I as soon as dated a man who had a factor for not simply texting however emailing in nothing however acronyms and such absurd jargon that, as a author, I am stunned it lasted so long as it did — an entire month and a half. The final straw lastly got here one evening when he despatched me a textual content that mentioned “C U L8R.”
I stared at it for simply 10 minutes, utterly clueless as to what the “L8R” half was imagined to translate to, however when it turned clear, I knew it was time to say goodbye.
As somebody who’s fairly obsessive about folks spelling out full phrases even in textual content messages, I puzzled if I used to be alone. So, I requested the women their ideas on courting a man who makes use of textual content lingo, acronyms, texting emojis, and all that jazz in emails and texts.
Is it OK if he emails or texts you “C U L8R,” or responds to humorous issues with “LOL,” “ROFL,” or the remainder of that malarkey? Is it utter laziness, disrespectful to the English language, a horrible assault on all of the senses, or completely okay? Here is what they needed to say.
Males: When you textual content like this, ladies decide you hardcore:
1. LOL is okay, to an extent
“Aside from ‘LOL’ right here and there, I hate textual content lingo! Love emojis, although!” — Steph, 25
2. Be sure that to make use of full sentences
“We’ve got Qwerty keyboards now. If he cannot textual content a sentence as a result of he has an old-school flip cellphone, then I am already suspicious — undecided I would count on him to final lengthy sufficient to fret about receiving a ‘UR cute, CU L8R’ message. He may ship me a winking emoji, although. I would assume that was cute.” — Jen, 36
3. Once more, no LOL
“‘LOL’ accommodates the soul of brevity. It is infantile.” — Tracy, 37
No, by no means, no manner, nope.
4. No abbreviations
“I hate it when anybody texts or emails in these silly acronyms and abbreviations. I am all for full sentences and correct punctuation, even in texts!” — Lauren, 33
“Males save time by utilizing abbreviations. I exploit that point to evaluate them.” — Jennifer, 27
5. Use good vocabulary
“Whereas I embrace the truth that language is continually evolving, I discover eloquence and a very good vocabulary scorching. So, from a random particular person or pal, textual content lingo does not hassle me. But when I had been fascinated by somebody, even ‘LOL’ would flip me off.” — Tanya, 37
Then there are the exceptions, particularly relating to emojis.
6. Some abbreviations are acceptable
“I can deal with some abbreviations. Emoticons are nice and convey actual stuff if used sparingly. LOL, IRL, FTR, IMHO are nice. ‘C U L8R’ would bug the ever-living life out of me. I’ve by no means dated somebody who felt the necessity to severely abbreviate every thing, so I’m undecided how I might deal with it. I did, nonetheless, as soon as cease following a former work buddy on Fb as a result of she appeared to ONLY converse in abbreviations right here, of all locations, the place your characters aren’t restricted. I could not deal with it.” — Becky, 30
7. No textual content lingo right here
“I am not a fan of textual content lingo. It makes me assume you are performing like a girly teenager. Texting emojis are okay when used thoughtfully (like when Tim Gunn on Undertaking Runway says, ‘Use the Aldo accent wall thoughtfully!’ Too many and also you’re an annoying pubescent teenybopper. However, texting with my husband, we now have our personal lingo and made-up phrases. This I am cool with as a result of it makes me snigger.” — Jill, 31
8. It is nice, so long as it is not on a regular basis
“It’s very nice to make use of emoji, abbreviations, and stuff if I do know the man can write effectively, and he is simply selecting to take action simply to avoid wasting time or is being playful.” — Mieko, 38
9. sticker works
“I kinda actually hate sure ones, like ‘LOL’, however actually, nothing conveys a message like a very good sticker (talking particularly right here of Fb messaging, clearly). Whenever you need pizza for dinner and must relate that shortly, he’ll know precisely what it means after I ship a Pusheen consuming pizza sticker.” — Sabrina, 27
Breaking information: This is not Wheel of Fortune.
10. Use vowels
“My husband shouldn’t be one of the best speller however he texts in full sentences and makes use of full phrases. I can’t deal with ‘C U L8R’ or ‘HW R U?’ This isn’t Wheel of Fortune! You would not have to purchase vowels!” — Colleen, 30
Amanda Chatel is an essayist and intimacy well being author for Yourtango, Form Journal, Hey Giggles, Glamour, and Harper’s Bazaar.
