Wednesday, September 2, 2009

How Twitterate Are You?

New words and expressions are expanding, enriching and invigorating the English language. Old words are exhumed from disuse, and revived albeit with new sounds, new meanings, and at times curious detachment from their original use.

How is your Twitteracy IQ?

We all know what OMG and BTW mean. But do you know what twit used to mean and what it means now?

To twit according to Collins English Dictionary is to tease, to taunt or to reproach often in jest. To twitter is to utter a succession of chirping sounds. A twit is a foolish or stupid person.

Now there is the internet social networking site called Twitter, a site that allows users to send messages of 140 characters or less. To twitter is the act of using Twitter. The messages are called twits. There is still a faintly recognisable link to the old meanings and use of the word.

Now try these internet-derived terms and see if you can guess what they mean: meh, mwah, noob, woot, soz, staycation, buzzkillers,beer o'clock, ecotarians, carborexics. How did you go?

(If you wish to know what the terms mean, check the comment screen).

Batchmates, don't let the twittering twits twaddle you into believing it was their original idea. Back in our time we read (and sometimes some of the more daring among us wrote) twittery messages on tree trunks, toilet walls , on fences at jeepney and busstops, flying kites, etc... Remember : Leroy (or someone else) was here; Jack loves Jill; Bawal eng meme keni (pardon the spelling).

We'd done it before and the newage twitteratis are merely reprising it but the difference is that they now use a new (internet) medium and they are quite content to call themselves twits - foolish, stupid. But of course we were not twits, we'd never call ourselves that.

7 comments:

orionjri said...

meh - an expression of dissatifaction

mwah - an air kiss

noob - short for newbie, someone unfamiliar with web etiquette

woot -an expression of joy conveying a sense of achievement

soz - sorry

staycation - from stay and vacation which means a holiday without going away

buzzkillers - someone who stops others from enjoying themselves (we used call them killjoys)

beer o'clock - time considered appropriate to start drinking

ecotarians - eat only food that has been produced in an environmentally friendly manner

carborexics - people obsessed with reducing their carbon footprint.

felynr said...

Twitter, Bebo, Facebook, Apple, Wikepedia.... whatever it is.. drives me crazy..NUTS ! Just makes me wonder and be amazed at how fast these social networking sites multiply...
Hello, Cousin..

C C ramirez said...

Hi, there,Fely. Gives me great buzz to see you here at last. Do keep it up. Since I do not catch you online, hope you keep this posting up.

Hope you and M are keeping well.

Do you think you will be here in time for the F of T?

ErnestoDR said...

Meh!

Perdonez moi, I'm soz coz I'm really a noob in this Twitter thing. I hope I am not being a buzzkiller to you batchmates as I take to twit.

Since it is beer o'clock here in Toronto, I might as well sip my fav lager and enjoy my staycation. I hope you ecotarians and carborexics manage well your blood chemistry to assure your presence in Jan 2010!

Woot!

Mwah!

orionjri said...

Now ROFL!

Pilar Villegas Cuevas said...

Guys, I am really becoming crazy about these words.

Seeya in 2010

mwah

ErnestoDR said...

Laugh while it lasts!

Beware though, lockjaw and stomach ache could result from extreme happiness arising from one's folly!

Mwah!