# The Text The Preamble To The US Constitution Challange **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 30, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570 "2010-07-30T12:19:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/1 "2010-07-30T12:19:06Z")
I saw a blip on our local news about texting messages and the effect it is having on kids and spelling and grammar. As kids use text via their cell phones, so they are using a shorthand type of deal. OK so I thought this would make an interesting challange. Who here can text the preamble to the US Constitution in the shortest possible number of characters. Of course it has to be readable to the average reader and I do realize this is subjective. There’s really no right and wrong to if it’s readable. But I am not good at shorthand texting on phones, but I’m sure others here are experts Here’s the preamble: > [@](#): > > We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. So who can do this, to keep it readable and the meaning the same, but in the shortest possible way. Using the type of shorthand you’d use on a cell phone 🙂 [Note: yeah I spelled challenge wrong, if a mod reads this can you fix it. Thanks] ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/2 "2010-07-30T15:06:19Z")
We da ppl o da US n ordr2 4m a mor prfct union stablsh justis nshr dmstc tranqiliT prvd4 da cmn dfns promot da gnrl welfar n secr da blsngs o librT 2 Rselvs n r psteriT do rdain n Stablsh dis cnstitushn4 da USA ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/3 "2010-07-30T15:52:36Z")
Sorry. I am incapable of reciting the Preamble without singing it. It’s the curse of my generation. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/4 "2010-07-30T16:05:57Z")
[Here you go.](http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/jalopnik/2009/08/Preamble.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/5 "2010-07-30T17:03:25Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Sorry. I am incapable of reciting the Preamble without singing it. It’s the curse of my generation. I couldn’t quote a single word from the Canadian constitution but I can damn well sing the Preamble to the US Constitution. Okay I’m pretty sure there is a “the” in there somewhere, but you know what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/6 "2010-07-30T20:26:42Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Sorry. I am incapable of reciting the Preamble without singing it. It’s the curse of my generation. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/7 "2010-07-30T21:37:16Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > > [@Oakminster](#): > > > > Sorry. I am incapable of reciting the Preamble without singing it. It’s the curse of my generation. > > I couldn’t quote a single word from the Canadian constitution but I can damn well sing the Preamble to the US Constitution. > > Okay I’m pretty sure there is a “the” in there somewhere, but you know what I mean. You mean you don’t recall the most important word in the whole document: “Notwithstanding”? For Bnited Merkins, this is the clause that says that they legislature can make any law (nearly) that contradicts the “Charter of rights” just by saying this law shall have effect notwithstanding the charter. As far as I am concerned, this clause negates the whole charter. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Mood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@Blue\_Mood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Mood)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/8 "2010-07-30T22:38:12Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > We da ppl o da US n ordr2 4m a mor prfct union stablsh justis nshr dmstc tranqiliT prvd4 da cmn dfns promot da gnrl welfar n secr da blsngs o librT 2 Rselvs n r psteriT do rdain n Stablsh dis cnstitushn4 da USA Impressive! But I read “gnrl” with a hard g sound. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2010, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/9 "2010-07-30T23:35:30Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > We da ppl o da US n ordr2 4m a mor prfct union stablsh justis nshr dmstc tranqiliT prvd4 da cmn dfns promot da gnrl welfar n secr da blsngs o librT 2 Rselvs n r psteriT do rdain n Stablsh dis cnstitushn4 da USA Impressive but shouldn’t it be like “ordr 2” or or “cnstitushn 4”? I ask 'cause order to, is two words. It makes sense for 4m because form is one word ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/10 "2010-07-31T01:43:10Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > > [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > > > We da ppl o da US n ordr2 4m a mor prfct union stablsh justis nshr dmstc tranqiliT prvd4 da cmn dfns promot da gnrl welfar n secr da blsngs o librT 2 Rselvs n r psteriT do rdain n Stablsh dis cnstitushn4 da USA > > Impressive but shouldn’t it be like “ordr 2” or or “cnstitushn 4”? I ask 'cause order to, is two words. It makes sense for 4m because form is one word Yeah, my husband and I text each other constantly and it’s kind of our thing to use as much textspeak as we can. Also, we’re both very prolific texters, so we cram words together when necessary, and therefore append 2 and 4 to the beginnings or ends of words. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/11 "2010-07-31T01:45:48Z")
