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?

DFish , you can't be serious!

I actually think writing 'D'H when talking about the nefarious shenanigans of their husband is just so off putting.

I just read it as 'damn' or 'dickhead' in those contexts.

TSSDNCOP=The secret service does not comment on procedure. ie MNHQ won't tell you how they know posters are trolls.

I think people are overthinking the 'D' thing. DS1 is easily understood and saves typing 'my eldest son'. I don't even think of what the D may or may not mean, and it really doesn't matter.

If you can't get past it as it bugs you that much then you will have to give up MN.

"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 don't think anyone would say that one is objectively better than the other. Just that some habits are part of the DNA of the site. And that if you don't like the posting style that is characteristic of a site, keep hunting until you find one that you do like.

('D' is a useful choice - dickbrained? dratted? dingbat?)

sparklingbrook - agree, as long as people observe the difference between DS1 and DS (1)

Which might not be immediately obvious, but saves confusion once properly assimilated.

Yes DS (1) got his provisional driving licence last week is all kinds of wrong.

Also DS (2) was on the PS4 until the early hours. V bad.

I would never have worked out the secret service one! Thanks sparkling!

I read DH as dickhead until the post proves it to be Dear Husband. Sadly this happens less often than my first interpretation.

He's a good dad but... Makes me

There's a delicious irony in the fact that you're venting about abbreviations on a board called 'AIBU' OP

DH, DD, DS etc have been about for ages - I was using them on forums about 15 years ago. It's now so ingrained that I have been known to refer to DH as DH in real life situations

'HTH' is fucking horrible though. It always sounds sarcastic even when it's not meant to!

What does HTH mean!?

DFish

IKR!

NGL!

I hate the Dwhoever (except Ddog, which just sounds like a pisstake) because it just seems nauseatingly twee.

I'm fond of most of the other acronyms though.

HTH

I swear the abbreviation madness causes people to wing it. Like EA on one thread is not the same EA on another. True story. My head aches reading posts but here I still am.

Also, what does AFRIAK or summink like it mean?

This is not a MN thing, though. These are commonly used shorthand on Internet forums (fora?).

I certainly didn't come across it first on MN.

I always think the D is a bit mocking/self-mocking. Like saying "daahling" in a middle class accent, when you are saying something that sounds a bit pretentious.

AFAIK = as far as I know

My favourite is SIOB - sharp intake of breath.

Again, not exclusive to MN.

Ffs! Someone, ANYONE please translate. What does HTH mean?

Hope that helps.

HTH.

Starry it was answered up thread 'Hope this helps'.

SIOB can also mean 'sort it out bitch' so use that one carefully...

HTH means hope that helps, but it's usually used a bit sarcastically.