When we were little girls playing house, whoever was chosen to be the baby would mimic baby talk with the overused phrase, "Goo goo ga ga." I feel like our culture is regressing to that stage with the way words are used lately.
NaNoWriMo? Com Con. Rom Rom? What the heck, people?
NaNoWriMo? Com Con. Rom Rom? What the heck, people?
Everywhere I turn, there are words comprised of disjointed, partial prefixes blasted all over Facebook, and I don't have a clue what people are talking about. The urban dictionary is becoming one of my most frequently utilized resources. I'm becoming one of those rattled, old people who rant at the younger generation for messing with a good thing. Sentences utilizing multi-syllabic words are a good thing; seriously, you guys.
I am constantly being bombarded by these, I don't even know what to call them, these "mono-morphemic" acronyms." Does this verbal shorthand even have a name? The references are longer than first initials; I'll give it that.
I know I've become the resident weirdo on Facebook, exposing my uncoolness, demanding to have these hybrid words explained to me. My younger friends and relatives, and even my peers, must think I am so out of it.
I know I've become the resident weirdo on Facebook, exposing my uncoolness, demanding to have these hybrid words explained to me. My younger friends and relatives, and even my peers, must think I am so out of it.
A cousin posted,
"Got my hotel for momo con 2014."
I couldn't let it go. I had no idea where she was going, or why. So I asked.
"I clicked on SEE TRANSLATION, but was told, "No translation available." For the unenlightened, what is Momo Con? I finally know what Com Con and Rom Com are. I grew up in that fussy generation that didn't mind saying all of the syllables in a word. Help an old gal out, Jess!"
My young cousin responded with a good-natured "LOL" to precede her explanation, which leads me to believe that I'm being patronized a little. Oh, well. I'm getting older; I guess I will have to get used to a little of that. Am I the only one being dragged kicking and screaming into this current trend?
For others of you who may not know, Com Con is the Comic Convention where people do cosplay. Say what? I know. Cosplay combines two words: costume and play. People dress up as their favorite characters and go to a convention with like-minded folks.
Rom Com? Romantic Comedy. I love romantic comedies! Just took me awhile to figure that word out.
NaNoWriMo??? Now I'm losing my mind. National Novel Writing Month. This one was formulated
by a group of writers, people who profess to love words, and sentences, and perfectly turned phrases. I finally Googled it, since all of the authors in My 500 Words on Facebook seemed to bandy it about as though it were accepted usage. It turns out, it is, among the cool and hip of the writing world. Once again, I feel like I'm an outsider, an old fogey, the one who lurks on the fringes of modern society without a clue.
Bear with me. I'm trying to understand; I really am, but I will probably never succumb to this trend. No, I just don't mind taking the time to say a whole word. It's a pride thing, and is required of my compulsive tendencies. Would I be Captain Obvious if I mentioned I'm old school? Yeah, I thought so.
OCD? That stands for what exactly? (Just teasing you)
ReplyDeleteI get what you are saying. I guess having children who I mainly get to interact with on line I have learned to handle some of it. I never could get into Twitter through since the limit of characters that can be used makes shortening words necessary.
As for the "NaNoWriMo" I just thought is was some writing challenge like the old "Hello, mudda, Hello fadda, Here I am at Camp Granada" or whatever that old song was. I didn't really it was a big National Thing. I have just been going along with listening. to the others. When I checked out the site I just noticed the time frame and couldn't even fathom the idea of a commitment during April. This is the month I have all my music festivals with my students.
Ha ha ha! Linda, you caught me! (I eliminated it, BY THE WAY.) Did you like how I spelled that whole phrase? ;-)
DeleteSo, what's wrong with old school? That's what I want to know. We're getting so lazy that we won't pronounce entire words. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteThere are some things I embrace about being old school. This is one of them! Old Schoolers Unite!
DeleteLOL! I use NaNoWriMo because, well, that's what it's called. It predates most of these others and was pretty deliberate (I think I first entered in 2006...so that's quite a long time ago by internet standards; I think it was the third year for the exercise). It's just a trademark, like other similar trademarks that go back decades. I've done (and won) NaNo three times. And NaNoWriMo is actually held during November. April is Camp NaNoWriMo, a more recent and loose version. There's also Script Frenzy and a version for screenplays, but since I'm an essayist who pretends sometimes to be a potential novelist, I don't know as much about those.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot of fun! I've taken Sundays off and forced myself to finish by Thanksgiving (because I know I won't pick it up again after that). A really good creative exercise.
Congratulations on your success with the novel writing! I've never attempted anything like that. I love your writing, Janna, and hope that once the boyos are in kindergarten, you will have more time to write, and share with us your writing!
DeleteLove this! I'll ponder these things too long before asking my daughter - like smh, nsfw, etc., then her usual answer is that she had to look it up in the "urban dictionary," whatever that is...lol. Glad to know I am not alone.
ReplyDeleteOh, Deb, my 16 year old is my living dictionary. He is so smart, and can't believe how often he has to explain things to his old mom.
DeleteYou crack me up! :) My husband and I (we're around age 40) were talking the other day about how language is getting all messed up. Not this, specifically, but other little things here and there. And then it becomes convention, and nobody knows any different, right? Sorry that it's frustrating for you, though!
ReplyDeleteYou're BABIES, Iris! I'll catch on, and probably succumb, after everyone has moved on to something else, and it's no longer "hip."
DeleteI am with you. Perhaps vanity plates started it. I wish they publish a dictionary for those. Enjoyed your rant.
ReplyDeleteVanity Plate-speak can end any time, and I won't complain. It belongs on a rectangle that only has room for 6 letters.
DeleteSnarky and delightful. Thanks for the fits of snorting laughter you caused.
ReplyDelete