Thursday, August 26, 2010

Am I a grouch, grinch, or just... ? (LOL)

I don't watch the morning shows too much, but when I went to my Moms the other day, the TV was on, and the local show had two women talking about texting, and the foreshortened terms and spelling used.

The one was a mother of a 13 year old, and was absolutely upset because her daughter had written a birthday card to a friend of the same age, and had written it out text-like.  Then it lead to a discussion of the poor state of language, and I believe I left before it became a treatise on the downfall of Western Civilization.

OK, here's where I am sort of on the kid's side, rather than the Mom's.  It was another kid she was writing to.  It was a birthday card, usually not what we write long missives or spout pages of Shakespeare, right?  In fact, most of mine from friends, are either "Happy Birthday, Love X", or just "Love, X".  If I was a 13 year old, I don't think something like "Hpy BD, BFF!" would send me to bouts of dark depression.  Now, if it had been a school report, or a letter to a grandparent, I might have been more on Mom's side, but I guess, in context, it seemed rather silly.

I then proceeded to try and think if, and how many of the 'text' things I could actually come up with.

BFF -  Best Friend Forever
B4 - before
YMMV - Your mileage may vary (usually in patterns on the knitting chats I read)
IMO, IMHO - In My Opinion, In My Humble Opinion
POS - Parents over Shoulder.  (Except in one of Husband's Machinist groups, they tend to use it as Piece Of Sh*t)
LOL - Laugh Out Loud
ROFL - Rolling On the Floor Laughing
ROFLMAO - Rolling On the Floor Laughing My A** Off.
TTFN - Ta Ta For Now.

(The spell check is having heart failure at this moment...)

I am sure I could come up with others, w00t, and things like that, but anyway, I guess my thought is, I use some of these very same terms as an adult when emailing, or even on rare occasion, LOL to a friend in my letters.  Do any of you use these terms?  Do you know any that I haven't put down?  (I like to learn them...) 

The irony, I think, is that as a ham radio operator, shortened words have been in use for a LONG time before the computer kids got a hold of it...

So,  73's*, TTFN!

* Best Regards, common ending for "ham" radio contact.

16 comments:

Ms. Diva said...

I am living with three teens who text CONSTANTLY!!! I started out by insisting when texting me they spell correctly. Yea, that lasted about two minutes when it was pointed out some of them don't have fancy phones with full QWERTY! Oh, well.

LaShaune said...

My biggest fear as I became an adult was sounding like a Texan! When I moved to NYC in 1997, I was greeted with "I'm so glad you say 'Ya'll'" I didn't realize how 'ya'll' and 'hey' became part of my everyday vernacular, but it has. While attending my 20-yr HS reunion in Tacoma, WA, I was told that I have a 'Texas' accent. My biggest fear has been realized - thanks Mom and Dad!

So using shortened text while e-mailing/texting is ok as long as it is in an informal setting among friends. Although, my boss has a tendency to send me e-mails using LOL (annoying slightly). Lately, I have found myself using shorthand in my e-mails. I know I'm conserving energy by leaving out the vowels in people or between, but for some reason it just appears faster.

Oh, to add to your list:

ROTFLMBAO (insert Black before @$$)
BTW - by the way (I overuse this one all the time)
SMH - shaking my head (it took me a long time to figure that one out).

Inger said...

I use b/c for because and then I thought LOL also meant lots of love. If it doesn't, some of my friends may have wondered about this lots of laughs in an inappropriate place. Hope I didn't use it if their pet died or something serious like that. Thanks for clarifying.__inger

messymimi said...

When you are writing your doctoral thesis, or even your 9th grade English essay, do it the correct way.

When you are writing to peers, write the way you would talk, like a real person.

Learn to spell without the spell check, too, so you don't embarrass yourself on that essay question.

Sharon said...

From a kid to a kid, and the mom is upset? Jeez! I use a lot of those little shortened things, they have become part of the way I write now. Like BRB - I used to think it meant Bath Room Break, but actually means Be Right Back, but I am actually taking a BRB. LOL! Yah, spell checker does have a fit, and BTW, I don't care!

Have a lovely day!

Tina said...

omg oh my god

Cat said...

Ms. Diva:

Know about that, my phone, while being text capable, you have to use the phone pad, and type each letter from the phone number, (i.e. A, B, and C are all from #1, depending on how many times you tap the key), this means I am not exactly jumping up and down to text. (Even if my niece thinks it's neat...)

Cat

Cat said...

LaShaune:

I have lived here pretty much all my life, so I sound like I live here. The biggest complaint anyone has about me is not talking loud enough, not what it sounds like... :)

Perhaps your boss is one of those that uses LOL to make sure you realize X thing is a joke, I have a friend that uses it that way... A LOT. I think said friend is trying to avoid snarky-ness... ???

BTW. I knew that one, forgot about it, the other two were new! Thanks!

Cat

Cat said...

Canyon Girl:

b/c I think I have seen, but it might be a new one for me. It makes sense, at any rate.

LOL, Lots of Love was how I learned it, but one of my (a LOOOONG time ago) doctors used it for Little Old Lady. Some women didn't appriciate that for some strange reason...

Cat

Cat said...

messymimi:

Hear, hear! And I say, basic spelling, even in English, isn't impossible. I use the spell check, but I also have a fair grasp of spelling rules, so even if I am not SURE if it's right, I can give an educated guess, most times...

Cat

Cat said...

Sharon:

I use it on occasion, sometimes on the blog, and when writing something quick note like, but other than the occasional LOL, I really don't use it a lot. I use emoticons a lot more. ;)

BRB, I think I have seen it used both ways myself, one of my friends uses "Biobreak". Guess the BRB would have to be in context. Hey, it could be doubled and still make sense! brb, brb...

BTW, yes, think I might have learned that one, but it's another!

Cat

Cat said...

Tina:

Yeppers, I think I even used that one for a blog title a while back... :)

Cat

V.L. Locey said...

A kid to a kid is fine. What grinds my gears is seeing young people using text talk in thier written works. But that may just be the writer in me grumbling. =)

John Going Gently said...

kids have always made their own language up, no matter what decade you live in!
and adults like me, always bitch about how I dont understand them!!!

Cat said...

Feral Female:

No, if it is in school papers or some such the like, it just isn't acceptable, but this was a birthday card to another teen. (And yes, my inner writer, and former school assistant grumbles right along, agreeing with you...)

Cat

Cat said...

John Gray:

There are 'made up' languages, and there are 'jargon' languages, so it's just the idea that you have to know who you are speaking to would understand same!

73 skiddo! HA!

Cat