Comments

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  Sam Scribe March 27, 2011 at 12:28am

  "Classic FYI is right. FYI is in its own pre-cellphone category. Lest we forget, Forbes magazine spun off "Forbes FYI" about 20 years ago. FYI, it was a good magazine.
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  Allan Lynch March 26, 2011 at 11:50pm

  I think the OED shows us how language and communications evolve. They add words and delete words with every edition.

   

  Jose, I got a chuckle out of your comment "..makes sending a text message less onerous..." Hmmm. Could like a telephone call be the answer? No need to text. Push a few numbers or go to pre-programmed numbers ... :-)
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  Jose R. Garrigo March 26, 2011 at 11:23pm

  Pleeease!  I use those shortcuts in some of my informal electronic communications.  But I would never say they are "words" or use them as "words" in a text or column.   Fad or no fad, let's not get carried over with them.
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  José Balido March 26, 2011 at 11:13pm

  OMG! LOL just made it into the OED! (That's "Oxford English Dictionary"). OMG made it, too, along with WTH, the classic FYI, and a few other well-chosen text messaging shortcuts. If you care about language, this is pretty momentous: it's not every day that an official word is born, let alone words that started life as a result of 1) the limited length of text messages, and the extra charge for spilling over into a second message; and 2) the text messager's laziness or finger-fatigue. What do you guys think? Are these real words that belong in the dictionary, or are they a quirky passing fad that will fade the moment a new technology (say, voice recognition, which is already with us) makes sending a text message less onerous? I know where I stand on this issue, but I'd love to hear some pros and cons before I share my own thoughts!

  You’re watching OMG! Textspeak Added to Oxford Dictionary. See the Web's top videos on AOL Video
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  Allan Lynch March 24, 2011 at 4:40pm

  You think children and pets are a problem, try travelling with a chain smoker! They're the new lepers.

   

  I have a friend in London who sometimes tags along with me. I always have to ensure we stay at places where windows open or better yet have a balcony so I can sit him outside. Then there's trying to find a rental company that allows smoking in the car. I either have to get one with a moon roof or stock up on Fabreeze.

   

  Some day we shall end up on a no-fly list because of how he fidgets while waiting in an airport for our flight. He actually carries nicotine inhalers!
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  Judy Wells March 24, 2011 at 4:23pm

  Children do complicate things but so do pets. Having crossed the country several times in the company of a cocker spaniel, many a dog toy has been left behind. Fortunately, cocker spaniels are easily mollified by anything edible.
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  Ed Wetschler March 24, 2011 at 3:56pm

  Coincidentally, a friend who sometimes writes about family travel but spent yesterday morning cursing sent us this email last night: 

  "We wanted to let you know that that pretty green quilt that Carol made for Joe way back when has become the go-to blankee for Henry.  So much so that upon hastily leaving our hotel in Roseburg, OR this morning, and driving 40 minutes towards the coast, we realized that it was missing when Henry yelled, "Blankee!" and after several curses, turned around and went back for it."

  Changing hotels all the time is hard enough without kids (q.v. Allan Lynch, Judy Wells, Evelyn Kanter, Lucy Corne, Northeast News, Amanda Harling, etc.). Can you even imagine the early-morning inventory work involved when you're traveling with children?

   
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  Allan Lynch March 24, 2011 at 2:29am

  Giles wasn't in on the joke until the underwear showed up with a certain regularity. Then he/she/they figured it out. (It's never good to be too quick with the punch line...)

   

   
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  José Balido March 24, 2011 at 2:16am

  Too funny!! Good thing they were in on the joke... you could break up a lot of marriages with this prank!
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  Allan Lynch March 24, 2011 at 2:14am

  Bing, bing, bing! Jose gets it. Yes. It was a joke. The underwear in the mail was to imply that improprieties had taken place on the road.

   

  We have always been a family of pranksters. The cousins who mailed the underwear would break it up. Some days Giles (the husband) would receive bras. Another time it could be panties - if these, then they opted for ones with days on them or an XXXXL size. And some times they would send men's underwear or a jock strap. I suppose Giles looked the most embarrassed when a strange jock strap, covered in lipstick would be handed to him by his secretary. She got great Christmas gifts.