# Og Help Us! Leetspeak Is Now Being Used To Sell Appliances **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 9, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784 "2004-11-09T03:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/1 "2004-11-09T03:35:44Z")
[At that blandest of Americana places: Sears.](http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@0454427392.1099971632@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccijadcmmleifjgcehgcemgdffmdggh.0&pid=02645986000&vertical=APPLcs=e4) > [@](#): > > Graphite Kenmore Elite 3.8 cu. ft. IEC **HE4t** King Size Capacity Plus Front Load Washer (emphasis mine) Let’s just drive a wooden stake through the English language and be done with it. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/2 "2004-11-09T03:41:10Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > [At that blandest of Americana places: Sears.](http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@0454427392.1099971632@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccijadcmmleifjgcehgcemgdffmdggh.0&pid=02645986000&vertical=APPLcs=e4) (emphasis mine) > > Let’s just drive a wooden stake through the English language and be done with it. Wouldn’t it be H347? Agreed on the OP. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/3 "2004-11-09T03:42:05Z")
l33tsp33k r no r0x0r. It r sux0r. All your Sears are belong to us. We’re all doomed. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/4 "2004-11-09T03:45:50Z")
I’m confused. Putting that into Google shows it aint just Sears using it. Maybe it’s just a nonsensical brand name that we should all get used to, or probably never think about again? Did an annoying brand name handicap eBay? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/5 "2004-11-09T03:47:35Z")
Ok, maybe this is a good thread to ask this question: there is an online comic I discovered recently (but now read regularly) called [**Ctrl+Alt+Del**](http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/index.php?t=archives&date=last), and its tagline is “Tragically l337.” What is l337? Is it a play on “l33t” and the old slang of “L7?” ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/6 "2004-11-09T03:48:48Z")
Please tell me you’re all joking; you guys aren’t such geeks that you see leet speak in every word/letter combination. What do you think the [Kenmore Elite 3.8 cu. ft. IEC HE3 King Size Capacity](http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=APPL&pid=02645872000) actually means?? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/7 "2004-11-09T03:50:58Z")
I’ve looked the item up, and all I can say is… you want to pay $1.3k to clean chunks of fabric?!?!?!? OK, that over with…I’m sure ‘HE’ stands for “xyz efficiency”. “4t” is probably related to that. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/8 "2004-11-09T03:51:00Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I’m confused. Putting that into Google shows it aint just Sears using it. Maybe it’s just a nonsensical brand name that we should all get used to, or probably never think about again? Did an annoying brand name handicap eBay? Well, most of your appliances are made by about two companies, who then slap other brand names on them. So that’s most likely a model designation, and is used to denote a “feature” of the damned things. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/9 "2004-11-09T03:58:32Z")
Hm. I didn’t realize that there was a name for this. [Here’s something](http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files/aolertranslator.html) that may help you communicate with the 13375 but note that techology is not available to reverse the communication… [HERA IS A LINK 2](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet) DA WIKIEPDIA ARTICL3 DESCRIBNG LETSP3AK FOR THOSE OF U WHO W3RA AS CLUALAS AS I WAS1111 WTF LOL Y DO MERICAN KIDS SUK SO MUCH AT MATH WH3N THEY D3COD3 SHIT LIEK THIS ON TEH FLY DURNG R3ALTIEM CHATROM DISCUSIONS??? OMG WTF LOL Hm. Don’t read that first link. It spits out crap like that third paragraph. I thought it would be funny. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/10 "2004-11-09T03:58:37Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Ok, maybe this is a good thread to ask this question: there is an online comic I discovered recently (but now read regularly) called [**Ctrl+Alt+Del**](http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/index.php?t=archives&date=last), and its tagline is “Tragically l337.” What is l337? Is it a play on “l33t” and the old slang of “L7?” It’s really fairly simple to explain, but can be a real chore to read. l33t or l337 or l33+ is “leet”, a shortening of “elite”. It came from some techie nerd types I guess. l33tn355 would be “leetness” and so on. You just substitute a letter with any number that sort of looks similar. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/11 "2004-11-09T04:07:01Z")
