I wonder how Text Speak would be received in a written submission to the Supreme Court?I have no great problem with it for electronic communication- but in a written communication- especially one that is to be archived and read and understood by future generations, text speak just doesn't work.English- GOOD English will survive. And those who never learn to use it, may find their career opportunities somewhat limited. We tend to be judged by the company we keep! AR

You mean you haven't heard of the Facebook group where the Supremes have the petitioning lawyers post their briefs for the judges to rate with "I like!"? The members of the Court even IM each other with the likes of "HAV U SEEN WHT XXX ROTE 2DY? ROTFLMAO!" :-)The question isn't "if", but rather "when": Note Obama met with Zuckerberg this week and it was in Zuckerberg's office! (Young college student can't get a date, starts a social web, makes it big, has U.S. President come over for a chat.)Obama: CNFRM MTG WED THS WK?Zuckerberg: OK CNFRMD CU LTR ALGTR!Details: On Obama's Facebook events page... but only 949,815 "like" the White Wouse! Needs to make more friends PDQ! Cheers,- jahman.

You mean you haven't heard of the Facebook group where the Supremes have the petitioning lawyers post their briefs for the judges to rate with "I like!"? The members of the Court even IM each other with the likes of "HAV U SEEN WHT XXX ROTE 2DY? ROTFLMAO!" :-)The question isn't "if", but rather "when": Note Obama met with Zuckerberg this week and it was in Zuckerberg's office! (Young college student can't get a date, starts a social web, makes it big, has U.S. President come over for a chat.)Obama: CNFRM MTG WED THS WK?Zuckerberg: OK CNFRMD CU LTR ALGTR!Details: On Obama's Facebook events page... but only 949,815 "like" the White Wouse! Needs to make more friends PDQ! Cheers,- jahman.

------------------------Never had any inclination to investigate facebook- what/where is it? If Obama wants my opinion,he can phone or write.AR

Translating from my high school Latin (some 65 years ago, so now a bit rusty)-"Oh, what is the schedule for Gloria to drive the city bus on Mondays?"AR

Close, but no cigar. :(

"In the words of Blackadder the 3rd, I hope the change in the English language won't cause any "contrafibularities" :("Thanks for the reminder. That's one of my favourite Blackadder episodes Very apt for a language thread..http://www.deathstar.../?v=hOSYiT2iG08(I suppose contrafibularity, if it existed as a word, would be opposition to the wearing of brooches)

What happened to the English language is that it's changed as it always has, because it's a living language. Only dead languages don't change. Generally when people refer to "correct" English they mean the English that they were taught at school.Some pedants would say there is a grammatical error the in Authorised (King James') Version of the Lord's Prayer.

What happened to the English language is that it's changed as it always has, because it's a living language.

Words certainly do change, sometimes even the meaning morphs over time. However, proper grammar seldom changes."Me and Joey ate slugs" will always be wrong, on more than one level! :(

Words certainly do change, sometimes even the meaning morphs over time. However, proper grammar seldom changes."Me and Joey ate slugs" will always be wrong, on more than one level! :(

Why will it always be wrong? The meaning is clear and there are groups who find it normal to speak like that. Anyway when asked the question "who's that?" how many of us answer grammatrically "it is I" rather than "it's me"?

Why will it always be wrong? The meaning is clear and there are groups who find it normal to speak like that. Anyway when asked the question "who's that?" how many of us answer grammatrically "it is I" rather than "it's me"?

I do.I also use 'elder' when referring to the first of a pair to be born and only use 'eldest' when referring to the first of a greater number. I also use 'whom' when most people say 'who'.It's not pedantry and it's not schooling. It's simply how I speak. I do all of that without thinking and I'm not even English.Txt is not English, 'Ciwiau'n posibl' is not Welsh and only half of 'Ici les special offers' is French.K?Rgds.D

And then there is the problem of the difference between language in face to face conversation and things written down. As we speak to one another, there are things that we do to help us convey meaning. Things like gestures and voice inflection. But, there is none of that in written language. Take the phrase " I don't hate you". Depending on where you put the emphases, the meaning can change.1. I don't hate you. (But everyone else does)B. I don't hate you. (But I don't like you very much)3. I don't hate you. (But I don't like someone else)Seems to me that while we may speak one way, when we write we really need to be as correct as we can.Bob

Surely we are in danger of confusing what is acceptable with what is correct grammar. There is aa large range of English grammar - not only British, and US but also in, for example, the Commonwealth countries. None of these is the same and none of them is incorrect. Incidentally in the last sentence would it have really mattered if I'd written "None of these are the same..."?

Incidentally in the last sentence would it have really mattered if I'd written "None of these are the same..."?

(Chuckle)I don't suppose it would as we all are accustomed to reading and hearing such constructions and, as you implied, the meaning is conveyed clearly regardless of the words used.Strictly, though, assuming 'none' to be a contraction of 'not one' they are both incorrect. Similarly we all use 'This is different than', '... from' and '...to' despite the correct construction being 'These are different.' Now I'm being pedantic...Shakespeare used 'different to' so it's good enough for me.

Why will it always be wrong?

You're joking, right? Surely even you would agree that eating slugs is just... WRONG! :( Furthermore, if "Me and Joey ate..." is not wrong, could "Me ate..." possibly be right?

'how many of us answer grammatrically "it is I" rather than "it's me"?'"It's me" is correct usage..

Surely we are in danger of confusing what is acceptable with what is correct grammar.

What is acceptable today is correct tomorrow. That's the only way for a language to evolve.

Surely even you would agree that eating slugs is just... WRONG! :(

From the point-of-view of the slug, definitely!Cheers.- jahman.

'how many of us answer grammatrically "it is I" rather than "it's me"?'"It's me" is correct usage..

No, it isn't:'It is I.''I am it.''It is me.''Me am it.'