On the meaning, function and stereotypes behind focuser and quotative like in English

This paper is a selective overview of the literature on two variants of the word like, the so-called focuser and quotative like. The focus is on their linguistic and sociolinguistic features, as well as their actual distribution in American, English, Canadian, Scottish, and New Zealand English. Among others, I will survey the stereotypes, largely concerning the personality traits, that have been associated with the usage of like