Monday, August 3, 2009

PRCog's Basic Guide to butchering English for 140 chars....

I'm a long-winded SOB.....so twitter frequently doesn't give me enough elbow room to do my wordsmithing (or add comments to a RT, etc.). So, I butcher English instead and abbreviate the heck out of everything I can. @PRDude is also a frequent violator, perhaps even more extreme in his abbrs than me.

This, as you might imagine, frequently causes confusion and apparently a productivity loss with some (sorry Arik!). It has also inspired some fun mockery & an odd flrry o disc. on whthr this pst itslf shld be wrttn in Cog-esse.

& So, w/o further butchering, the "Basic Guide" (post may be updated as I'm reminded of other abbrvs. Advanced guide e-book available for $19.95, with a mini book light included with your credit card order ;)

Basic Rules

Go with accepted abbreviations:
  • WSJ (Wall Street Journal);
  • NYT (NY Times);
  • State abbreviations (remember, Missouri is MO, not MI; MI is Michigan; not Mississippi; which is actually MS -- not Missouri);
  • w/ (with);
  • w/o (without);
  • PRC (PR Cog) [that is an accepted abbreviation, yes?)
  • WTF
  • WTH
  • Eff (tho writing this one out can feel better)
Write it like it sounds, or should/would sound:
  • Tho (Though)
  • 2 (To/Too/Two--context helps)
  • Thru (Through/Threw)
  • NE1 (Anyone/any one)
  • U (You)
  • U'r (You're)
  • Ur (Your)
  • L8 (Late)
  • c8r (cater)
  • Caveats - Abbreviations that make it look like you have a 3rd grade education are NOT acceptable -- e.g., never use "Rite" for Write or Right. "Rt" is acceptable for Right. Wood for Would is a no-go, but Wld for would is fine (see below); Abbreviating names w/ phonics is frowned upon, go with initials if necessary. [UPDATE: As @tjdietderich points out RT maybe can be confused for a Retweet. Context is important]
The Apostrophe is your friend -- when your meaning is clear
  • G'Morning (Good Morning) [It does help if they're southern expressions]
  • G'day (Good Day)
  • M'dear (My dear)
  • M'Goodness (you see where this is going...)
Drop your vowels -- at least 1 language I know of doesn't use vowels (above school grade writing). Sound/Meaning is derived from context and the approximate sound
  • Mrkt (market)
  • twttr (Twitter)
  • Dsk (desk or disk depending on context)
  • Abt (About)
  • Trn (turn)
  • Arnd (around)
  • The lst is endlss
  • Caveat(s) -- Do not drop a vowel when it will make a different word - "they" cannot become "thy."
That covers the basics for 'Butchering English to fit in 140 chars or less' during ur lnch hrs -- more &/or updts l8r as they bcome req'd or cm 2 my attn. :-P

4 comments:

  1. Funny, sad, true...Oh my....

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  2. Rt = right? Wouldn't people think you meant retweet?

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  3. haha, awesome :)
    Congrats on this being in PR Daily btw!

    ReplyDelete