General Chat

I'm reading more and more, new spellings for words, I know younger people like to spell words differently, I think that probably comes from using words they think older people won't understand :-D

But I am now seeing grown adults, spelling words wrong on purpose, for instance, boi = boy, fwend = friend, gawjus= gorgeous, ikkle= little, yous= you. It can't be that the spellings are used as some sort of shorthand, as some of the wrongly spelt words are longer than the proper spelling.

When I read posts on forums of people I know who write this sort of way, I'm left cold as to why. Has there been a new dictionary published that I should know about?

Awful. It's the language of the young and one can hope they grow out of it.

A bit odd when adults do it.

All that grammar we learned at school.
Our teachers would be horrified.
I see my grandchildren ...and greats ...using some of these words...think it came from texting,but as Lynda says a lot of the words are not shorter.

It's probably done 'in fun' to appear cute, cuddly and loveable. Think of a little girl with ringlets, big doe-like eyes and (may be) sucking her thumb :-)

It doesn't provoke ire when its on an interchange between friends in the more age mature category, but it would be awful if used inappropriately elsewhere. Most of us have our 'silly side' which our families might not appreciate. There's no problem letting it come out amongst friends :-D

I have seen it used on fun threads and that is fine, it is part of the scene and no need to read if anyone is not joining in the joke. But when used as part of a sensible thread it is not good. But we accept all sorts of here, strange spellings, bad spelling, bad grammar, finger problems (One of my problems when typing) so it is fine by me as long as they know it is not normal spelling.

Oh good it's not just me who thinks it odd then, thought I was losing it :-D seeing gawgus written on a "fun" thread, would still leave me cold, if the poster was in there 50's Ann, maybe that's because I never wore ringlets or sucked my thumb, although I am vety cute :-D :-D

I don't read them... I think I'd better leave it at that lol ;-)

I don't read them either Rose :-D

Mersey, as I've said be it on a "fun" thread or not, I don't get the reasoning behind it, it doesn't make me smile wherever I read it.
The person I read most who writes it, isn't a member here, it's an old work colleague, in her 50's, who doesn't speak like it, just seems to use the words whenever she gets the opportunity, knowing her I think it seems odd, she has never said the word ikkle to me, so why write it?

Hear, hear, Mersey! :-D :-D :-D

Agree with Mersey.

I'm of 'a certain age' and imo good at spelling. Wouldn't dream of using inappropriate words in important documents ....but cannot see the harm when used on fun threads :-S

It really does not bother me what/how they write, but sometimes I struggle to understand what they mean. :-S :-S

I don't know you Mersey, so have no idea if you're odd or not, but I know my friend, and I'm not saying she is odd, she isn't, just means I find it odd she writes the way she does, no big deal, open forum and all that.

I do think you have to sometimes remember how it might look to 'strangers' and on the internet 'most' people who read what you say don't know you personally and may
assume you to be not who and what you actually are?

Call me old-fashioned, but I have a thing about people saying 'there' when it should be 'their'.

Good point Rose :-D

Wend, I'm not that fussed about spellings that are misspelt, or if somone put's a ! Where a ? should be, but I know it annoys the hell out of some people, and I thought I was an old fashioned type of girl ;-) Just don't understand why my friend misspells words, when she doesn't need to, other friends have commented on her doing it, maybe one of us will ask her why she does, wonder what she' d say :-0

Lynda I have a dear friend, (we have been friends for 54 years) She is now using text speak and sometimes using it in emails to me. I asked her why she had started to use it and she just shrugged and said it saves her time when texting, I am afraid i can't see the point, but then each to their own.

She always uses emoticons, it is so out of character for her but I love her dearly.

I wonder Paula, maybe your dear friend is the same person as my dear friend, if not, maybe we could introduce them to each other, they could then emotion and text speak the night away, with each other of course :-D

It doesn't really bother me TBH, unless someone spoke like that to me all the time, or it was in a letter or email addressed to me. I wouldn't write, or talk, like that but that's just me!! I've seen plenty of stuff on here way more annoying than 'silly talk' :-S

How would we manage to communicate if 'language' disappears?

I suppose we could employ the controversial fake interpreter at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service, rambling Thamsanqa Jantjie.

If language disappeared Dermot, it'd be very quiet ;-)