To find all the DS/DD/DM/DF etc frustrating?

[MissClarke86]

Very light hearted post here and I am 7 weeks pregnant so likely just being a hormonal grump, but all the abbreviations to refer to family members drive me mad! It takes me longer to work out what means what than it would for the person to just type "mum", "son" etc. Many of them are only one letter longer than writing DM/ DS and it doesn't require a caps lock press!! I know that it's not that hard to figure out really, but they always look so similar that I do have to pause and think about it and it affects the flow of anything I'm reading.

It's even worse when trying to figure out long stories about step families, and also figuring out the differences between DSs (sisters) and DSs (sons).

Why do we insist on abbreviations for EVERYTHING here?

The whole 'Deveryone/everything' is silly beyond excuse. However excuses you will get, such as 'oh it's easier' and 'they've been around since the stone age'. It's not going to change though, so not much use in moaning about it.

I thini the accepted format is the age of the child should appear in brackets. So DS(6) means he is six years old; DS6 means the sixth son () but you can usually work it out :)

DCs annoys me as Dear Childs or Dear Children makes no sense! It should be DC.

*think

I don't mind them at all. Everyone knows what they mean which is the main thing. Type what you like if it bothers you. Except for hubby or bubs.

I like the DS1 or DS2 thing because I have two sons. I sometimes wonder if GP is grandparent/doctor/guinea pig though.

There are lots of other things on MN way more frustrating.

It's confusing at first but you do get used to it.

There's a mumsnet page somewhere that lists commonly used acronyms (DD, DS1, DH, etc etc) but I can't easily find it on the mobile site.

I hate them too and choose not to use them.

They are common in Internet forums though, so here to stay.

Gf is very confusing. Girlfriend, Gina Ford or goady fucker. I default to goady fucker then try girlfriend if it doesn't scan

Ddog makes my teeth itch it, I want to scream "you sad bastard" but I don't I just eye roll. The rest are ok though. I think the mil/fil/bil could be just that instead of dmil etc which you often see

DDog is stupid, not because it's 'sad' (some people love their dogs, shoot me), but because it's longer than just writing 'dog'.

It gets right on my tits too, especially posters referring to other people's children as DC. It's just so unnecessary!

I first saw them on the Orlando TripAdvisor forum, and assumed they meant 'Disney Daughter', 'Disney Husband', etc.

I thought it was all terribly naff until months later when I found out they meant 'Dear'. Actually, I still think it's a bit naff to write 'Dear Husband', especially when having a moan about him, but it's infinitely better than 'Disney Husband'!

And the adding of a D before niece/nephew. Why?! What's the need!

It's lazy bollocks. No excuses really. There aren't any character limits on here so I don't see the point.

ailith, oh, I've seen 'my ex-DH' on here before.

I like to read it as 'my ex-Dickhead', though.

I agree with you, OP. My response is just not to use them myself

Er...............

It is a Mumsnet thing. There's a list of acronyms somewhere if anyone is struggling.

They really aren't that difficult to understand.

DDog is supposed to be gently comic, and I read it as such.

DFish is sublime.

"Why do we insist on abbreviations for EVERYTHING here?"

Because it's the slang/idiolect/voice of the site.

Just like swearing.

Not all sites are the same, so you just have to find the one you're most happy with. Because you ain't gonna change the years-established norms of a site as big as this one.

I think what really annoys me is when there's lots of them all mixed in one post and it's hard to keep up and actually understand the post or structure of the posters family. If it's just one of two it's fine.

Yes. Annoying- especially those posters who then criticise other sites that use terms such as Hun. Both Hun and DD (or my favourite STBXH)are equally pretentious in their own ways- one is not better than the other.

I like them because daughter number one or youngest daughter is a faff. And they are my darling/dear/dreadful daughters depending on the day. My phone won't allow D's and it always comes out D's which in my head is 'Dawgs' god knows why.

I always think of STBXH as Shitbag Ex Husband. Which is nice.

Sorry I mistype DSTBXH

What is tssncop or something like it? Never fathomed that one

It's the first 'D' that gets on my tits.

If you really can't be arsed to type son/daughter/mum/dad/sister/dog/fish then why put the first 'D' at all?

It especially irritatates when posters talk of their dear/darling husband shagging around or being abusive, just type husband, he's not a fucking darling at the moment is he?

Or the sister who hates you and who you clearly hate right back, just say sister, no need to say dsis when you think she's a twat.