Waiting for a girl like you vs. Waiting for a girl such as you

Question

I've been waiting for a girl like you.

I've been waiting for a girl such as you.

I believe both are grammatically correct constructions in English. Loosely speaking, I understand, they mean just about the same thing to most English speakers.

If my understanding is correct, I was wondering if:

(1) still, their meanings are slightly different because "like" implies comparison while "such as" implies inclusion just as "I like a girl like you" means I don't like you, but some other girls like you whereas "I like a girl such as you" means I like you and any girl like you.

(2) both can be used interchangeably in certain contexts, but not always, because I've heard some English teachers say "like" often connotes comparison to hypothetical persons or things while "such as” is usually used when talking about specific persons or things.

(3) there is any reason why the second construction with "such as", though perfectly grammatical, seems far less popular and used compared to the first one with "like". Would you say, if you agree on my take, that's probably because “such as” usually has a more formal air to it, making it sound rather old-fashioned or stilted?

(4) that being said, few English speakers care and most think both can be used interchangeably as long as context allows because they're just different ways of saying the same thing.

Does this answer your question? Difference between 'such as' and 'like' — Stuart F, Apr 19 '21 at 08:51
"A girl like you" (beautiful, lovely, kind) is romantic; 'a girl such as you' (medium height, brown hair, a good job) much less so. — Michael Harvey, Apr 19 '21 at 09:06
Following Michael Harvey's discussion of which is more romantic, comparing a girl to other girls isn't generally romantic (your beloved is supposed to be unique). But "a girl like you" is commonly used in the phrase "never met a girl like you before", which is more romantic than comparing to "a girl such as you". — Stuart F, Apr 19 '21 at 11:02
Oh no. Most English speakers care. Virtually nobody (AmE) says "such as" in this situation because it is cold, distant, and dismissive. Like is far more personable. — FeliniusRex - gone, Apr 19 '21 at 17:36
@Cascabel...Actually, I'm a big fan of Foreigner. This song was famous back in the 1980s — Choe Guevara, Apr 20 '21 at 02:04
Two English speskers' comments above seem to make the alleged subtle difference of connotation between the two - imagined vs. specific - more appealing to me — Choe Guevara, Apr 20 '21 at 05:20
"I've been waiting for a girl like you." implies that the girl in question is compared to herself and there is no other like her. "I've been waiting for a girl such as you." implies that any girl from a group with similar characteristics would do. — jim, Apr 20 '21 at 08:16
There is an old song about a guy who wants to marry someone "like my dear old ma." Change "like" to "such as," and you have a clear illustration of how the two terms can significantly differ in sense. — Sven Yargs, Apr 26 '21 at 07:43

Waiting for a girl like you vs. Waiting for a girl such as you

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