Stupid Online Abbreviations
HomeGrammarStupid Online Abbreviations
Patrick March 13, 2004 GrammarLanguagePet PeevesThe Web
It’s a little ironic that the Internet, the ultimate achievement of the information age, which has caused old-fashioned printed Encyclopedias and Dictionaries to become almost obsolete, is simultaneously allowing us to ignore all the great amounts of information just a few clicks away in order to become so lazy with language that you have to spend time deciphering an online conversation.
There are plenty of examples of stupid abbreviations that take as long for the reader to figure out as it would take for the writer to spell out. How many of you know what WAEF stands for? No, I’m not referring to some broadcast station, though considering my profession, it would be a good guess!
“WAEF” stands for “When all else fails.” Of the four words, when spelled out, the longest is just five letters. Is that too much to ask for a writer to make sure that he’s understood??
Here are a few other of the abbreviations that I’m ready to see retired in favor of ENGLISH:
POTS: Pounding on table, shreiking. (For the same number of letters you could just say, “Damn”)
PJTER: Computer. (Can anyone explain that one to me?)
GMTA: Great minds think alike. (Great minds are connected to hands capable of typing.)
ROTFLMAO: Rolling on the floor laughing my a** off. (They won’t type out a phrase, but they’ll spend twenty minutes typing out this abbreviation?)
The most annoying of them is PROLLY, which, as I’m sure you know, stands for “PROBABLY.” I don’t know where PROLLY came from, but I’m ready to ship it back!
Tags :GrammarLanguagePet PeevesThe Web
Stupid Online Abbreviations
HomeGrammarStupid Online Abbreviations
Patrick March 13, 2004 GrammarLanguagePet PeevesThe Web
It’s a little ironic that the Internet, the ultimate achievement of the information age, which has caused old-fashioned printed Encyclopedias and Dictionaries to become almost obsolete, is simultaneously allowing us to ignore all the great amounts of information just a few clicks away in order to become so lazy with language that you have to spend time deciphering an online conversation.
There are plenty of examples of stupid abbreviations that take as long for the reader to figure out as it would take for the writer to spell out. How many of you know what WAEF stands for? No, I’m not referring to some broadcast station, though considering my profession, it would be a good guess!
“WAEF” stands for “Whe
n all else fails.” Of the four words, when spelled out, the longest is just five letters. Is that too much to ask for a writer to make sure that he’s understood??
Here are a few other of the abbreviations that I’m ready to see retired in favor of ENGLISH:
POTS: Pounding on table, shreiking. (For the same number of letters you could just say, “Damn”)
PJTER: Computer. (Can anyone explain that one to me?)
GMTA: Great minds think alike. (Great minds are connected to hands capable of typing.)
ROTFLMAO: Rolling on the floor laughing my a** off. (They won’t type out a phrase, but they’ll spend twenty minutes typing out this abbreviation?)
The most annoying of them is PROLLY, which, as I’m sure you know, stands for “PROBABLY.” I don’t know where PROLLY came from, but I’m ready to ship it back!
Tags :GrammarLanguagePet PeevesThe Web