# What are we now supposed to call a Tweet? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 14, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569 "2023-08-14T17:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/41 "2023-08-15T22:37:00Z")
Back in my active pharmacist days, some people of the older generation would always refer to their health insurance as Blue Cross, even if that wasn’t the plan they used. To them, it was as generic a term as Band-Aids or Kleenex. ---
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/42 "2023-08-15T22:50:06Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Doesn’t exactly put “X” in a positive light, does it? Since it seems altogether likely that it will become the late Xtwitter before too long, we should consider what the past tense of ‘X’ might be. The past tense of tweet is almost certainly too rude to mention here. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2023, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/43 "2023-08-15T23:14:37Z")
Twoot? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/44 "2023-08-18T17:52:46Z")
I’m not sure what a “Quilt Thief” has to do with it, so I doubt it will catch on. (Obligatory “Bob’s Burgers” reference) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/45 "2023-08-18T18:05:42Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > I never saw the point of Twitter from the outset… 128 characters?? Though they rapidly jailbreaked that by allowing references. I think the 128-character limit was critical not for its ostensible purpose, but for establishing the novel _concept_ of a tweet. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/46 "2023-08-18T18:11:32Z")
> [@vbob](#): > > Since it seems altogether likely that it will become the late Xtwitter before too long, we should consider what the past tense of ‘X’ might be. X post facto? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/47 "2023-08-18T21:11:56Z")
Navistar (formerly International Harvester) is another name change that has been reasonably successful. The company has gone through a lot of reorganizations, mergers and purchases, but the new brand is still recognizable as a truck and engine company. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/48 "2023-08-18T22:54:59Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > > [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > > > I never saw the point of Twitter from the outset… 128 characters?? Though they rapidly jailbreaked that by allowing references. > > I think the 128-character limit was critical not for its ostensible purpose, but for establishing the novel _concept_ of a tweet. I think when Twitter was first conceived, back in the dark ages before everyone had smartphones, the idea was that people would tweet via text message. Since text messages have a 128 character limit, that became the size limit of a tweet as well. ---
**Author:** ![LilXMo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lilxmo/32/4225_2.png) [@LilXMo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilXMo)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/49 "2023-08-20T17:10:34Z")
Had the same question myself. Twix, Twex, Twixxy, Twexxy… ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/50 "2023-08-20T17:13:46Z")
Twizzler? ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/51 "2023-08-20T18:00:35Z")
I’ve seen the service referred to as “xitter”, which seems unpronounceable until you consider that X can be used for the “sh” sound, in transliteration of some languages. Xitter suddenly becomes pronounceable, and entirely appropriate. A single post is thus a Xit, also highly appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/52 "2023-08-20T18:26:24Z")
When I see “Xitter” it’s easy to provide the desired “sh” sound. But somehow when I see “Xit” it must be pronounced with a “z” sound like xenon or Xerox. Which is also appropriately disrespectful of Elmo’s handiwork: > Sir, you have taken a useful and popular worldwide social media platform and turned it into a single giant festering pustule. Congratulations!! I’m not sure which stupid game you’re playing, but you have won a stupid prize. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/53 "2023-08-20T19:40:11Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Do branding changes away from well known brands EVER work? Ever? Do people even remember that AT&T used to be American Telephone and Telegraph and 3M was originally Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing? Those seem to have worked, though it pretty minor. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/54 "2023-08-20T20:43:37Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > I think Arthur Andersen rebranded itself mostly successfully to Accenture after being caught in a big scandal (I want to say it was something related to the California energy crisis, but I’m not really sure). Yes it was connected with Enron when they shredded documents. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2023, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/55 "2023-08-20T22:06:22Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > Since it is “X”, call it an “X-crement”. I thought a shit-post by any other name was still a shit post. Then I discoverd TikTok. ---
**Author:** ![rbroome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/838e76/32.png) [@rbroome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbroome)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2023, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569/56 "2023-08-22T01:42:14Z")
I am certainly no fan of Musk. But remember what he wants to do with Twitter. He doesn’t think he can make lots of money just selling tweets and advertising He is convinced the big money is in one stop shopping like Alibaba where users will buy anything, get their news, transfer money, talk to their friends, etc. Kind of like how the web is part of the internet but for most users it is the only internet tool they use. He doesn’t think he can do this by keeping the name everyone associates with one small part of this big picture. People won’t move all their purchasing from Amazon to Twitter. He hopes the Amazon to X transition will be more successful. Given how much damage Twitter has suffered, he probably doesn’t think there is much to salvage from the wreck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-we-now-supposed-to-call-a-tweet/988569.md?page=2)