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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

that i used text speak to a friend and she corrected my grammer ??

103 replies

mrsfuzzy · 17/12/2014 01:29

she's the only person i know that uses full words and sentences on text, by the time she has typed it all out , it would have been quicker to speak on the bloody phone ! sent her a message the other day to confirm meeting up and the cheeky cow, said that she found text speak 'slovenly' and she was asking friends not to use it when texting her wtf?? aibu in giving her the elbow on our plans - was so irritated by her attitude.

OP posts:
MacGotFat · 17/12/2014 07:49

You could always reply that use of text speak actually correlates with better spelling and reading ability (in children) and link to this .
It's all about playing with words!

BitOutOfPractice · 17/12/2014 07:50

Course! Wink

although tbf FWIW is a very old abbreviation, not txt spk. HTH

Idontseeanysontarans · 17/12/2014 07:51

I'm with your friend too but there's no way I would point it out to anyone, each their own Smile
Cum really annoys me though, DS picked up an xbox message while I was in the room and I did correct that one (it was from his best friend). The message must have got through because none of his mates use the word now Grin
I use Siri like Parrot does - don't even have to lift a finger!

Bunbaker · 17/12/2014 07:57

"Yabu to use text speak. Your friend is BU to correct you on it though.

I hate text talk, it's so lazy."

This.

I thought I was going to be the only one not liking text speak. Even when I had an old style phone I would still use real words and punctuation.

We aren't an Apple household so we don't have Siri.

I hate seeing text speak on internet forums. It makes the poster appear thick (or sound like a teenager)

Boysandme · 17/12/2014 08:03

I hate text speak but wouldn't dream of criticising a friend for it unless I really couldn't understand it.

MorrisZapp · 17/12/2014 08:09

Your friend is right.

kim147 · 17/12/2014 08:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ParrotNoya · 17/12/2014 08:15

BitOutOfPractice Surely FWIW isn't that old? Unless you are counting 15/20 years as old?? I know some acronyms have been used for decades and decades (military etc) but I wouldn't have thought FWIW would fall into that category. Very, very happy to be corrected. Smile Despite my appalling English Blush I love learning about the origins of words and language. Countdown fan all the way

Xx looool

Mintyy · 17/12/2014 08:20

I don't like textspeak either and never use it but your friend sounds like an absolute arse!!

DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn · 17/12/2014 08:30

I think there is a difference between things like FWIW and gr8. I certainly used certain abbreviations in written stuff years and years ago - everyone does. e.g., um well e.g. and i.e.
QED

ParrotNoya · 17/12/2014 08:39

Doesnt. I think you are right about the acceptability of some acronyms. Language evolves all the time but I would be suprised if FWIW didn't start out as 'text' speak (or computer messaging abbreviation) I imagine there must be a point in time when it stops being text speak and becomes a respectable acronym

I wonder what the purists definition of text speak is?

TTFN

HellKitty · 17/12/2014 08:41

My son got his first phone at 12/13. If I replied to his texts I'd just send a reply back with his 'txt spk' corrected. He's 17 now and amazingly he and his friends talk 'proper' in texts!

When I was Internet dating I'd mentally judge a man who used txt spk.

I wouldn't have pulled your friend up on it unless I couldn't understand a word she typed.

biggles50 · 17/12/2014 08:47

You can choose to be irritated or enjoy her regard for correct grammar and accommodate it. She's clearly very particular about the use of proper English. Just know that she's the one who's fussy and tease her a bit. I'd be inclined to send a group text using full words and say at the end something like "see mrs I can write proper". Wind her up a bit and laugh because although she's a bit pernickety and silly it's not worth falling out over.

TheBatteriesHaveRunOut · 17/12/2014 08:50

I loathe textspeak.

I can't decipher what half of it means - the half used by teenagers, I suppose, which I'm entirely comfortable not knowing about because I'm in my 40s.

However I think your friend was utterly unreasonable and was possibly raised by wolves. How rude of her! I mean, surely the focus should be on spending some time with a friend, what kind of Princess Prissy Knickers has the time to criticise the manner in which an invitation/confirmation was sent?

In future I would consider the irritation of a) typing out and spell/grammar checking a text whenever contacting her, and thus probably not including her on a group text and b) her fucking snooty attitude, whenever plans to meet up are made. I suspect I would end up seeing less of her as a result tbh.

Woozlebear · 17/12/2014 08:54

Another text speak hater here. What I hate about it most is that everyone sounds the same- I may as well be communicating with a machine. Fine for arranging to meet someone at the station or something but when it's asking after someone of haven't seen for a while, or actually about something important it just sounds vacuous and pointless.

How r u?
Gr8.

Wow. How meaningful and personal.

Worst is the people who use lol at the end of every sentence, like a full stop substitute. It makes people sound very stupid.

Your friend sounds rude by saying its slovenly to your face, though!

ilovesooty · 17/12/2014 09:13

Another "textspk" hater here. I agree with everything Bunbaker said.

larrygrylls · 17/12/2014 09:22

' think there is a difference between things like FWIW and gr8.'

Yes, the difference is, in your mind, 'class'. Middle class educated people use 'FWIW' and not 'gr8'. The reality is that this is just snobbery. Boundaries are very fluid now. There are people writing doctoral dissertations in English literature who will still use text speak when texting.

As long as text is clearly comprehensible, why not use the quickest and easiest way of typing it?

JingleBellSniffer · 17/12/2014 09:24

I spell a lot of words wrong, but mainly they're the ones I hardly use.
If someone gets "their, there & they're" wrong I will correct it, as well as "wear & where".
Also if someone says "its doing my heading" it winds me up so much. its doing your head IN!!!

Correcting text speak is so anal.

I always type in full unless I'm taking the piss.
Hello :) because hi lol x

coldwater1 · 17/12/2014 09:24

I write texts in full. Can't stand text speak, my mate texts me all the time in text speak and it takes me longer to work out what she means than typing texts in full words!

JingleBellSniffer · 17/12/2014 09:24

Oh arse. because??? BECOMES!!!

larrygrylls · 17/12/2014 09:26

"Yabu to use text speak. Your friend is BU to correct you on it though.

I hate text talk, it's so lazy."

Haha. 'BU'? Not lazy?

Catsize · 17/12/2014 09:27

Text speak is rude. It says to the reader 'u r nt imptnt enuf 4 me 2 writ in ful. U r nt worf my tim'.

Which is why I always write in full sentences, including hyphens in compound adjectives and semi-colons where appropriate.

Catsize · 17/12/2014 09:29

No hyphens in semi-colons. Unless writing 'semi-colons'. Nothing like a bit of juxtaposition. Bt u no wot i ment.

BlueberryWafer · 17/12/2014 09:29

I personally don't use "text speak" but a few of my friends do, and I wouldn't dream of correcting them! That is just plain rude in my book!

MrsCosmopifairylight · 17/12/2014 09:31

I never use text speak as I loathe it. However, I would not ask friends not to use it. It takes me far longer to decypher txt spk msgs tho :)