are repeated often like "actually" and "literally" (vice president Joe Biden's favorite crutch word). Romney's speeches tend to be smooth, but he speaks fast and often uses corporate words like "process" and "individual". Obama tends to rely on crutch words like "uh", but our word enthusiasts believe it'll be coached out of him. 

Do you have a crutch word? Have you noticed people using crutch words in their speech? Let us know what you're hearing on our Facebook page.

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