For as long
as I can
remember it was common practice for writers to leave some of the
letters out of certain words. This never made much sense to me.
If
the reader couldn't guess the word from the clue letters, What
was
the point in including any part of the word? If the reader could
guess the word, What did leaving out a few letters accomplish?
Are
letters so expensive that writers must economize? Are dashes
cheaper
than letters?
The next step
was
chopping off everything except the first letter. Certain words
came
to be known by their initials. Again, what does this accomplish
other than saving letters? For one finger texters this may be
important. How much benefit is it to anyone else? If the word is
annoying or offensive to someone, Does calling it another name
make
it smell more like a rose?
Why do
people find one
word bothersome while accepting another that means the same
thing? It must be the sound that bothers them. Why do some
condition their
minds to react to some sounds the way they do to finger nails
squeaking on a blackboard. Yes, I am so old I actually remember
black blackboards.
Nevertheless, the custom
is well entrenched. If you can't lick them, join them. If other
people can cut the tails off from words they find annoying, I
should
have the same right.
There is one
four letter
“S” word I find irritating and annoying, especially this time of
year. Even in July I am irritated by a mere picture of a
mountain
covered with S. For my peace of mind everyone must forever cease
speaking the cursed “S” word.
The “W” word
that
the “S” word commonly hangs out with needs to go too. Another
“W” word often used as a prefix to “Christmas” is also
skating of rather thin ice. The “I” word isn't my favorite
either.
If some can
ban words,
everyone should have the same right. Perhaps we should limit
banning
to one word per customer.
Some may
have noticed
that there are many more people than words. They may also have
noticed that every imaginable word can be offensive to someone.
I
recall reading about a man who shot his girlfriend three times
because she threatened to say “New Jersey.” Yes, “New Jersey”
is two words. Perhaps that makes it twice as offensive. The man
was
supposedly equally offended by Wisconsin, which is all one word.
After
everyone exercises
their right to reduce one word to its first letter most likely
all we
will have left is first letters. T S M F I C. For those who
failed
to decipher the last sentence, it was “This should make for
interesting conversations. What else could it possibly have
been?
Obviously we
will need
more letters, one for every word. With all of those letters, no
one
will ever again have to worry about being asked to recite the
alphabet.
A different
letter for
every word isn't a revolutionary new idea. It is pretty much
what
the Chinese do now. If we don't quit reducing words to one
letter we
are all going to have to learn to speak Chinese. Is catering to
people who choose to be upset by certain sounds worth the price
of
having to learn Chinese?
I'm willing
to sacrifice
the right to reduce the “S” word to one letter when everyone
else
is ready to give up truncation of words.
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Copyright
2013
Albert
D.
McCallum
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