Spyke
sh.itjust.works

Teachers in 2023: “NOOO you can’t end your sentences with ‘fr fr nocap skibidi’ those aren’t even real words!”

2033:

165
lemm.ee

2033: "Why would you say any of that corny old shit? You sloopy old frond!"

69
idunnololzreply
lemmy.world

2050: ARTMEWTC (Acronyms Are The Most Efficient Way To Communicate)

20

I think it's a pretty good example of something that totally lost all meaning and got beat into the ground, rather than getting worked into some individual lexicon or accent, and having a specific kind of role.

Totally passing observation on top of that, but I think, it's probably much easier for that to happen to specific references, than for that to happen to actual novel uses of language.

2
Pyroreply
lemmy.world

Do we have a RemindMe bot for Lemmy yet? I want to re-read this prophecy in 10 years

2
lemmy.dbzer0.com

When I was a waiter, there was no shortage of boomers getting genuinely upset with me saying "No problem" as a reply to "thanks".

109
lemmy.world

I prefer to say no problem over you're welcome cuz it always (to me) sounds sarcastic/disingenuous when I say you're welcome

59

It's like this:

You have a boss. A wrinkled plus-sized brown business jacket of a man whose idea of "cutting costs" is turning the air conditioner off. If he caught on fire, you wouldn't piss on him to put him out. How do you address him? "Good morning Mr. Perkins, how are you doing today?"

You've got a war buddy. You met at boot camp, you served in the same company, he splinted your leg in the field, you're his kids' godfather. You'd kill and die for this man. How do you address him? "Ah god not this fucking asshole again."

Official formal polite language like "Thank you" and "You're welcome" is the pair of nitrile gloves I put on to handle the really noxious shit that comes my way. "w'thanks man" and "no problem" means I'm willing to handle you with my bare skin.

41
EtherWhackreply
lemmy.world

"No problem" also carries the implication that the favor was taken and done without ill will, where "you're welcome" carries one of superiority

29

I like to say no problemo. It suggests that the favour was done with a touch of Mexican

9
oce 🐆reply
jlai.lu

Superiority from using formal language?

8
lemmy.world

Well one would expect it at a five star restaurant, but not your local dive. So… kinda..?

5
oce 🐆reply
jlai.lu

I thought it was every day life politeness, but I am not native. I would rather expect "the pleasure is all mine, sir" at a 3 Michelin stars restaurant.

2
ImFresh3xreply
sh.itjust.works

To me “you are welcome” comes off as taking credit for something minor and expected. No problem does the opposite. I prefer when people say no problem generally over you’re welcome. And that’s why it’s become more common in a day in age where people are expected to be less servile.

3

Question for the Spanish speakers in the room: Is there even another term equivalent to "you're welcome" other than de nada that people actually use? Not super familiar but Spanish seems like a language where "it's nothing" or "no problem" has almost completely replaced other phrases responding to thanks.

Asked honestly and noting cultural differences that may apply here - could be there's a more formal "you're welcome" Spanish phrase and I've just never heard it. 'Cause, you know, I don't live in a Spanish speaking place.

1

Ugggggh I went through this with my (boomer) boss for years until she finally accepted it lmao. Then it was, "WORRIES, CaptFeather! WORRIES!" as a joke every time I said it lol

11
lemmy.ca

It's a stretch for kids to write anything completely online. We call it Kid Pidgin.

5

Nobody expects online gaming to be a bastion of proper grammar.

People type in abbreviations when gaming mainly due to lack of time though... Much better to focus on the game than typing more than necessary to convey a simple message in those cases.

2

I only ever did that when typing via controller. If I had a keyboard I used full sentences but quickly. Sometimes the speed meant lack of proofreading though and weird things have been said.

1
The Bartoreply
sh.itjust.works

As an Aussie I don't understand how people get confused by 'no worries' .

7
lemmy.world

I'm an American and I say that all the time. I'm not sure how I picked it up.

