It's Like, You Know, Whatever!

Every year it seems that more and more colloquial expressions are added to the lexicon of accepted words in our language, manuy of them solely because common usage makes them somehow relevant in popular culture. I don't mind so much when new words explode on the scene with new definitions: "google" as a verb, for instance. But much of the rest of this abomination (as I see it) infuriates me. It's gotten so bad (as I see it) that an English teacher told me that it was acceptable to use the pronoun "their" after a singular noun such as "a person." Example: "A person should know their limits."
His reasoning? "Well, we all say it that way so we might as well accept writing it that way."
Of course, it's that kind of thinking that keeps me employed as a tutor, but, seriously, the language as we use it needs some help. This is the point at which the Marist Institute for Public Opinion steps into the fray with its list of the most reprehensible words/phrases in common parlance today. And I think Caroline Kennedy may have started it.
Remember when she was campaigning to take Hillary Clinton's spot in Congress from the state of New York? Apparently, in an interview with the New York Times, she used the phrase "you know" 142 times, including an amazing four times in the same sentence! Hence, the folks at the institute decided a poll was due. It is amazing, however, that "you know" was not the most hated expression...it placed as the runner up in the poll. The leader?
"Whatever." It seems likes words of this nature are dismissive, and they tick people off.
Following the top two, though not ranked that I could tell, were "anyway," "it is what it is," (clearly a reference to Serena Williams and sports people of all disciplines who run out of rationale thoughts after a while. Also gaining votes was "at the end of the day" So, here's what we have:
a group of words and phrases designed to say nothing while saying something.
A puzzlement to me, though, is why the word "like" was not included. I must admit that this single word has become, like, the most overused word in the language. It is a rare sentence that does not, like, contain that word.
The bottom line? There's very little I can do about it but complain.
After all, at the end of the day, it is what it is... whatever, you know?