A rant

[carrie]

I have just received a text from a friend who used so many abbreviations and shortened spellings it took me ages to work out what she was trying to say.
Now my grammar and spelling might not be the greatest but surely it's just as easy to write was as woz. Am I a moaning minny who can't keep up or do others find the same?

[HEPZIBAH]

You are not alone.

[newcastle]

Indeed.

There’s a regular contributor on here who loves to say “yer” rather than you and prefixes just about everything with the epithet “so - called”.

Weird.

[HEPZIBAH]

I think we can all slip into certain aspects of poor English from time to time. I know I do, and I think that is because of the exposure to so much poor English on the internet, and even in news publications. Writing things too fast can also make it even more of a problem. However, there are many modern ways of using and abusing the English language that I simply do not understand. Having said that, there are many not so modern ways of using the English language that I don't understand, especially from people who claim to be educated, and who seem incapable of correcting their mistakes, no matter how many times it is pointed out to them.

[crewmeal]

As an English language teacher I find some of these abbreviations totally unacceptable. Sadly some students use those so called words 'wanna' and 'gonna' when writing, they are marked down for it!!!

[newcastle]

I think we can all slip into certain aspects of poor English from time to time. I know I do, and I think that is because of the exposure to so much poor English on the internet, and even in news publications. Writing things too fast can also make it even more of a problem. However, there are many modern ways of using and abusing the English language that I simply do not understand. Having said that, there are many not so modern ways of using the English language that I don't understand, especially from people who claim to be educated, and who seem incapable of correcting their mistakes, no matter how many times it is pointed out to them.

And it’s not has if they haven’t been told......

[Moonstone]

Sometimes I receive emails which appear to be written in "text speak". I refer in particular to the use of "u" instead of "you" and "cum" instead of "come". I, too, can be guilty of this in an SMS, using "RUOK" occasionally. Yes, I know that this is the age of speed etc but surely this does not preclude the use of proper grammar. Strangely enough my lawyer in Scotland uses this form of communication. I can only assume that he is dictating to some machine that spews out words willy-nilly but the first letter I received via email took me about three hours to decipher!

[HEPZIBAH]

"cum" instead of "come".

(Assuming I have understood the first word correctly...) A very unfortunate attempt at abbreviation. Depending on the overall sentence context it could be very embarrasing.

There is a world of difference between 'Can you come today?' and 'Can you cum today? . Embarrasing when booking the plumber to unblock your pipes.

[Grandad]

An often used word that I still don't understand is 'woke'. What does it mean or does it have multiple meanings depending on the context. Is it an adjective, noun, pronoun or what?
I do use a few like OMG as an exclamation, and r and u and 8 as lazy abbreviations but usually write the whole and correct word.
Your (you're) and there (their) are examples that I find younger people do not seem to know the difference. I think this whole corruption of language does come from texting and the need for speed. I sometimes watch young people texting and cannot believe the speed of their fingers or thumbs on the small mobile phone keyboard. I have to resort to using a stylus with my clumsy fingers.

[Moonstone]

[/quote]

(There is a world of difference between 'Can you come today?' and 'Can you cum today? . Embarrasing when booking the plumber to unblock your pipes.
[/quote]


Precisely!

[newcastle]

An often used word that I still don't understand is 'woke'. What does it mean or does it have multiple meanings depending on the context. Is it an adjective, noun, pronoun or what?
I do use a few like OMG as an exclamation, and r and u and 8 as lazy abbreviations but usually write the whole and correct word.
Your (you're) and there (their) are examples that I find younger people do not seem to know the difference. I think this whole corruption of language does come from texting and the need for speed. I sometimes watch young people texting and cannot believe the speed of their fingers or thumbs on the small mobile phone keyboard. I have to resort to using a stylus with my clumsy fingers.

I had to look up “woke” when I first encountered it. I can’t remember its origins but it seems to be an adjective describing the whole gamut of leftish, libertarian views......in a derogatory sense. Often used to dismiss the views of Trump’s opponents!

