# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/61 "2020-03-30T11:34:03Z")
DSIL. Uh, is that dear son-in-law or dear sister-in-law? Same with DS. Dear son? Dear sister? Sentences like y r u so upset 4? should get them kicked off the internet/texting until they can prove they’ve stopped doing it. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/62 "2020-03-30T15:08:52Z")
> [@cmore](#): > > then the correct way sucks. I’ve never heard anyone say that the way you just did. > > that’d be like saying ‘makes me mad no end’, and that doesn’t sound right either. Depends on what you’re trying to say, surely? “It pisses me off no end” and “it pisses me off to no end” mean different things. They are not interchangeable. Are you greatly pissed off, or pointlessly pissed off? ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/63 "2020-03-30T19:20:23Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Depends on what you’re trying to say, surely? “It pisses me off no end” and “it pisses me off to no end” mean different things. They are not interchangeable. Are you greatly pissed off, or pointlessly pissed off? I’d say it depends on where you live and what people in your area use in actual conversation. until yesterday, I’d never heard anyone say those words and omit the ‘to’. for as long as I can remember people have used the term ‘pisses me off to no end’. and also for as long as I can remember, no one has ever been unsure of what they meant when they said it (meaning no one was wondering, ‘hmmm. . … I wonder if he’s greatly pissed off or pointlessly pissed off ?’). I would venture a guess this is the norm rather than the exception, but I don’t live everywhere, so I can’t say. language is always morphing. what isn’t ok one day, can become the rule years later. my guess is ‘to no end’ will widely be accepted to mean what he meant, if it’s not already. and when said after what’s probably considered slang anyway (pisses me off), it seems like proper English isn’t someones concern to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/64 "2020-03-30T22:24:20Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Some discussion here, including OED cites. > [phrases - Meaning and usage of "to no end" - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange](https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/69501/meaning-and-usage-of-to-no-end) never said you weren’t correct. but the fact there’s a discussion about both useages tells us there’s a good number of people that use it the way he did (and the only way I’ve ever heard it used). I’d bet on two things though. I bet this is one of those terms that’s in the grey area between technically incorrect and commonly accepted, and commonly accepted is where it’s headed. I also bet you and everyone else knew exactly what he meant when he said it. \*isn’t ‘pisses me off’ slang? is it odd to expect a slang sentence to be grammatically correct? ---
**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 30, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/65 "2020-03-30T23:12:34Z")
How about when people write “I loveeee that!”? You what? Why are you dragging out the silent vowel? In my head I hear that as “luh-VEEEE,” which makes no sense at all. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/66 "2020-03-31T02:15:09Z")
> [@cmore](#): > > I’d say it depends on where you live and what people in your area use in actual conversation. > > until yesterday, I’d never heard anyone say those words and omit the ‘to’. > > for as long as I can remember people have used the term ‘pisses me off to no end’. and also for as long as I can remember, no one has ever been unsure of what they meant when they said it (meaning no one was wondering, ‘hmmm. . … I wonder if he’s greatly pissed off or pointlessly pissed off ?’). > > I would venture a guess this is the norm rather than the exception, but I don’t live everywhere, so I can’t say. Well, I live elsewhere, and in my elsewhere “pisses me off no end” would be absolutely standard, meaning “pisses me off greatly”. “To no end”, meaning pointless, purposeless would also be common enough, but not in the locution “pisses me off to no end” because (a) how often does anyone want to complain about being pissed off pointlessly?. And (b) it would confusing, because of the common locution “pisses me off no end”. Where you live, obviously it’s not confusing, which suggests that “to no end”, meaning pointless or purposeless, is not a common usage? So I’m thinking this may be a regional thing. In places where “to no end”, meaning pointless, is common, “pisses me off to no end” is unlikely to supplant “pisses me off no end”. And vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![Win\_Place\_Show](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/win_place_show/32/13469_2.png) [@Win\_Place\_Show](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Win_Place_Show)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/67 "2020-03-31T02:26:01Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > 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”. Came here to call out the exact same one. So until we get a “Like” button, here’s a “+1”. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/68 "2020-03-31T04:40:17Z")
> [@Reeses\_Monkey](#): > > How about when people write “I loveeee that!”? You what? Why are you dragging out the silent vowel? In my head I hear that as “luh-VEEEE,” which makes no sense at all. Ok, THIS is something I’m 100% behind. Goddammit! It’s like my irrational hatred of gifs that are clips from a show or movie and they have the dialogue written on the bottom, but the speaking part in the gif doesn’t match up with that dialogue. Like this one: ![](https://media.tenor.com/images/26aeb1830515f4b6e14f84556369ac0a/tenor.gif) The text says, “I have no idea what I’m doing but I know I’m doing it really, really well”, but the gif only has Andy saying, “I have no idea what I’m doing but”. GODDAMMIT IT MAKES ME SO MAD. :mad: :mad: :mad: ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/69 "2020-03-31T04:41:37Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Well, I live elsewhere, and in my elsewhere “pisses me off no end” would be absolutely standard, meaning “pisses me off greatly”. “To no end”, meaning pointless, purposeless would also be common enough, but not in the locution “pisses me off to no end” because (a) how often does anyone want to complain about being pissed off pointlessly?. And (b) it would confusing, because of the common locution “pisses me off no end”. > > Where you live, obviously it’s not confusing, which suggests that “to no end”, meaning pointless or purposeless, is not a common usage? > > So I’m thinking this may be a regional thing. In places where “to no end”, meaning pointless, is common, “pisses me off to no end” is unlikely to supplant “pisses me off no end”. And vice versa. standard? a standard slang sentence? a slang sentence that apparently everyone in your area of the country would be baffled as to what someone meant if the ‘to’ were included in it? so, for example, if someone said ‘pisses me off to no end’ around folks from your town, but couldn’t stop to explain themselves, your towns (region? state?) people’s bewilderment might lead them to say to someone else ‘gosh. . … that makes no sense. . … why would someone be pointlessly pissed off. . …?’, and the person they asked would be just as baffled? no matter who they asked, everyone would come to the same determination, that this guy is pointlessly pissed off? seems improbable to me, but I’ll take your word for it. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/70 "2020-03-31T11:27:49Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Misspelling etc as ect. Pisses me off to no end. Still pisses me off. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/71 "2020-03-31T12:06:50Z")