> [@Blue\_Mood](#): > > > [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > > > We da ppl o da US n ordr2 4m a mor prfct union stablsh justis nshr dmstc tranqiliT prvd4 da cmn dfns promot da gnrl welfar n secr da blsngs o librT 2 Rselvs n r psteriT do rdain n Stablsh dis cnstitushn4 da USA > > Impressive! But I read “gnrl” with a hard g sound. Hmm, didn’t think of that. I guess it should be jnrl. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/12 "2010-07-31T02:10:35Z")
We peeps of US, wantn 2 have goodinz, nao establsh the US. Everything else is just meaningless flourish and can be dropped. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/13 "2010-07-31T02:56:30Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > You mean you don’t recall the most important word in the whole document: “Notwithstanding”? > > For Bnited Merkins, this is the clause that says that they legislature can make any law (nearly) that contradicts the “Charter of rights” just by saying this law shall have effect notwithstanding the charter. As far as I am concerned, this clause negates the whole charter. Hence, Québec! 😃 ::d&r:: ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/14 "2010-07-31T05:58:36Z")
General can always use the abbreviation gen. My full abreviation would be: We d ppl/tUS,N ord2frm a mo prfct union,est just,prov dmstc tranq,prov4d comn def,prmt d gen Wlfre&scur d bless/lib2rselv&r Pstrty,do ordn&Stblsh dis const4tUSA Crud, that’s still 162 characters. We’ve got to get it down to 140 before it is truly textable. I’m not counting the lolcats version, as it doesn’t tell what goodinz are. I personally tried to keep all the words. I removed spaces before numbers and symbols, and used common abbreviations for words if they existed. Some are only decipherable in context, but that’s the same as in texts. It is a bit more jumbled than I hoped, though. But adding the spaces back takes it to 174 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/15 "2010-07-31T12:41:29Z")
Anyone wanna try doing the Lord’s Prayer? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/16 "2010-07-31T12:46:37Z")
> [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > cnstitushn4 Awesome - you might save a single character by rendering this as “cnsti2shn4”, though. ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/17 "2010-07-31T13:52:13Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > > [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > > > cnstitushn4 > > Awesome - you might save a single character by rendering this as “cnsti2shn4”, though. :smack: My husband is better. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/18 "2010-07-31T14:12:28Z")
> [@Blue\_Mood](#): > > > [@TheChileanBlob](#): > > > > We da ppl o da US n ordr2 4m a mor prfct union stablsh justis nshr dmstc tranqiliT prvd4 da cmn dfns promot da gnrl welfar n secr da blsngs o librT 2 Rselvs n r psteriT do rdain n Stablsh dis cnstitushn4 da USA > > Impressive! But I read “gnrl” with a hard g sound. Th gnrls com frm th vodvrk out. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/19 "2010-07-31T17:50:44Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Sorry. I am incapable of reciting the Preamble without singing it. It’s the curse of my generation. > [@Carl\_Corey](#): > > Ditto. Double ditto. I sang it in fifth grade when we had to memorize and recite it. Got extra credit! ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2010, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570/20 "2010-08-01T06:11:58Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Anyone wanna try doing the Lord’s Prayer? 🙂 I’m not sure this all that good - but what the heck: Ceiling cat da best.CC ovrlord welkum,+1 wha CC sez, here / ceiling. CC give us bread,k,& plz scuse our bad,same we scuse others.Keep us from scum ideas and from eevl-CC got da bestest hood, da watts, da respek, 4 evah.Word. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-text-the-preamble-to-the-us-constitution-challange/548570.md?page=2)