There killing our language

[Hörnisse]

You know you're in Minnesota when somebody asks you to borrow them something. This long predates the internet.

When I was a young man in the early 80's I worked at a sheet metal shop with a bunch of North Dakotans.  They would sometimes ask me. "Could you borrow me a dollar." 

[westen44]

We are becoming the movie "Idiocracy."

Maybe even worse than that. 

[will33]

You know you're in Minnesota when somebody asks you to borrow them something. This long predates the internet.

I know, I grew up there.


To, too, and two.  ( <---note the Oxford comma).

I hate text message speak.  I can't stand spellcheck programs.  I am a better "spellchecker" than the computer, it jumps off the page at me.

[rahock]

wut U meenz???

I dunno wut you meenz buy this. If it would've been me, I'd've axed something more pacific, cause I've cleant up my act some.
Rick

[Denis]

Sometimes when I'm in Pennsylvania at the annual motorcycle meet I'll ask if a certain friend has arrived, the answer I receive is "I think he's here yet" if he has arrived.

[the mojo hobo]

To, too, and two.  ( <---note the Oxford comma).

I hate text message speak.  I can't stand spellcheck programs.  I am a better "spellchecker" than the computer, it jumps off the page at me.

You piqued my interest there. I hadn't heard of the Oxford comma before, but realized that I often use it.

My phone makes it easy to use full words in text messages by automatically suggesting correctly spelled words. I also hate text message speak, but that is just IMHO, YMMV IIRC.

[Granny Gremlin]

My spelling sucks, but I know when to use which version of whatever homonym it is.  I have an excuse  (ESL... though my spelling in every language blows pretty hard - that's what happens when you're taught 3 at a time growing up ).

My biggest peeve is how it looks/feels etc.  It's especially annoying because people who will correct others will miss that one or let it go.  Don't even get me started on Let Forever Be; that song should have been sent back for vocal retake because it ruined grammar for at least 2 generations through bloody-minded repetition.  A&R fail.

As for text speak, I don't mind that at all; it has it's place and can be used as a (for lack of a better term) poetic device.  That said when you can't break out of it, use it all the time, and let it affect your ability to use proper language, then it's time to cut it out.

[lowend1]

The problem with text speak is that a whole generation is being raised knowing little else with regard to written communication. Cursive writing is also becoming a lost art.

[Granny Gremlin]

Cursive can eat a dick in my mind - half the time you can't read someone else's chicken scratch anyway.  That was going out of style long before the internet (I don't know anyone in my, pre-internet, generation who writes in cursive unless they're making a fancy invitation or some shit... or hipsters).

As for ruining language - that ignores all the essays they have to write in school, all the books they have to read.  Sorry but this is another older generation playing chicken little. Sure there may be a few cases where they just don't have a clue or are dropouts; but before the internet we also had illiterates so no worse really.  It's not the existence of internet/txt speak that is the problem, it's the attitude of individual kids about actual proper language being an uncool waste of time. 

[nofi]

i hope cursive never go away. it speaks of a time when folks took pride in their letter writing and grammar skills, as it was the main means of communication. to me, a well written letter in cursive is a thing of beauty and still a useful tool today for certain situations.

texting on the other hand can bite me.

[Highlander]

Now if you had added one comma to that heading... there, killing our language... a bit like the dodgy panda description... eats, shoots, and leaves...

Mind you, whenever you hear the comment, "no such word", my prompt response is, "there is now...!"

Funny enough, this topic made minor headlines today, as some school has banned a significant number of slang words ... plain daft, init...

[uwe]

I hate lose use of language, but am beginning to loose interest in this thread.

[Highlander]

You pal, of all peepull heere, noo the p'tential of the misuse of laangwidge, d'ya ken...?

[rahock]

i hope cursive never go away. it speaks of a time when folks took pride in their letter writing and grammar skills, as it was the main means of communication. to me, a well written letter in cursive is a thing of beauty and still a useful tool today for certain situations.

texting on the other hand can bite me.

I spend a lot of time at the Henry Ford Museum and viewing historical documents that were hand written in cursive is like viewing fine art to me.
Cursive writing is no longer taught in most schools and I think it's a shame, but that's how it goes.
Rick

[uwe]

My teachers told me around 4th grade: Uwe, it's perhaps better if you give up cursive and just print.  I never looked back, I hated that stuff and broke dozens of ink pens because I always pressed too hard.