Acronym Use and Abuse - Part 2

Do you realize that we are surrounded by acronyms?  Hey ... it just dawned on me ... you might  not even know what acronyms are?  Don't worry it isn't a disease ... although they are taking over the world!!!

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ac·ro·nym

  /ˈækrənɪm/ Show Spelled[ak-ruh-nim]  

–noun

1.

a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words, as Wac  from Women's Army Corps, OPEC  from Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries,  or loran  from long-range navigation.

2.

an acrostic

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We have been using them for years possibly unknowingly.  Mom would yell, "Clean up this mess ASAP".  As a youngin'  I didn't exactly know what ASAP meant, but I knew I should do whatever she wanted as fast as I could!
 

Doctors have told us about strands of DNA in our body. Somehow I can stomach that, but strands of deoxyribonucleic acid ... ACID?  ... That sends shivers up my spine!

Back in our school days we endured PE - Physical Education.

A K9 would lick our face ... Okay maybe not officially an acronym.

We would write someone an IOU ... don't ask me why it wasn't IOY.  Can't people spell???

We watched Jacques Cousteau in his scuba gear.  Who knew that SCUBA is short for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus?  Surely not me.
I thought that scuba was a word.

What about modern technological advances?  Most of us barely think about the "photographs" that I post on this blog.  A picture used on the computer is often called a jpeg - Joint Photographic Experts Group.  Huh???  

CDs I play on my stereo

I quickly find answers by clicking on the FAQ link - Frequently Asked Questions

A metal box  gives me money at the bank - ATM - Automated Teller Machine

But don't forget to punch in your PIN - Personal Identification Number

If you seek to get a mortgage in Canada, you may be asked to confess your SIN - Social Insurance Number

You get what I mean.  They are everywhere to make life easier

Now is that a statement or a question?

While you ponder that, let's consider the new generation that comes along

with things like facebook

and creates their own version of the English language.

Pseudo-acronyms - Consisting of a sequence of characters which, when pronounced as intended, invoke other longer words with less typing ... You guessed it - INTERNET SLANG

Bb - Bye, or goodbye

cuz - because

k - okay

Thnx - thanks

ITYS - I told you so

MEME - An idea that is spread among blogs

lol - laugh out loud

W8 - wait

WUH - What?

G2R - got to run

GBFN - Goodbye for now

Apparently writing complete thoughts in complete words in complete sentences

is entirely TME (too much effort). 

~ * ~
I wonder what direction this is all heading.

Will future generations communicate in grunts and whistles?

Or will speech and written correspondence be a thing of the past?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.