I agree that the use of letters instead of words comes from texting...where, at least, it has some relevance. In ordinary correspondence - and (oldie that I am) I put emails/forum posts in this category - it just smacks of laziness.

Common errors - your/you’re, there/their, it’s/its - are often the result of predict text or similar shortcuts your laptop gives you to save you using your brain. Unfortunately, the laptop is usually ignorant of the context!

Again, confessing my dotage, I invariably read through any post/ email to correct such mistakes. Many would regard this as a complete waste of time as the error rarely confuses the message. But to me, receiving messages containing such errors tells me that either the sender was too busy and unmindful of my pedantry,....or a bit ignorant of correct English usage.

[newcastle]

"cum" instead of "come".

(Assuming I have understood the first word correctly...) A very unfortunate attempt at abbreviation. Depending on the overall sentence context it could be very embarrasing.

There is a world of difference between 'Can you come today?' and 'Can you cum today? . Embarrasing when booking the plumber to unblock your pipes.

Either could be correct....depending on the situation.

P.S. Always use spellcheck when engaging in discussion on spelling....to avoid embarrassing (sic) errors!

[HEPZIBAH]

"cum" instead of "come".

(Assuming I have understood the first word correctly...) A very unfortunate attempt at abbreviation. Depending on the overall sentence context it could be very embarrasing.

There is a world of difference between 'Can you come today?' and 'Can you cum today? . Embarrasing when booking the plumber to unblock your pipes.

Either could be correct....depending on the situation.

P.S. Always use spellcheck when engaging in discussion on spelling....to avoid embarrassing (sic) errors!

Oops!

Spelling has been a lifetime nightmare for me. Oddly, I find I can, generally, spell words with greater accuracy when I type, even without a spell checker on, than when I write by hand. I do still make mistakes, more so when I am posting using my phone rather than my laptop. This is usually a combined case of haste and fat finger syndrome.

When I was a young school child my teachers, and my mother, could not understand that I could read so well, and comprehend what I read, and yet struggle so much with handwriting (which is still almost illegible) and spelling. They would all be quite amazed that I soend so much time writing for work and leisure purposes.

[hatusu]

Totally agree with all the above, but I fear we are on a loser. Bill Bryson wrote a fascinating book called “The Mother Tongue – English and How It got that Way”.
Our language changes through every century, often influenced by whichever group had just invaded – Romans, Vikings, Normans etc.(or conversely by which country WE had just invaded) Many words come from the Raj period (eg shampoo, pyjamas, bungalow, but my favourite one being “Tickety Boo”) Both WW1 and WW11 brought new words and phrases (when I was a young girl the word “Bint”, the Arabic for “girl”, was often used for someone’s girlfriend.
Much of Shakespeare’s plays seem like a foreign language to many. We no longer “thee” and “thou”, we say ”has” or “have” instead of “hath” etc etc
But looking on the bright side - Perhaps in the next few years humans wont need to worry about language and correct vocabulary as they will just be grunting at each other whilst staring continuously at a small piece of plastic. Just saying.

[BENNU]

B4 I had my own internet in Luxor, 14-15 years ago, l took time editing and abbreviating correct text using annoying abbreviations. This was in order to save characters rather than time when sending expensive international text messages.

Realising that my boyfriend in Denmark did not understand my hot, romantic or angry messages, I stopped and that made my life easier.

These days, having contacts in different parts of the world and living in two countries myself, most of my daily communication is written and I have been surprised to learn that several of my intelligent friends are dyslectic. They will skip some words and the spellcheck does not always get it right. I have nothing but respect and understanding for this.

Knowing the difference between ignorance and carelessness, I am less patient when it takes more effort, perhaps for a large group, deciphering a text than it has taken the contributor to write it. That is unfair and I see it as nothing less than pollution.

[hatusu]

Is "Handwriting" still taught in schools?