txtk: Reinventing American English

Lets look into your future. Push it out three to four years. It is a bright, sunny day, just made for loafing. You lay back in your lounge chair, close your eyes, and try to envision those 3 or 4 years still to come.

How things will have changed. For each of us. If you were in middle school you moved up to the big leagues of high school. If high school was where you started, upon graduation you tossed your mortar board to the clouds and never looked back--it was into the work force or college. If that is where you resided in those days, it may be a new job and a new circle of friends. Even a new city. And along your own personal path you became an expert, A-1, triple-dip texter.

You are (or will become) a true genius, combining the science, art and imagination required for texting success.

Whoops! Do I need to explain?

But that is where the bind is. A few examples of those you are now texting: a parant or grandparent, your kids and siblings, a spouse and relatives, a new covey of friends, and so many others which now find a presence in your address book. Now a test:

    lol&rof      4col      555      emfbi      iluaaf      posslq      sii       ttthtfal

The first two are easy since they are in the texting mainstream."laughing out loud and rolling on floor" and "for crying out loud." Even the third (borrowed from the Orient) is discernable once you understand the meaning: sobbing, crying. But if the last five have you stumped, don't feel lonesome. The point: with an ever expanding universe of texting recipients, your must always COMMUNICATE. If you fail in that like the last five above, trade in your cellphone for a blender and learn to cook.

So texting not just being cute, it is to communicate. Quickly. And forget those terms when you used a computer to text message your buddy. But the last five above is worse: you have to read an over-active mind as that person thought up a play on words, put up a website, and called it texting lingo.

But even lol above provides some confusion as it swims fearlessly upstream. As you well know, it also means "lots of love." And how about the texting lingo for red (the color)? In our propensity and delight of shooting the moon without vowels, there is the mortal tendency to over simplify. Believe it or not, red has no lingoese. Remember?-- rd is road...and ed doesn't do it (education?).

Our mission...or rather (rather badly), r mssn

So it is not our goal to change your wireless life. The mission of the National Texting Registry is to provide an Internet clearinghouse for texting lingo. Sane texting lingo for anyone -- from a grandchild to a grandparent. And to provide some verbal tools which you may choose or not choose to use. Just remember the Big C above.

We start by providing a simple vowel elimination. The first below is the lingo, what follows are the vowel variations of that word:

    th     =         tha          the        thi         tho        thu        thw         thy

     tht    =         that         thet       thit        thot       thut          thwt        thyt

    thy   =         thay        they       thiy       thoy      thuy       thwy       thyt

See how easy that was. Your mind is vowel oriented, since these are the most common sounds. You intuitively select the right variation: the, that, they. When you use the Adding Lingo or Contact Us screens you receive an automatic reply. Naturally it is text-talk. It really doesn't get more complicated than that.

Normally, vowels are most often used when they start a word: alws = always, wndr = wonder.

Flick of the fingers

In the United States your wireless phone has a texting limit of 160 characters and spaces (consisting of packets). That is one text message. If you go over that limit, it automatically goes to a second message. The second message is limited to about 143 characters and spaces (using some space for coding to the first message=tele #, date, time, etc). If you have predictive text, that software gives you suggested spellings as you imput letters. You will use up 160 quickly (18-22 words).

So enter texting lingo and reventing American English. This includes shortcuts, abbreviations, first-letter acronyms, use of numbers and symbols, and a few other lingo tricks thrown in for good measure. If you are a 101 (a beginner) it will take you a while to learn what your cellphone has to offer, and then find it a second time. So don't expect to burn rubber with you thumbs as you begin. Text-talk will become second nature.

Context and wee tiny letters

A lot of times the context (meaning/subject matter) of lingo provides a clue to a word. The most common would be th (as above). In general text-talk it is the. In setting up a date it is thursday. Also, in the Registry we use small letters simply because all caps scare and confuse all sorts of humans. And books, newspapers and websites use these wee tiny letters. But depending upon the cellphone program which is handy at the moment, it can be lol or LOL. Your meaning is as clear as the context you use it in.

So here are some ideas for you to consider (even you older pros):

g = -ing, and is now replacing in (ex: txg = texting, rung = running, etg = eating).On your cellphone keyboard g takes one touch, whereas in take five touches.

d = -ed is used for past tense (ex: wlkd = walked, wrkd = worked, opnd = opened).

y = -ly (ex: usaly = usually, actvy = actively, nety = neatly).

r = -er (ex: txr = texter, wlkr = walker, runr = runner, lvr or luvr = lover).

World Wide Roam

Wireless technology gives you the wide open spaces from sea to shinning sea. Don't quote this stat to anyone, but if you had to choose between your cellphone and computer, 68% would take the phone. It gives you true stay-in-touch mobility. It is up close personal and private. It is perfect.

And who knows, someday there may be an icon which lets you punchup texting lingo. We're ready when you are. Or the powers to be are.

P.S.   Please read ICE

[We try to relay the most accurate info available. If you would like to comment on this article or the website, please use the Contact Us link. If you have new/corrected texting lingo, please use the Adding Lingo link. We look forward to hearing from you.]