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Pedants' corner

Textspeak

(101 Posts)
MawBroon Sun 05-Nov-17 19:25:54

When communication by mobile phone started you had a weird keypad which involved pressing keys once, twice or thrice for each letter. So I suppose it was hardly surprising that people took shortcuts. Oddly, on Twitter with its limit on characters most people seem able to be economical with. their language rather than resort to the likes of
hi hun ur my best m8 c u 4 for cofy l8ter round urs? LOL
Or whatever.
Is our language really worth so little?
And is there any need for this instead of using real words?

ninathenana Mon 06-Nov-17 01:25:12

Why do people post on FB using text speak though ?
I don't know anyone who uses text speak. One friend never uses punctuation when texting which is very frustrating.

BlueBelle Mon 06-Nov-17 05:40:08

Kettles and pots they all might be black or bright blue or purple Ladygraceie ??

I still don’t understand why everyone on here follows everyone else in the use of acronyms then have the cheek to complain about young people killing the language with text speak
So in answer to Mawboons original question
‘Is there any need for this instead of using real words’
No no no I hate the use of Acronyms start using the correct word please or at least if you don’t, acknowledge that you are killing the language every bit as much as the young testers are

Anya Mon 06-Nov-17 05:54:57

Each to their own.

Baggs Mon 06-Nov-17 06:13:59

According to some teenagers of my acquaintance, it's 'shady' to use K for okay in a text instead of babbling on using "real" words. I'm a real shady dude, they tell me. Well... they call me Shady.

Wasn't 'okay' objected to back in the mists of time, the youthtime of gransnetters? Or was it only 'OK' that was deemed problematic?

We'd better be careful or our criticisms of yoofspeak will turn around and bite us on the bum.

Riverwalk Mon 06-Nov-17 06:25:18

For those who say they never use acronyms, do you always say/type British Broadcasting Corporation, Independent Television, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, etc.?

Acronyms & abbreviations on GN are useful and usually self-explanatory.

MawBroon Mon 06-Nov-17 06:28:04

The “cheek to complain”, BlueBelle?
1)It’s not the yoof of today I had in mind but “adults”who perhaps seek to emulate them and appear “shady”(?) (in Oldspeak, does that mean “trendy”?)
2) this IS Pedants’ Corner.

BBbevan Mon 06-Nov-17 06:49:13

I have mild synesthesia. I see some words in colour. I find text speak difficult as it is dark navy and spiky. It is the combination of letters and numbers I dislike.

BlueBelle Mon 06-Nov-17 06:55:32

No riverwalk in my opinion they are not useful at all they are every bit as lazy as m8 they are very confusing when you get posts talking about my DGS and DGD who live with my DIL who hates my DS and they all go to heaven in a little RB
It’s basically lazy if it’s anything initiated by the yoof and modern technology but acceptable if it’s done by old folks

And what’s with this darling thing that’s daft too ‘ My DD is awful she treats me badly and hates me ‘ dahhhh

loopyloo Mon 06-Nov-17 07:18:59

Have started creating acronyms. IBI is an inherently bad idea like building Heathrow's 3rd runway over the M25 ,and SSR is Sir Simon Rattle.

NfkDumpling Mon 06-Nov-17 07:29:01

I have trouble with SW on the Archers thread. To me it stands for Social Worker. R & R is another. Rest and Relaxation? Rules and Regulations?

I don’t use text speak as my phone has predictive text and completes words for me, but DH’s new phone has a full keypad so I can understand the need to abbreviate if a person can’t type well. (The use of DH in this case is fine as it’s listed below)

NfkDumpling Mon 06-Nov-17 07:29:55

(Sorry - above.)

ninathenana Mon 06-Nov-17 08:34:09

I gave up on the dear and now use H, S and D.
You wouldn't say my dear husband in conversation, especially if your having a rant about him smile
Anyone who talked about their 'dear daughter' or 'dear son' all the time would make me cringe.

MissAdventure Mon 06-Nov-17 08:39:00

www.dumb.com/jokes/senior_texting

kittylester Mon 06-Nov-17 08:47:11

So, is this thread about text speak or about acronyms (again)?

BlueBelle Mon 06-Nov-17 08:53:02

Well I guess like all threads it meanders but I also think both are the same aren’t lazy Language usage

Kim19 Mon 06-Nov-17 10:36:09

I just do what suits me and that is full grammatical lingo as it was teached! My children think I'm hilarious even using punctuation. They tell me they don't have time!!!!!!!!!

GadaboutGran Mon 06-Nov-17 10:37:21

Looking at old letters written by Victorian ancestors, I noticed how often abbreviations were used, most commonly yrs.

Omaoma57 Mon 06-Nov-17 10:48:27

Totes!

Sheilasue Mon 06-Nov-17 11:21:22

I still text using full words. I can’t understand a lot of the shorts cuts.
When my grandaughter was in year 7 her friend used to write in the English text book with texting language. My gd told her not to do it said she must spell properly. She doesn’t use texting language either.

MamaCaz Mon 06-Nov-17 11:22:22

If I find that if my traditionally-written text is about to spill over into a second text, I go back and change things like 'are you' to 'r u', 'tomorrow' to 2morrow' etc., so it all fits in one single text. This made sense when I was on pay-as-you-go, where even one word too many meant being charged for a second text, but I still can't stop myself doing it even though I am on a contract with lots of free texts now!

I put it down to my Yorkshire/Scottish blood!

HeyHo Mon 06-Nov-17 12:01:36

I used to have a lot of trouble with text speak, til I put it into the context of 'language evolving' as it always has and always will.

The problem I do have is when youngsters use the word 'of' instead of 'have' - as in " I should of" ........

Napoleon Mon 06-Nov-17 12:02:59

I don't like the shortening of words, I never use abbreviated text myself as I am afraid I will forget how to spell properly.

Stella14 Mon 06-Nov-17 12:05:03

I text using full words and puctuation! I am holding the ground on this. I will not fail!

Elrel Mon 06-Nov-17 12:41:09

Good to see I’m not the only one uncomfortable with all rellies being D. If I use D my tongue is probably in my cheek!
Rellies is just a cat among the pigeons to see responses (if any!).

MissAdventure Mon 06-Nov-17 12:45:25

My brother in law, when first explained how shortened texts work, sent a text which was something like this:
Ru gg 2 t ry cb t? grin