3
Pickle_Jrreply
lemmy.dbzer0.com

Absolutely. I could understand it if it was a formal dining place I suppose. But it was a fucking Applebee's in a 20k population town with one other restaurant lmao

6
lemmy.world

Applebees is Sit down McDonalds with better food. If one of your seating option is at the fake wood bar its not fine dining.

4

A family member of mine briefly worked at Applebee's. Literally everything is microwaved. I happened to get a Fettuccine Alfredo there and have one of the Marie Calendars frozen Fettuccine Alfredo meals (>$2 at the store) in the same week and realized once its plated you literally could not tell the two apart. Same quality, same quantity, but the store bought meal costs 1/5 the price and is somehow ready faster

5

Imagine repying "danke", which is thanks in German

-1
Stalinwolfreply
lemmy.ca

"No problem" takes "You're welcome" and implies that it was of no inconvenience to you either. But I understand that older generations find it important that service workers be most humbly at their service, and adhere to a strict social etiquette just short of "Yes, m'lord" and "Shall I suck upon your dick, sir?"

"You're welcome" is more appropriate in a professional setting, but if you're getting your jimmies in a rustle over someone saying "No problem" to you instead, you're a bit of an assfuck.

15
lemm.ee

If you are a service worker at a restaurant, then that is literally your job, to serve.

I love it when I order a sandwich at my local banh mi place near my office and you can see the cashier literally eye roll every customer that orders. They can't even look you in the eye...

-5
Apolloreply
sh.itjust.works

If you want people to be happy to be serving you then demand that they are paid more.

Otherwise buy your sandwich without any delusions of grandeur and fuck off.

2

I don't think either phrase is impolite. Good manners are a made up thing. If someone said 'thanks' to me and I said 'tiddle dee dee' I'm not being rude, just a bit weird, nobody's honour has been questioned, I haven't said anything that could be taken as an offence.

2

It’s literally meanings of words strung together being described.

You are welcome = you are welcome to my servitude

No problem = I don’t mind doing this thing for you

Oh you. 🤦‍♀️

2
lemmy.world

And why do people need to pander to you specifically? Cant people be themselves?

Those are narcissistic traits.

8
xantoxisreply
lemmy.world

only one way to interpret “you’re welcome”

This is just wrong. Tone matters just as much with "you're welcome" as it does with "no problem". Language is fluid like that, and it's completely arbitrary to elevate one of these expressions over the other when both are in common usage.

Also, you're deliberately misrepresenting what "no problem" means, in regards to "that's the only reason you complied". Nobody says it that way, and I don't believe that you think they do.

10
lemmy.world

If someone says you’re welcome, you know they are a corporate drone and management wants them to say that to avoid certain people making a scene. Why’s it insincere to say no problem? In the same vein, they only said you’re welcome because they are complying too.

There’s no issues with saying no problem unless you want there to be. Those are cool workplaces.

1
lemmy.world

And so can you’re welcome. So why does it matter which phrase if both can be misconstrued?

Language matters everywhere, who mentioned anything about an office building?

And the only issue is you taking offense, there’s plenty of people who have no issues with no problem, but take offense from you’re welcome. Why is everything about you….?

3
lemmy.world

Maybe they should just die, that way they don't have to face a world they clearly can't deal with.

-4
lemmy.world

Callous and bigoted but you are hung up on if people say you're welcome?

6
scottywhreply
lemmy.world

The implication is that a problem was assumed until "no problem" was stated.

"No problem" is absolutely low key rude.

-7
mriormroreply
lemmy.world

To me, 'No problem' is just short for something like "oh don't worry about it; it was really no problem at all and I'm happy to help".

Colloquialisms are fun like that.

11
lemm.ee

I feel that kind of interpretation is more region specific. Specifically, West Coast?

2
scottywhreply
lemmy.world

The context in which the listener is expected to comprehend communication is important if the speaker hopes for the intended message to actually be communicated.

