Um... Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders and What They Mean

More often than I care to admit I have asked people for the salt and shecker papers . . .

Have you noticed how many people keep inserting in their speech the phrase “You know, you know?” It is so prevalent, it has become a fetish with me.  At first I thought it was mostly the low intellectural level, but I now see it is very widespread.  It is used profusely by people who make a living talking on TV and radio; i.e., Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, etc., etc., etc.
I thought this was something new because I had not taken note before, but I watched on TV a tribute to Carol Burnett, and in a scene that goes way back (it was in black and white) she was using the phrase.  Until you consciously listen for the phrase, you may not realize how widely it is used.  I was never taught it in school.  I don’t know what it adds to the value of our speech; in fact, I get the impression the person has lost control of ther thoughts and uses it as a stall instead of um, um.  I have never heard it used when a commentator was using a script.
I was watching Greta Van Susteren the other night, and she used the phrase frequently. During the program, four of the people to whom she was speaking, all attorneys, used the phrase. 
As you listen to the radio and TV, try listening for this annoying corruption of our speech, and you will be amazed at its frequency - from all corners of the globe.
Isn’t it bad enough with all the double negatives used without adding another faux pas to our speech?