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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?

FarNorth Sun 12-Nov-17 12:19:15

It's not mine, Baggs. It was MamaCaz. smile

Baggs Thu 09-Nov-17 19:00:27

That fuh fuh suh is really funny, farnorth grin. I make up 'swear' words when necessary. They don't mean anything, they're just for releasing tension when something goes wrong—nonsense words, I suppose. I've no idea why vocalising a string of monosyllabic nonsense is helpful when one's frustrated with something, but it seems to be.

MamaCaz Thu 09-Nov-17 18:34:56

Not that I am aware of, but if it does I will probably be heard to say fuh fuh suh again! grin

FarNorth Wed 08-Nov-17 09:58:34

I have even started speaking text-speak recently - when annoyed, I sometimes splutter fuh fuh suh (FFS) !

Has this one made it onto GN Facebook or Twitter yet?

kittylester Wed 08-Nov-17 08:51:15

I agree Maw. My phone recognises often used acronyms - I suspect that's because it's a smart phone - lol!!

MawBroon Wed 08-Nov-17 08:35:04

Well I hate seeing it here on Gransnet. How people communicate with their own friends on Facebook or by mobile is their own business but for me just the sight of “ur” or “u” in a post absolutely sets my teeth on edge.

mostlyharmless Tue 07-Nov-17 22:06:23

Smartphones with their predictive text don't recognise text speak or acronyms. It takes you so long to correct the corrections made by predictive text, it means it's far easier to use the full spelling.

pollyperkins Tue 07-Nov-17 16:25:48

I agree Baggs

humptydumpty Tue 07-Nov-17 14:04:41

I find the advent of smartphones and predictive text pretty much quicker than textspeak anyway smile

Baggs Tue 07-Nov-17 14:00:52

Textspeak, when done properly, isn't inaccurate, just different and, like shorthand, there's a reason for it. At least there was when it was invented. One can be just as grammatically correct using texttype as one can when using words spelled out longhand.

pollyperkins Tue 07-Nov-17 13:52:31

I'm sorry but I can't see that using text speak or abbreviations to be quick, or for a bit of fun are ruining the language. As long as people know how to write properly and grammatically when appropriate it's not a problem. It's all part of life's rich pattern.

MawBroon Tue 07-Nov-17 11:39:59

Paw, elenka etc is PawBroon the long suffering husband of MawBroon not an Acronym.

Christinefrance Tue 07-Nov-17 08:26:47

I like fuxake too Baggs doesn't look quite so rude.
Love the ' organ festival' and MissAdventure's interpretation. ?

Elenkalubleton Tue 07-Nov-17 07:58:51

I've seen PAW used in posts ? Can't figure out what that means,not mentioned in Acronyms

Marmight Tue 07-Nov-17 07:20:40

It's all a mystery to me. I need everything to say what it means and mean what it says. Easily confused am I. I don't use abbreviations and I have to use punctuation, capital letters and paragraphs. As for predictive text - no words grin

Lilyflower Tue 07-Nov-17 06:21:42

I always use correct English with punctuation as I know how I feel and what I think when I receive anything else. I do, however, use abbreviations when others are using them.

Whatever they might say, people judge when they see solecisms and mistakes. In this day of ‘everything goes’ accurate English is the last social determinant, I ha e observed.

It comes under Thomas Hardy’s dictum of ‘what everyone knows but no one will say.’

MissAdventure Mon 06-Nov-17 22:33:00

I think 'organ festival' adequately describes an orgy blush

pollyperkins Mon 06-Nov-17 22:30:01

My daughter once sent a text meaning to say At organ festival. Predictive text turned it into At Orgy feast. I was a bit concerned!

pollyperkins Mon 06-Nov-17 22:27:26

Dont know Fuxake but Dingbats is similar to the John Underwood puzzle. I find it great fun!

grannybuy Mon 06-Nov-17 20:42:40

I still choose to use the old style phone, with all the key pressing involved, but my texts consist of complete words, and are fully punctuated. I just like this size and shape of phone as I have small hands. I don't use predictive text, but I'm pretty fast.

NfkDumpling Mon 06-Nov-17 20:18:56

Yep, I like Fuxate too.

henbane Mon 06-Nov-17 19:48:16

I think there's a name for the Great/Grate B and YYUR type of puzzle but I can't remember it, does anyone know?

They used to be very popular - my favourite was described as an address:
Wood
John
Hants

(John Underwood, Andover, Hants - from a simpler time when that was identification enough!)

Baggs, I do like Fuxake, think I might adopt that one.

Baggs Mon 06-Nov-17 18:31:57

The latest in text-type: Fuxake! twitter.com/thatwendylee/status/927551317828100101
She's complaining about what she calls Boris's latest gaffe.

I like it.

TillyWhiz Mon 06-Nov-17 18:18:17

Yes I have to get my head round DH, MIL etc but think it's a good brain test! What bugs ME is people using .... between sentences insted of a full stop - why?! So so tedious a read.

MamaCaz Mon 06-Nov-17 18:11:42

I have even started speaking text-speak recently - when annoyed, I sometimes splutter fuh fuh suh (FFS) !