Teen girl slang

That's right; I'm publically admitting of having been one of "those" teen girls. One of those teen girls who loves to talk. One of those teen girls who loves to say "like" a lot.

This has led me to believe that when it comes to simplifying content to be more easily understandable and versatile, teenage girls are actually geniuses.

Consider the many different meanings and connotations teen girls have managed to pack into the single, simple and efficient word "like"...

"I like to dance" Synonym: enjoy.
"It was like he wanted to get hit". Synonym: "as though"
"It was like a two-year olds day dream" Synonym: "Similar to"
"Like, what's with that?" Synonym: "I mean"
"And I was like, what the hell?" Synonym: "was thinking and also giving the impression that I/you/ze was thinking"
"Is he like, an idiot or something?" Synonym: well actually in this case you don't really need the word at all. BUT... it gives the impression that the speaker is putting into question the statement that she is making so as to leave room for differing opinions... how very cosmopolitan and open-minded of you, teen girls....

(Another example of this)
"He's like an imbecile, eh?"

People tried to reform my teenage girl oattern of speach, telling me I sounded unintelligent. But who decides what intelligence is anyway? I sounded like what I was; a teenage girl. And how that became synonymous with unintelligent is another post all together.

Bella gets older, gains spine

I'm sure you have all at least heard of the Twilight series books and movies coming out. You know the deal: girl falls in love with vampire, he falls in love with her, chaos ensues.

Reading the books I was struck by how abusive many of the relationships are.

Apparently we are supposed to quietly smile and accept it when author Stephanie Meyers writes that the werewolf's girlfriend Emily is permanently scarred from her fiance, who lost control just once.... And he feels really bad about it and anyway she loves him so it's ok, right?

Or what about Jacob, Bella's best friend, who tells her that Bella should kiss him like she means it or else he'll kill himself?

This classic case of emotional abuse ends not in Bella telling Jacob exactly where to shove it, but in her kissing him and realising just how much she really loves him.

In my books, this is not the way that story would end.

Bella would tell Jacob that if he wants to be emotionally abusive, she will not have any part in it.

Vampire boyfriend who seems ready to off himself at the slightest sign that Bella isn't doing well would also be history.

Sure, it would be painful.

Bella might even cry a few tears.

But in the end she would know that despite the pain, having a full and abuse-free life is well worth it.

After all, teenage angst can only last for so long.