Translation: Homes = homework

 

A new trend has become increasingly popular throughout South Bend, and it has nothing to do with fashion: talking in abbreviations.  Some students have taken text and internet slang, such as “ttyl” and “ASAP” to an entirely new level, shortening almost everything they say until it is barely understandable.  This puzzling way of speaking leaves their friends, classmates, and professors confused and unable to understand them.

“It’s almost like there’s a language barrier with certain people,” Saint Mary’s freshman Nicole Caratas said.  “The number of times I have to ask people to repeat themselves so that I know what they mean is ridiculous.”

Talking in abbreviations condenses the average sentence by approximately one second.  But this is perhaps the only benefit of shortening words, since it leaves people perplexed and not knowing how to respond.

“If I’m annoyed enough by people’s abbreviations, I will just not answer them,” Caratas said.  “I shouldn’t have to think for ten extra seconds to understand what someone just said to me.”

The list of commonly used abbreviations seems to be growing more and more each day, as some people have taken this colloquial language much too far.  “I’m doing homes” is a common phrase heard in the library—or the lib, as it is more regularly referred to.

Additionally, communication between students and professors has especially been tested with the rise of this new trend, as some people turn in essays comprised entirely of slang.  One girl in Caratas’ philosophy class submitted a paper written fully in abbreviations and was actually surprised when her professor asked her to redo the assignment.  It seems that some have yet to learn that not everyone is a fan of this rapidly growing trend.

It’s almost as if there is a competition on campus to see who can use the fewest syllables in a set amount of time, and nearly everyone is scrambling to participate.

 

Martha Reilly is a freshman English literature and political science major living in McCandless Hall at Saint Mary’s. Her email address is mreilly01@saintmarys.edu.