> [@cmore](#): > > a slang sentence that apparently everyone in your area of the country would be baffled as to what someone meant if the ‘to’ were included in it? … people’s bewilderment … baffled? … everyone would come to the same determination, that this guy is pointlessly pissed off? :rolleyes: Oh for God’s sake. Nobody is saying that is would be misunderstood, ambiguous, causes bewilderment or baffles people. The intended meaning is perfectly clear, but it’s non-standard usage. It may be a common thing in your area, but it is still non-standard. And, to repeat, it’s only a minor annoyance. I don’t know why you’re getting so defensive about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mirtha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@Mirtha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirtha)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/72 "2020-03-31T14:56:03Z")
I’m not irrational anymore but sometimes before coffee if I’m reading facebook: Laugh Aloud has been replaced with Laugh Out Loud. LA! ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/73 "2020-04-01T10:08:18Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > how often does anyone want to complain about being pissed off pointlessly?. And (b) it would confusing, because of the common locution “pisses me off no end”. > > Where you live, obviously it’s not confusing, which suggests that “to no end”, meaning pointless or purposeless, is not a common usage? > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > :rolleyes: > > Oh for God’s sake. Nobody is saying that is would be misunderstood, ambiguous, causes bewilderment or baffles people. The intended meaning is perfectly clear, but it’s non-standard usage. It may be a common thing in your area, but it is still non-standard. > > And, to repeat, it’s only a minor annoyance. I don’t know why you’re getting so defensive about it. I was responding to someone who said it actually would be confusing. the point you made (about its meaning being perfectly clear) was my whole point too and it was the only thing I was defending. I already agreed that you (both) were correct. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/74 "2020-04-01T13:51:00Z")
Not so much annoying but curious - The Guinness logo includes EST with an underlined superscript D following the T as in Established 1759. Why? ---
**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:** [April 4, 2020, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/75 "2020-04-04T01:52:11Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > Not so much annoying but curious - The Guinness logo includes EST with an underlined superscript D following the T as in Established 1759. Why? As exampled in post [#36](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=22215291&postcount=36) the underlined superscript abbreviating is characteristic of 18th century style. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/76 "2020-04-04T11:30:16Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I’m guilty of DH, but it’s just because I don’t want to use his actual first name for privacy (his), and I know that everyone knows what DH means. If I just typed H, I think it would be confused with other things. Something in my mind, though, the D stands for “dorky,” or “dumkopf.” > > I don’t mind “thru” in texts, because I remember when you were limited to 42 characters, and people still want to keep them short so they don’t get split. Any place else, though, GRRRRRR. “Drive Thru” at a restaurant? want to correct with a Sharpie. Why would I know what DH means? I know it means Designated Hitter but I assumed you meant something else though I had no idea what. Come on people, write out the words before you use the abbreviation as you were probably taught. Horrible Facebook usage is no excuse. Whatever they do, don’t. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/77 "2020-04-04T19:15:18Z")
> [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](#): > > My esteem plummets for anyone who adds “lol” to any kind of written/typed communication. But what really makes me want to commit bloody mayhem is “lololololol.” > > Hey, dumbass - “lol” means “laughing out loud.” So what you’re saying is “laughing out loud out loud out loud out loud out loud.” I’ve been sick of “lol” since the day after it first appeared, lol, but what really makes me want to “commit bloody mayhem”\* is people who randomly punctuate every second or third sentence with it. lol. I assume it’s supposed to convey a sense of benevolence as they’re typing, but to me it just makes them look moronic. lol. - lol ---
**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:** [April 7, 2020, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/78 "2020-04-07T20:08:11Z")
Inside Doper trivia: **Snowboarder Bo** wished to spare us the agony of seeing “LOL” every time he typed “LOL,” so he set up a macro that converted it to “Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there!” In case you ever wondered what that was about. ---
**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:** [April 7, 2020, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/79 "2020-04-07T21:16:18Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > Inside Doper trivia: **Snowboarder Bo** wished to spare us the agony of seeing “LOL” every time he typed “LOL,” so he set up a macro that converted it to “Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there!” In case you ever wondered what that was about. That’s even more annoying. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347/80 "2020-04-08T12:39:36Z")
From Dorothy L. Sayers Clouds of Witness: _“Yes”, said the Dowager placidly. "I was going to suggest to you, Peter, that this Mr. Goyles - such a terrible name, Mary dear, I can’t ever say I ever cared for it, even if there had been nothing else against him - especially as he would sign himself Geo. Goyles - G. e. o. you know, Mr. Parker, for George, and I never could help reading it as Gargoyles…_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-get-irrationally-annoyed-by-certain-written-abbreviations/850347.md?page=3)