´óÏó´«Ã½

Bit of this on the programme tonight...

Comments

1. At 11:34 AM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

   weL it aL swNdz lIk itz goin 2 b a lot of :) 2day, tho it's hard 2 wrk out. I gueS f I wz a teen DIS wud b much EZer 2 rED Thru. I'll c U aL w Eddie live on d ice @ 5PM
   

2. At 11:36 AM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

   Uh-oh, I hope this doesn't mean that we're going to get inundated by posters who use text spelling in their replies. That really annoys me. Txt speak is okay for SMS systems, as you're limited for space. But in a frog like this, you can write virtual essays. There's no need not to use proper words!

   Rant finished. Thanks for giving the blog a shake Lissa. I think it got stuck after all the chocolate it managed to collect when it went "trick or treat"ing last night :-)

3. At 11:44 AM on 01 Nov 2006, Big Sister wrote:

   Ah Ha! They've got it fixed. Did Jim lend a hand?

   R U ok Ed?

4. At 11:44 AM on 01 Nov 2006, Mrs Trellis wrote:

   pm. txt msg nuz.

5. At 11:50 AM on 01 Nov 2006, The Stainless Steel Cat wrote:

   OK, pronouncing that is going to be interesting...

   Since the proper spoken version of txtspk would be indistinguishable from the original quotation, are you going to fudge things by gabbling it?

   Good luck trying not to laugh when pronouncing "noblr" as "nobbler".

   Also, Shouldn't all Shakespeare quotes be pronounced in his original Midlands accent instead of that ridiculous declamatory RP nonsense?

   "Tow beiy, ower not tow beiy?..."

6. At 11:50 AM on 01 Nov 2006, Mrs Trellis wrote:

   Too late Fearless, much, much too late ;o)

7. At 12:04 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

   Is Davros around to translate? It looks like something in the original Kaled language.

8. At 12:27 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Eddie Mair wrote:

   bt, sft! wot lIt thru yndr wndo brAkz? Ts d Est, & Juliet iz d sn. ArIs, fair sn, & kil d envios m%n, hu iz alredi sk & pAl w grEf, dat thou hr mAd art
   fr mo fair thn she.

9. At 12:41 PM on 01 Nov 2006, RobbieDo wrote:

   Eddie

   Not Juliet surely but Jul8

10. At 12:42 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Big Sister wrote:

    Good heavens, man, get a grip! Shakespeare is worth more than this ....

    When I said to practice your text messaging, I didn't mean you should continue to mangle the Bard!

11. At 12:43 PM on 01 Nov 2006, silver-fox wrote:

    10/4

12. At 01:02 PM on 01 Nov 2006, OnTheLedge wrote:

    On behalf of the Save Shakespearian English Society, I must protest!

    Wl ddnt uz txt 2 gt hz msj 2 th wrld

    Desist, Eddie!

13. At 01:06 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    Eddie. Please call the ´óÏó´«Ã½ support desk at once. Your keyboard appears to be broken.

14. At 01:10 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    Okay, Eddie, try for the opening of Twelth Night next...

15. At 01:17 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Mrs. Naughtie wrote:

    'Scuse me,
    What's the optical equivalent of the Babelfish?
    

16. At 01:24 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    Unless someone hijacks the topic on this thread, I'm leaving never to return.

    And if there really is a story about txt spk on tonight's prog, I'm switching to Newsnight.

    I know it's a gloriously permanent Silly Season on Day One but surely on PM we're supposed to be examining REAL NEWS?

    Or isn't there any today?

    2nd GRRRRRRRR! of the day.

17. At 02:09 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Big Sister wrote:

    Calm down, Fifi! This really isn't like you.... After all, if Eddie has posted about texting, it's because it's in the news. And that, after all, is what he has to think about.

    Like you, I'm not a fan of textspeak and hardly use the medium, but the world is big enough to accommodate us all.

    Besides which, Paxo probably texts, too. The only person on the Beeb who probably doesn't is Humph the Grumph (No, I don't really mean he's grumpy, I'm a great fan of JH and found his conversation with Rowan Williams v. absorbing)

    So, chin up girl! Get out there with your speed camera and don't let modern technology get you down (Get it?)

    A hug from Big Sis

18. At 02:40 PM on 01 Nov 2006, patricia Elliot wrote:

    Here here Fifi my Dear I'm behind you 100 percent.

    p elliot

19. At 02:48 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Ben McCrory wrote:

    Perhaps certain Scottish educationalists have a plot to phase out proper use of the English language by encouraging the nurseryspeak that is text.

20. At 03:00 PM on 01 Nov 2006, valery pedant wrote:

    Don't worry Fifi, it'll pass. He'll move on to something else when it makes his eyes hurt!

