Published: October 04, 2008 01:36 pm            

Monica Green: Y’ant to change the English language?

When we were kids, my brother, sister and I enjoyed listening to Jeff Foxworthy tapes in the car while traveling somewhere. My dad would pop one in, and we’d laugh the whole way there. Some of our favorite Foxworthy jokes were the phrases he created for the Redneck Dictionary.

One of my personal favorites was “y’ant to?”

For example:

Person A: Jeet yet?

Person B: Naw.

A: Y’ant to?

B: Aiight.

This conversation involves one person asking another if they have eaten yet and then asking if they want to. We always laughed at the redneck words but never considered actually using them in our everyday vocabulary.

Since moving to Texas, however, I have discovered that many do use these made-up words and phrases in their language. When did it become acceptable for Americans to make up their own words or phrases?

And when did it become acceptable to substitute words or phrases for another word or phrase?

I even catch myself doing this. When someone calls into work with a question, they always end with saying “Thank you.” My immediate response is always “No problem.” Why not “You’re welcome?”

I was not even aware that I was doing this until I read Dear Abby one day. Someone wrote in complaining about the use of the phrase “no problem,” saying that it implied there was the possibility of a problem to begin with. I simply mean it as “Don’t worry about it,” another common phrase that replaces “You’re welcome.”

It’s become such a second nature I don’t even realize I’m saying it. However, now I cringe everytime I say it before I hang up the phone. I’m trying to force myself out of that habit.

Yes, I was an English major in college. But I wasn’t like some of my classmates, who insisted that each individual speak in perfect dialect and write in exact grammatical form. Because I am also a texter, also known as txtr.

Now I still like to use full sentences while texting on my cell phone, so it does bother me when I receive a text that says “ur invited 2 my bday party tonite.” Before you ask, yes I did receive almost that exact text from one of my dear friends. I was very tempted to text back and say “sry cant come cuz I bzy.”

I just don’t understand this complete lack of respect for the English language. Or is it more the sheer laziness of people to use complete words? Really, would it have taken that much longer to type the 10 or so letters missing from that question? It seems my generation just prefers to be lazy or find the quickest way to do something.

Well ’til next tym, CU l8r readers.

        

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