abbreviations?

[netabrookie 0]

I have to ask another dumb question. Is there a list or something somewhere that shows all of the abbreviations that are being used today? I get text messages and read posts and sometimes don't know half of what is being said. I understand that its a lot quicker and some of the abbreviations seem to fit and make sense, but some of them are a bit confusing. I even heard a fellow the other day use one while speaking. They were telling a joke or something and he thought it was funny and said "LOL" as he started laughing. I almost "LOLed" myself right in front of him. I think IMO (see, I'm learning) that was one of the stupidest things that I have ever heard. L. O. L. is 3 syllables and Laugh Out Loud is 3 syllables so what was accomplished except the possibility of confusion? If I hadn't already have known what lol meant then I would have been lost. There is a lot of three letter abbreviations that are not so great: let's start with maybe CIA or TKO then MIA or even DOA and we can't forget the ever popular DUI or DWI. There has to be a book or chart somewhere out there but I am not sure where to begin the search.

Take Care, Tony

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

here you go Tony http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/textmessageabbreviations.asp#A

Get you an ACE and read awhile

[netabrookie 0]

Thank you fine sir. Now its time to do my homework and get educated. When I get back from this big adventure I will be full of LOL's and BFF's (whatever that is?) I wonder what the abbreviation for supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is?

Take Care, Tony

[Piker20 0]

I think Riff has stumbled on some real geeky thing there. I can't believe anyone would bother to use half that stuff.

[netabrookie 0]

Well, I guess that I am back from my big learning expedition sooner than I thought. I could learn Portuguese easier than I could learn all of that. Thanks for trying to help me out Paul, but I don't don't think my little mind can hold all of that. I have never mastered English yet and now I am supposed to abbreviate it. I think a little puff of smoke just came out of my right ear....I hear wires frying in my skull... Piker, I'm not exactly sure what he stumbled on but it aint for me....

Take Care, Tony

[riffleriversteelheadslayer 0]

That puff of smoke is from the ACE LOL go look it up

[mikechell 0]

I don't even bother trying to "decipher" the acronyms. They are just further signs of the laziness of today's societies.

Let's get this straight ... L.O.L. as an acronym ... not an abbreviation. Most of the acronyms used in the previous posts, like C.I.A. are just used to shorten descriptive titles. Abbreviations are used to shorten the typed or written version of a word.

Both are laziness incarnate. The "text message" is the epitome of laziness ... and another reason I won't join FaceBook, it just pisses me off to see people do that.

I am guilty of "LOL" ... but very few other ACRONYMS.

[Peterjay 0]

A lot of the acronyms come from the fact that many online programs and boards have limits on the number of characters that can be used in a single message. The acronyms just take up less room, that's all. It has nothing to do with laziness - I can type whole words at about the same speed as I can type capital letters. Languages aren't meant to be permanently carved in stone; they're living entities that are constantly evolving. Cyber-lingo is no exception.

[Piker20 0]

Yep but there is something disconcerting to hear kids saying "I heart you" and I hate, hate FYI! Someone says FYI to me and it sounds like they're from Newcastle and have some geordie speech impediment.

[mikechell 0]

Languages aren't meant to be permanently carved in stone; they're living entities that are constantly evolving. Cyber-lingo is no exception.

 

 

Yep but there is something disconcerting to hear kids saying "I heart you" and I hate, hate FYI! Someone says FYI to me and it sounds like they're from Newcastle and have some geordie speech impediment.

 

Therein lies the problem. If it stayed in the cyber world, then it would only effect those who read it. But it crops up in normal letter writing, in blogs and forums, in newspaper articles and in verbal communication ... speech.

I understand that it MIGHT be necessary for texting, when you've only got 140 characters ... But texting has gotten way out of hand when I am forced to drive behind someone doing 40 on the highway because they are typing their acronyms.

No, I cannot agree that the over use of acronyms, to the point of considering them "normal" is necessary. It is laziness, or at best, impatience ... which is just another word for a lack of common sense.

I really don't mean to upset anybody, and I am not trying to start an argument ... but I just get irritated at the obvious dumbing down of America ... and the push for acceptance of it.

[netabrookie 0]

I don't mean to argue, BUT the link that Riff put up calls them abbreviations and the military calls them acronyms. I usually don't argue or fuss over much, but when I have done my homework a little and see society calling them abbreviations then thats what I call them. I agree with everything else said and hope that this is just another stupid trend that will pass with time. Take Care, Tony

[netabrookie 0]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot..... cough-cough....that was funny Paul. Now where is those Frito's and those candy bars and that wonderful bag of popcorn and.... now what was I saying?

[netabrookie 0]

I read over all of this again and I have to say that I was incorrect on the CIA thing. Things like C.I.A., F.B.I., D.O.D., and all the others are acronyms, but lol and bff are abbreviations. As far as the texting is concerned, sometimes its a useful thing. I live in the mountains and have a terrible signal for my cell phone. If a call comes in it is hit or miss on being able to talk without breaking up or completely loosing the call. I can get a text message and have no problem understanding what is said as long as there isn't too many stupid abbreviations. Now to quote my Grandmother, "the pot shouldn't throw off black to the kettle", meaning that you and I both Mikechell used abbreviations and didn't even think about it at the time of usage. I typed "cell" instead of cellular and you typed "blog" instead of web log. I am not lazy and I don't think that you are either, but we are exposed to so much that it tends to rub off and stick a little if we like it or not. Now I think we got it straight. Good night

[FlyPoppy 0]

Something else to consider. Depending on the line of work you are involved in, there is a whole language that is not used in normal day to day speech. For those in the military think about the abbreviations and acronyms used just to pass on information.

[netabrookie 0]

You are absolutely right FlyPoppy. Jobs like the military and the medical field has a language all to itself. The court room does too but it isn't abbreviated as bad. I should not complain about not understanding all of this new stuff...if some of the people that are using all of the latest texting fads could only have heard a conversation between a couple folks using a CB in the 70's then they would be confused as to what was being said.