    I use it with the Teens, but as I've said here before, I do my own mangled version which makes sense to me but not necessarily to the beholder. Fortunately they know what their old Mum is on about most of the time! I blame the SMS system for restricting the number of characters - my most irritating trick (apparently) is when I go back and remove as many spaces as I can to restrict what I need to say, into one message! Of course if I used fewer exclamation marks, that'd help too!

    Mrs Naughtie 15 - ask DeepThought, he's bound to have 42 about his person, no?

21. At 03:09 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    Okay everybody, I am restored to my usual relaxed self. Thanks for your concern. Normal service is resumed.

    But I'm not reading any more postings in txtspk. Frogging is meant to be easier than that.

    :o)

22. At 03:19 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Aperitif wrote:

    Quite right Fearless.

    Eddie, stop it or you'll be barred from the beach.

    If news is slow why not do something on Dr Hackenbush awareness fortnight? (See previous thread).

23. At 03:59 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Fiona wrote:

    GRRR....watch out everyone, rant alert!!

    Sorry but I cannot bear text speak, it drives me insane. Am I the only person in the world who texts (and I do quite frequently) with full proper words. I even make sure I punctuate properly (am I bordering on the slightly anal side I wonder!!). Anyway its just one of my bug bears - and I consider myself quite a youthful person (I have Green Day's American Idiot as my ring tone I'll have you know!). I am just in favour of preserving the English language - and decent language skills!!

    Ok, I'm off to the beach to chill out and calm down now.....

24. At 04:01 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    ed-E

    F.U.N.E.X?

    [clue]

25. At 04:04 PM on 01 Nov 2006, patricia Elliot wrote:

    Hello Silver Fox,

    And what does 10/4 actually refer to, I'm just trying to learn all these new phrases.

    p.elliot

26. At 04:26 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    Fiona (23)

    Rant away, hen, ah'm wi' you all the way on that one. Anality is fine when it's a Fi!

    I discourage texting to my mobile, and only use it myself in emergencies, if a call would be intrusive (say, if someone's at work) and they're nowhere near their emails.

    Because I touch-type I haven't patience with texting: too slow and clumsy. And I can't help judging txtspk as just sloppy.

    I know of one other person who always texts in full, with punctuation - the bass player in the band I'm in. So that makes 3 of us then Fiona!

27. At 04:26 PM on 01 Nov 2006, RoryThreadbear wrote:

    in d B-gin Gd cre8 evan an erf
    an d erf ws wivat form
    an viod
    an darknes ws on d face of d d-Ep
    an d sprit o Gd moov on d face of d wtah

    It doesn't really work for the Bible, or does it?
    Chinese author Qian Fuchang did reduced his novel 'Outside the Fortress Besieged' to be transmitted in text message-size chunks though.

    Next it'll be Jeffrey Archer's turn! Hands up who can't wait for that?

28. At 04:34 PM on 01 Nov 2006, RobbieDo wrote:

    Somebody much older than me tells me they remember 10/4 from Highway Patrol and Broderick Crawford - I did say they were very old!

    It just means ok or willco or whatever they say nowadays to confirm that you have heard the message or are doing what is required. I think US cops still use it.

29. At 04:52 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Dr Hackenbush wrote:

    (23) Fiona

    I believe that Rory McGrath (other bearded comedians are available) does much the same thing as you describe.

30. At 05:15 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    I've just emailed this to the prog. And now I'm going to post it on every thread I can lay my wee Scottish mitts on. Having got fed-up having to check half a dozen different threads a day, in case I'm missing something......!

    ***

    Dear Sir Christopher Mair

    I notice that we froggers are self-sorting the threads:

    - serious stuff on the Iraq thread
    - communication on the txtspk (grrr!) thread
    - environment on the Milliband thread
    - light relief on Day One

    Is it worth simplifying the frog, rather than continually posting new threads that we all feel we ought to keep checking, and can't resist commenting on? for example...

    - leave Day One running. It's a joy, a little holiday-in-the-head for those of us who really should get out more. Friendships are blossoming there, for goodness' sake!
    - encourage serious topical debate on Iraq and/or Milliband ... post the fresh topic of the day on there, and we'll all respond - you know we will.
    - put a fresh thread on the main page each day, but direct the comments to Iraq/Milliband. And delete it when the next topic comes along.
    - then, when the newslet-you-know-what comes back online, you can use the same message on that.

    Efficient use of ´óÏó´«Ã½ resources, find our serious contributions quickly, but don't spoil the fun.

    I would of course have run this past the other froggers first ... but on which *!*!*! thread would I post it? (That being the point, really.)

    Fifi
    

31. At 05:37 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Aperitif wrote:

    I have a friend who prides herself upon texting in full, perfect English and, frankly, I find that really irritating - long messages; three where one would do (and often they arrive in the wrong order); smug superior attitude...

    I disapprove of text speak in any other place but text messages though.

    The story sparking this thread seems a bit of non-story to me. Slow news day Eddie?

