Tag: English usage

“Just” Challenge

A month ago I wrote about the word “just” and how it is overused in everyday speech. There was a quote that included three of them, and today I found another.

“I JUST feel like this woman was denied access to a library and a book,” Burlingame said. “I JUST wanted the opportunity to rectify that, not JUST for her but for us as the library system.”*

I don’t know why my eyes snag on that word. My ears are beginning to protest, too. People who scan this tend to be readers, so I challenge you to find a quote that includes more than three “just” words in a single quote or paragraph. Please justify my concern, or I will have to adjust my thinking.

*Nagem, Sarah. “After 73 years, woman gets library card.” Asheville Citizen-Times July 11, 2015

Just????

Just is just a word, right? I think there is more to the little word than dictionaries explain. People sprinkle it throughout their speech with abandon. The standard definition is that “just” can be either an adjective or an adverb. In my opinion, it has become a connecting word that has nothing to do with a topic of conversation. I began to listen to folks talking, wanting to have a good example to examine.

Forgive the capitals, but I found a quote in the newspaper* that shows what I’m talking about.

 “I’m still scared to death, but it was JUST time to do this,” he said. “We JUST found this awesome little space that fit our needs, and it’s JUST been coming together ever since….”

The reporter would not have included the “ums” or “ahs” of the interview. However, four-letter “just” has lots more clout, not easily dismissed. The first time I mentioned this connecting phenomenon to my husband, I used the word twice in the next sentence. Golly! I’d been infected without knowing it! I need a speech filter immediately, and it’s not sold on Amazon!

 *Byrd, Caitlin. “Asheville clothing store MTN Merch to open.” Asheville Citizen-Times June 10, 2015