Stahlke, Herbert F.W. wrote:

> Marshall,
>
>  
>
> Synchronically, I'd argue that there's a register difference, as you 
> suggest, between A and B and that "as" and "like" are both 
> subordinators.  In C, "the way" is the head noun modified by an 
> asyndetic relative clause, that is, a clause that doesn't start with 
> "that" or one of the wh-relative words.  Functionally, "the way" may 
> be on its way to becoming a subordinator in its own right, but I don't 
> think it's shifted that far yet. 
>
>  
>
> Diachronically it gets interesting because "like" comes from Old 
> English "lic", which meant "body".  We derive both "like" and the 
> suffix -ly from "lic."  That is, a noun has gradually morphed into a 
> /conjunction/preposition and into a suffix.  "The way" is acting as if 
> it's at the beginning of such a change.  That suggests that at some 
> time, and, perhaps, for some speakers already, "the way" has ceased to 
> be an ordinary noun phrase.
>
>  
>
> Herb
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
>  
>
> Fellow Grammarians,
>
> Let me ask about a related subject. Look at the following 
> constructions. I consider them to be paraphrases of each other. 
> Granted, the first is probably more acceptable in academic English, 
> the second is more conversational (some of you may remember the 
> Winston cigarette commercial: "Winston tastes good like a cigarette 
> should. It may be bad grammar, but it's great taste."). The third, I'm 
> not sure about.
>
> I see the first as using "as" as a subordinator. In the second, I see 
> "like" also as a subordinator. What I am not sure about is the third 
> one. Is "the way" acting as a subordinator? They all seem to have the 
> same structure, but do they?
>
>                                   A. He thinks as I do.
>                                   B. He thinks like I do.
>                                   C. He thinks the way I do.
>
> Marshall
>
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Herb,

Thanks for your quick and learned reply.

Isn't "like" also being used as a quotative as in the following sentence?

                                     I saw him on the corner, and I 
said, 'Like, what are you doing here,' and he says,                   
                                     'Like, I'm waiting for Mary.'  

Marshall

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