    Oh, just caught the "15 times" question of Howard! Nice one, cheeky boy Eric! ;)

32. At 05:58 PM on 01 Nov 2006, The Stainless Steel Cat wrote:

    Re: the email on Eddie's nationality read out around 5:45.

    It's interesting how some English racists seem to be directing more of their ire towards Scots. There's more of it every week. Is this because Scots dismiss their rantings with the scorn they deserve - as Eddie did rather than taking them through the courts as many minorities in England would do?

33. At 06:55 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Mrs Trellis wrote:

    Stainless.
    I am English and feel ashamed every time I hear the racist nonsense that comes out of some of my countryman's mouths.
    Too all Scots, (and all the other nations that "we" generally abuse) Feel proud that they are reduced to name calling because, frankly, that's the best they can do. Pathetic isn't it.

34. At 07:18 PM on 01 Nov 2006, marymary wrote:

    I also use full words in texts. I too shy to try text language in case those who receive them laugh at my pathetic efforts.

    Mary

35. At 07:26 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    Valery (20),

    It's called Ezee-Speak, a primitive version was found upon the Golgafrincham (maybe spelt that one wrong) ship bound for the planet earth (HG2).

    As an aside of txt spk, I had to learn the NATO phonetic alphabet, as in Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta.....to spell out words (so Delta, Echo, Echo, Papa, Tango, Hotel etc)

    But I'm amused by the "non-phonetic alphabet". It's not complete, and there are various versions; and of course it excludes the "common examples" - such as knife - which everyone knows. For those who've not come across it, this is cobbled together from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Monitor magazine and a few other sources

    A - Aubergine
    B - Bdellium
    C - Czar
    D - Djibouti
    E - Eye
    F
    G - Gnat
    H - Honour
    I - Igor
    J - Juan
    K - Know (possibly Knight would be better)
    L - Llanelli
    M - Mnemonic
    N
    O - Oestrogen
    P - Pneumatic (I prefer ptarmigan)
    R
    S - See
    Q - Qi (or Quay)
    T - Tchaikovsky (or Tsar for real confusion)
    U -
    V -
    W - Write
    X - Xylophone
    Y - Yew
    Z - Zaragoza
    

36. At 07:39 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    SSC (32),

    See my comment in the next thread. I'm not anti scots, or any (law abiding) group within the UK. I do have a reason why I don't think GB should be PM, though. And yes, Eddie did handle that one very well.

    & Mrs Trellis (33), it's like there are two tribes of "English" now. The racist/violent/ignorant (for example the football holligans, and I don't care if some have degrees etc), and those who, because of the visibility of former, are rather reluctant to come forward. Paxo's book on the topic is like a lost world to me now.

37. At 07:45 PM on 01 Nov 2006, Aperitif wrote:

    Deep John (35),

    Yew doesn't work because it does start with "y".

    Otherwise, how amusing.

    I recall a colleague some years back who had applied for promotion. Given a sheet of notes on things she really must swot up on ahead of the interview, she was heard to ask, "What's the Phone Tick alphabet?"

    She got the job.

38. At 07:51 PM on 01 Nov 2006, valery pedant wrote:

    Deepthought - excellent!

39. At 08:48 PM on 01 Nov 2006, wrote:

    Aper (37), I agree it's not the best, but as it's pronounced the same as "ewe", "you" and the letter U, I think, for the want of a truely good example, it'll have to do.

    Anyone at the beech tonight?

40. At 01:35 AM on 02 Nov 2006, Prof. S. R. Pedant wrote:

    DeepT,
    As silver-fox might have said "Nice lettering".
    I fancy Mr. Ghoti would enjoy it, too.

    Some years ago I devised a word (which has not yet got a meaning): "peik". That's: "P" as in Pneumonia, "E" as in Active, "I" as in Paiste (obs.), and "K" as in Knee.
    You won't need me to say that it's pronounced "____" which is why it is somewhat limited in conversational use.

41. At 10:40 AM on 02 Nov 2006, wrote:

    Deep (39)
    Except around here, where "ewe" is pronounced "yow!"
    xx
    ed

42. At 12:07 PM on 02 Nov 2006, Robbiedo wrote:

    Prof. S. R. Pedant

    Can I suggest a meaning for your devised work "peik"

    It's onomatopaeic and defined as:

    "the sound that a snowflake makes as it lands on a face"
    

43. At 12:29 AM on 03 Nov 2006, Prof. S. R. Pedant wrote:

    Robbiedo,

    I have long admired the Irish manipulation of the English language. It is a privilege to have encountered a modern day practitioner of the art.
    I raise my hat to you, Sir.
    

44. At 12:30 PM on 03 Nov 2006, RobbieDo wrote:

    Prof. You are too kind!

    I recall my Mother-in-law asking me how to spell pneumatic. I gave her the letters and said -The P is silent as in "swimming pool".

    - But the P isn't silent in swimming pool -she said after some thought.

    I replied - It is, when I do it.

    Exit stage left, followed by a heavy book.