# Do you get irrationally annoyed by certain written abbreviations? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 26, 2020, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347 "2020-03-26T18:28:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/21 "2020-03-27T14:53:41Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Misspelling etc as ect. Pisses me off to no end. Not even misspelling, but I hear people say “ectcetera” all the time. Every time I hear it, Yul Brynner pops into my head ([saying it correctly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JHH6iwgIek)). > [@FairyChatMom](#): > > Definitely! On rare occasions, I’ve also seen ¢25, or even $.25¢ - isn’t this something one learns in 3rd grade? Dear god, I have to correct people about that all the time. I have explained to so many employees over the years, young and old. Many of them truly don’t comprehend that .50¢ is a half a cent. I often find myself saying ‘decimal or cent sign, but not both’. In my mind, it looks uneducated. Another is ‘seen’. As in “John, where are the keys”/“I’m not sure, I seen them over there”. Honestly, I always thought it was just the way people (usually lower class) spoke and probably didn’t even realize they were doing it. But I see it typed out all the time on facebook. I can’t tell you how much “I seen it” bugs me. It’s been happening even more with the quarantine with multiple posts a day saying “I seen a group of kids hanging out”. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/22 "2020-03-27T15:12:54Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I get stabby when people use numbers for words - 2 for \*to \*and 4 for _for_. Along with \*u \*and _ur_. I guess ur not 2 much of a Prince fan then. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/23 "2020-03-27T15:22:02Z")
SMH gets my dander up. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/24 "2020-03-27T16:45:53Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > I was taught that you use the full term the first time, show what the abbreviation is, then use the abbreviation from there on. (No, we don’t all know what DH means. Never assume.) I’ve never heard of it either. What does it stand for? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/25 "2020-03-27T17:00:06Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > I’ve never heard of it either. What does it stand for? Dear Husband, prolly. ---
**Author:** ![Chicken\_Fingers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chicken\_Fingers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicken_Fingers)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/26 "2020-03-27T17:14:20Z")
Yeah, I’ve been seeing DH constantly used in all kinds of online mommy communities for more than 20 years. You must not be hangin’ with the mommies. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/27 "2020-03-27T17:19:19Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > I get stabby when people use numbers for words - 2 for \*to \*and 4 for _for_. Along with \*u \*and _ur_. How do you feel about “tho?” ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/28 "2020-03-27T17:24:26Z")
> [@Chicken\_Fingers](#): > > Yeah, I’ve been seeing DH constantly used in all kinds of online mommy communities for more than 20 years. You must not be hangin’ with the mommies. At least on line. I’ve never seen it except here. Doesn’t bother me, now that I know what it means. There used to be a poster here who would use “LSM” all the time. I was irrationally annoyed. (but he never returned after a brief suspension, so I can look back with less rage at his stupidity) ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/29 "2020-03-27T17:36:59Z")
Our household is CF\* which makes us DINKs\*\* so no, I’m not hanging with the mommies. \*Child free \*\* Dual income, no kids ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/30 "2020-03-27T17:52:17Z")
I had a professor in college who, when writing, would \*always \*abbreviate “analysis” as “anal.” It made for some very awkward moments when he was writing on the blackboards in class. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/31 "2020-03-27T21:22:32Z")
I get irrationally irritated with _cheese_. Abbreviations get assaulted on sight. ---
**Author:** ![FloatyGimpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/floatygimpy/32/7750_2.png) [@FloatyGimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FloatyGimpy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/32 "2020-03-27T22:02:04Z")
> [@cmore](#): > > surprised this hasn’t been mentioned yet, but I get chapped when someone responds to a text with a single, lower case k. > > it’s like, really? no time for an o today huh? > > how much it bothers me is directly proportionate to the amount of effort I put into the original text. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/33 "2020-03-27T22:19:42Z")
“Cya” at the end of a message for “see ya.” I always read it as “cover your ass” and waste time trying to figure out what I did wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/34 "2020-03-27T23:35:19Z")
“pls” for please. I’m not talking about people texting (although it was really only a pain to key in a whole word back in the days of flip phones), although that’s annoying too. I’m talking about people who are instant-messaging me from a computer, or actually emailing. It’s obviously intended to show that the person is \*so, so \*busy that even the time required to type three characters is far to valuable to spend on me. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/35 "2020-03-28T01:05:01Z")
For no rational reason, gf bothers, me while bf doesn’t at all. Fo rational reasons, u and ur annoy me no end. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/36 "2020-03-28T02:10:37Z")
Going back to the 18th century, where letters habitually signed off with “Y[sup]r.[/sup] Ob[sup]dt.[/sup] Sv[sup]t.[/sup],” —was it the paper or the ink that was so expensive? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/37 "2020-03-28T03:31:01Z")
I’m annoyed when people blame their phones for spelling and grammar errors. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/38 "2020-03-28T04:01:37Z")
I’m not annoyed by it, but I prefer to mentally always read “af” as “autofocus”, _especially_ when it doesn’t fit the context. So I keep reading about things that are “racist autofocus” or “cool autofocus.” ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/39 "2020-03-28T05:41:47Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > I’m annoyed when people blame their phones for spelling and grammar errors. That, and by extension, those who attempt to blame cretinous grammar or lack of ability to spell as “typos” in a blatantly lame manner. _Vpils_ for _Voila’_ is a typo. “Walla” for Voila’ is dumb ass-ery. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2020, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/40 "2020-03-28T16:31:22Z")
DH annoys me too. Are we really supposed to think all these guys are really “dear?” I’ll bet some of them are assholes. Someone above asks what should she call him since she doesn’t want to use his name. How about “my husband?” Is there something wrong with that? Besides, DH makes me think “Designated Hitter” before “Dear Husband.” Which of course implies that DH is someone the wife is having sex with instead of the husband because while the husband does have useful skills, he’s kinda weak in the schtupping department. > [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Also, not an abbreviation, but I hate that the misspelling of “whoa” as “woah” actually seems to be catching on. I think they’re two different words/expressions. “Woah” means stop. “Woah” is like “wow I can’t believe it” Bill & Ted-style.\* The latter can also be spelled “whoa,” however. The converse is not true. - **jtru88** : You said using an ampersand instead of “and” annoys you. I used it deliberately there, although not to annoy you. The movie title uses an ampersand - “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” I suppose “Bill and Ted” would be correct when referring to the two titular individuals, and “Bill & Ted” when using a shortened version of the movie’s title. Either would be appropriate in the above context. I was actually thinking more of the two individuals when I wrote it, but originally used the ampersand because that’s how I’m used to seeing it expressed. In an effort not to annoy you, I changed the ampersand to “the,” but it just looked weird so I changed it back. What is your opinion on this crucial issue? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347.md?page=3)