Tilting at windmills. Struggling with text speak.
"Of course we stan Simone Biles," I read in an article on Huff Post this morning. To understand what I'm reading, often I look up text speak in magazine and online articles.
"What does "stan" mean?" I looked up on Google.
According to Urban Dictionary, "stan" is a blend of the words "stalker" and "fan," and refers to someone who is overly obsessed with a celebrity.
Text speak is confusing and annoying. As a published author, I strive to communicate clearly.
"Is this the perfect EV for Chelan County?" is the title of a story from the local public utility district. What is an "EV"?
Feels like I'm tilting at windmills.
NOTE: Tilting is jousting. The expression 'tilting at windmills' derives from Cervantes' Don Quixote - first published in 1604, under the title "The Ingenious Knight of La Mancha." Don Quixote tried to right the wrongs in the world through acts of chivalry.
Your thoughts?
10
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12 comments
Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.How are you tilting at windmills?
Possible portmanteau problems with chortle, smog or motel?
waitingforgodo
Level 8
June 10, 2021
0
It's a metaphor.
I don't do text speak. I use full words, proper punctuation, and I'm slower than hell, but also clear as a bell.
HippieChick58
Level 9
June 9, 2021
2
Sometimes we have to invent words (or bend the meaning of old words) to communicate what the hell is going on in this rapidly changing world. But just making up to words to "be cute," doesn't impress me at all. And I have no shame asking people what they're talking about.
mischl
Level 8
June 9, 2021
3
The human story is the story of balancing the rate of change. Our liberal genes press us to innovate, create, improve... and our conservative genes regard change as unleashing the unfamiliar, annoying, and potentially dangerous. But together, that pair of traits inches us forward in the least chaotic way.
skado
Level 9
June 9, 2021
2
Flurble gloos blobble! (I completely agree! Our language is disappearing at a frightening rate.) Personally, I find our language beautiful and sometimes consider it a game to be played. Now, it's being torn apart, and the tatters are thrown in our face.
Holysocks
Level 8
June 9, 2021
4
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