Language and Abbreviations

Everybody knows that some abbreviations are quite popular and make things more clear.  If you are telling a joke that might be taken the wrong way in GC you might add "LOL" or an emoticon.  Clarity of communication is always useful if you are trying to maintain good relations.  At least that's my opinion.

In GC some words are considered "banned."  I'll not go over them as that might get this post banned.  But what of those who use abbreviations for those banned words?  When you see "WTF" do you hear in your mind the letters "W," "T", and "F?"  I think not.  So if the result of using those types of abbreviations is to trigger the actual words in the listeners mind, is it appropriate to use those abbreviations?  (And yes, it may be that my use of "WTF" in this context may seem 'hypocritical,' but then again, an example had to be use or some wouldn't know about what I am speaking).

Along the same track is this.  We each wish our communication to be effective.  As a former professor of Communication and one interested in how we communicate and how effective communication enhances our abilities and status in the community, (in general, though there are sometimes exceptions), you have to ask yourself is the use of "flowery" language an enhancement of your communication or a distraction.  I think that, overall, if you use such language too much it's a distraction and can be socially dangerous.  Think about it.  Have you ever had anyone become uncomfortable because you DIDN'T use the "f-word?"  In other words, most people, and in fact nearly universally, people respect "clean" language.  In contrast there are a few, (I am not personally in this group) who will "write you off" the minute you use such language.  And study after study shows that when you use such language, the more you rely upon it to express yourself, the less intelligent you sound to your audience.  That's not just my opinion, that is what communication studies have consistently shown.

In addition, the use of "colorful" language, if it's consistent, gives you no place to go should you wish to make a distinction between your normal heightened emotion and your really, really, heightened emotion.  If you drop the "f-bomb" when you scrape your knee what do you have to get the message across that you broke your leg?  So, pragmatically you have no where to go.  I "cuss" on occasion, but it's so rare that when I do my family and my employees immediately take note and respond.  I suspect that if I were to use such language on a regular basis they would become inoculated against my use of it and not respond so quickly or with real focus.

Now some people will interpret this as "preachy."   But notice that I've not said a thing about right or wrong.  It's not a matter of right or wrong, but of wisdom.  And wisdom is the ability to take knowledge, apply it to a situation, and get the results you wish.  You live among people and you now know that respond to a lower rate of such language with higher estimate of the speaker.  You now know, and have probably never thought about it, that if you use "ultimate" emotionally expressive words to express only moderate emotions you have no way to actually express those truly "ultimate" emotions.  And you know that using the abbreviations for these words, while obviously allowed, is the same as using the words.  The choice is, of course, up to you.

Just some thoughts.  Hopefully you too will respond with some considered and appropriate thoughts of your own.

AJ

I'm so in trouble now... but I'm used to it.  

I listened to some (otherwise very good) Yale lectures on Ancient Greek History, and one thing that really grated was the habit the lecturer had of saying "O, M, G." So, some people clearly do just hear/speak the letters.

snafu is a similar word that comes to mind, since as I understand it in the original phrase the F stands for something similar as in wtf.  However, I have not in my experience found anyone to be offended by the use of snafu even in relatively formal business settings. 

Edited by Rill - 07 Jan 2016 at 23:18

It's a different F from the ones in FIFO and LIFO, Mr. Urp.