"Textspeak" ;

Exactly!

gracesmum I know I'm digressing a bit (a lot) but your comment about pronunciation reminded me of an article I read some time ago - re pronunciation of the word "tooth" - that amused me.

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/apr/09/tim-dowling-new-dentist

Book as in buk? I know about Cullayne Castle and Scoon Palace though also Kirkoobrey, Kirkoddy and Penny Cook.

The oo in my tooth is the same as the oo in scoosh. Both are different, as I say them, from the oo in took, which is shorter.

DH is Welsh, so not (just) your Scottish accent.

Is there something wrong with me? I am still trying to work out the phonetic difference between tooth and took. Or is it because of my Scots accent?

So I'd delete them without reading them.

End of problem.

Are the difficulties really all that bad? I mean, couldn't they be cured with a bit of looking up on Google or something?

Again, I'm just wondering. I don't actually get many text messages full of text speak but if I did, I'd just learn how to read it so that it wouldn't 'cause difficulties'.

Alternatively, if I really couldn't manage to learn, I'd ask who ever was sending the texts to spell things out for me. If it was a friend or family member they would. If it wasn't a friend or family member, I wouldn't want their texts anyhow!

Bags Your earlier example of all the right letters but in the wrong order (reminiscent of Eric Morecambe's response to Andre Previn ) is surely different from textspeak? I'm sure most people were able to read the jumbled words, whereas a lot of people have difficulties with textspeak.

DH pronounces tooth like that too.

There is a Scone Palace in Scotland. That one is pronounced Scoon. There is a Culzean Castle in Scotland which has no z sound in its pronunciation.

I've just read the spellchecker poem - very funny.

I do agree with gracesmum - reading texts full of these abbreviations is annoying - and hard work.

Scone seems to be pronounced either way all over the country.
I had a friend at school who pronounced the oo sound in 'tooth' as it is in 'took'. We all thought she was funny - but I've heard it pronounced that way since!

What rhymes depends on one's accent. There are variations with lots of English sounds. People who say one is right and another wrong are wrong; both (or several) are right. Both 'ate' (as in gate) and 'et' as in fret are correct pronunciations of the same word.

Even the Oxford dictionaries are trying to be descriptive of the language now instead of prescriptive.

I say 'ate'. I think my mother says 'et'. Does is matter? Nope.

I can't bring myself to rhyme ate with debt - still use the Scottish pronunciation, though my English Granny kept to her native pronunciation. With predictive texting, I don't bother with text-speak and most of my younger relatives have also abandoned it.

I agree 'ate' rhymes with 'debt' - but not the 'ate' at the end of celebrate, officiate etc. which were the examples GrannyGear gave.

I am in blissful ignorance as I have not learned how to send or receive a text yet. Do I care? Not a lot!

In "English" English, I have learned that "ate" rhymes with "debt" , "poor" sounds not unlike what Grace walks on and "scone" which we all know rhymes with "gone" somehow sounds like "stone".

Not to me they aren't!

I'm happy with some text speak eg cu for see you but don't like text speak that isn't a homophone of the full word - ie doesn't sound like the word when said in full.
eg 4 as in bye 4 now. My objection is that for rhymes with tor and nor while four rhymes with more and door at least as I pronounce them!
Even worse is 8 to mean ate eg celeb8 or offici8. Eight rhymes with weight and ate rhymes with mate. They are totally different sounds.

WAATT - where are all the texts? when I havent heard from my sister for a few hours!

CRAFT - can't remember a flipping think

About this time last year I posted the following. It might still be worth a read
IMD - in my day
WAR - watching Antiques Roadshow
WTT - where's the thingy?
IMHO - is my hearing aid on?
CUATGC - see you at the Garden Centre
GOC - gone on cruise
STKI - spending the kids' inheritance
TNAT - that nice Alan Tiitchmarsh
RMOTT - reminds me of that time...
BLDS - bit leaky downstairs
SMIYHTB - stop me if you've heard this before
Could add
TNYBC- That nice young Benedict Cumberbatch

NAN Need A Nap
GADA Got A Doctor's Appointment
HAHA Had A Hospital Appointment
HITMM? Have I Taken My Medication?

Sometimes maybe NAN HAHA

I'm enjoying this!

I pinched the following from the current newsletter of my local branch of the National Osteoporosis Society....

Since more and more Seniors are texting and tweeting there seems to be a need for a STC (Senior Texting Code). Please pass this on to your children and grandchildren so they can understand your texts. Tou are welcome to supply some additional ones that you would find useful.
FWIW Forgot Where I Was
LMDO Laughed MY Dentures Out
CGU Can't Get Up
GGLKI Gotta Go Laxative Kicking In
BTW Bring The Wheelchair
WAITT Who Am I Talking To?
WDII What Day Is It?
MGES Must Go Eastenders Starting