Chairman Pow - I was actually able to read that “leet” paragraph. “Here is a link to the Wikipedia article describing leetspeak for those of you who were as clueless as I was!!! What the %%#, laughing out loud. Why do American kids suck so much at math when they decode shit like this on the fly during realtime chatroom discussions? Oh my God, what the #%, laughing out loud.” Now I really am worried. ROFLMAO (rolling on the floor, laughing my ass off) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/12 "2004-11-09T04:22:57Z")
That was 1337-lite. If you can’t read that paragraph, there’s something wrong with you. Real l33t doesn’t use any letters to represent themselves. 7|-|15 15 4 83++3® 4þþ®0\>\<1//\4+10// 0|= 1337 ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/13 "2004-11-09T04:25:24Z")
I suppose I should have mentioned that “l33t” itself is 31337-|\_1+3. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/14 "2004-11-09T04:27:56Z")
Now that’s impressive! You are the master. ---
**Author:** ![DarkPrince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@DarkPrince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarkPrince)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/15 "2004-11-09T05:21:28Z")
> [@Chairman Pow](#): > > Hm. I didn’t realize that there was a name for this. > > [Here’s something](http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files/aolertranslator.html) “AL UR BAES R BLONG 2 US1!!1!!1! OMG WTF LOL” Psh, that’s not 1337, that’s netspeak, which is usually stupid kiddies who can’t spell well and end up making dumb phrases that are tough to read. “4LL j0oR B453 r b3L0||G 2 |\_|5!!1” This is 13375P34K, which is the truly fine art of smart(er) people intentionally misspelling stuff to make it tough to read. 😃 Now if you’re truly 1337, you can speak it outloud…ph33r. ---
**Author:** ![VampyChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5daacb/32.png) [@VampyChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VampyChick)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/16 "2004-11-09T05:46:30Z")
> [@](#): > > 7|-|15 15 4 83++3® 4þþ®0\>\<1//\4+10// 0|= 1337 “This is a better approximation of leet” I think I gave myself eye strain decoding that. ---
**Author:** ![Chairman\_Pow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/838e76/32.png) [@Chairman\_Pow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chairman_Pow)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/17 "2004-11-09T16:52:02Z")
> [@Wikkit](#): > > That was 1337-lite. If you can’t read that paragraph, there’s something wrong with you. Real l33t doesn’t use any letters to represent themselves. > > 7|-|15 15 4 83++3® 4þþ®0\>\<1//\4+10// 0|= 1337 To be sure, I was expecting more from a crappy free internet translater. But I got it from someone with apparently way too much time in his hands… So, this is like the computer version of Pig Latin, right? ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/18 "2004-11-09T16:53:17Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > It’s really fairly simple to explain, but can be a real chore to read. Oh, I get the whole leetspeak thing, and I’ve always known what “l33t” was, I just didn’t know that it was the same as “l337.” I didn’t realize that the _7_ and the _t_ were the same thing. The comic that I mentioned wouldn’t be above making fun of itself, and I was wondering if “l337” was some kind of play on the '60s slang of “L7,” which meant you were a square. You know, combining “l33t” with “L7.” Anyway, thanks for helping to unconfuse me! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/19 "2004-11-09T16:54:31Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Let’s just drive a wooden stake through the English language and be done with it. I’m down with that. In fact, I say we go back to Latin. ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2004, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784/20 "2004-11-11T08:59:00Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > It’s really fairly simple to explain, but can be a real chore to read. > > l33t or l337 or l33+ is “leet”, a shortening of “elite”. It came from some techie nerd types I guess. > l33tn355 would be “leetness” and so on. > You just substitute a letter with any number that sort of looks similar. I see I’m a bit late, but you don’t have to use numbers. As you can see, |'s, /'s, &'s, ~'s, or pretty much any ASCII character you can get your hands on is fair game. Anyway, back to the OP, I agree that HE4T is probably just a coincidence, and was never intended to mean “HEAT”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/og-help-us-leetspeak-is-now-being-used-to-sell-appliances/273784.md?page=2)