If the speaker chooses to ignore how the listener is expected to perceive their communication then I'd say that actual communication was never truly their intent... seems more like linguistic masturbation to me.

-8
feddit.de

They literally don’t (with the possible exception of onomatopoeic words), one of the defining factors of language is that it is arbitrary.

2

This is an old pattern, language changes. You can react to it however you like, but things have already changed in your lifetime. Wicked or hot, for example,

2
lemmy.world

Your feelings are valid and real. But as a society, the new standard is that there's no difference. If you decide to catch up, it will lead to much fewer hurt emotions.

6
lemmy.world

Just because you're confident in your feelings and opinion doesn't mean that you shouldn't hear it. To never get external validation is a lonely horrible existence.

4

It was "yo" for me. Any time I used it some old shit would complain. My mom called it n-word speak. Me and my mom don't talk.

I use it daily, mostly out of spite.

61
lemmy.world

She wasn't ok with yo but the n word was ok? Hahaha wtf old people be crazy

23
lemmy.world

In the '90s I had a snap back that I decorated with stick on jewels (beadazzled) and on the back I wrote "YO!" in sparkly silver puffy paint. I thought I was so cool in that hat.

9

I'm glad that the attitude that if you don't speak "correctly," then you are not worth engaging with is dying out.

Well, on the grammar front, anyway.

54
startrek.website

I'm glad the "not worth engaging with" attitude is dying out, but I do still think it's important to push for people to communicate accurately and effectively, which includes understanding and following grammatical rules when needed.

Language and vocabulary are essential to how we think and collectively problem-solve.

60
Mr_Blottreply
lemmy.world

Yep, I get the "Language is constantly evolving" argument, but if I have to read your sentence three times just to parse it because you were too lazy to press a few keys, I'd consider that disrespectful to whomever is reading your comments

36

The people who insist on communicating incorrectly are intentionally choosing either to be stupid or to fuck with people.

Either way, I'm still not interested in interacting with them.

7
lugalreply
sopuli.xyz

This but unironically /s

No seriously, I have no clue what you were talking about but it's very normal for any social group to develop a unique way of language that you have to learn when you want to engage. It's not as if farmers wouldn't use terms lay people don't understand

1

Everything I said is actually kinda sensible and as a sentence made sense. Obviously it uses too much slang at once and no one would make a sentence purely made of slang like that, but theoretically it's a valid sentence with modern slang.

I'm old as hell. I solely learned this just to mess with the young ones lmao.

3

Language is evolving, and part of evolution is killing off unfit new phrases

1
lemmy.world

But you make that decision based on social status not based on what the person is saying. If your manager wrote emails badly you would put in the effort to understand them. Not trying to pick on you, we all do this. My point it isn't really about correct vs incorrect it is our tolerance for the how much effort we are willing to put in to understand.

-8

That is only because they pay me to read their shit emails.

If it is after hours, I treat them exactly the same as I would every other badly written thing.

12

Sorry, I missed your comment. I would beg to differ, I would certainly correct my boss if his emails were incomprehensible, absolutely.

Maybe it's living in a more equal society, I dunno. I wouldn't be hauled up on it; he might be a bit pissed off, but couldn't do anything about it

1

The point of language is to communicate information.

If the information was successfully relayed, the language exchange was successful.

If the person knows you MEAN "hello, I would like two of these items here, thank you good sir. hands cash and cashier says thank you You're welcome. Have a pleasant day, sir" when you SAY "Sup, two please. Thanks man. No problem have a good one." then you have successfully languaged.

So when my wife with a plethora of issues involving word recall says some insane thing because she can't remember the right words, as long as I understand what she means, her language did it's job.

1

I think they are finding that they will be lonely if they want to continue to follow that path.

-3
lugalreply
sopuli.xyz

It should of died out long ago and on the side of academic linguistics did, but on the internet sadly not so much

-16

Because these who feel hurt by this deserve to be hurt. No tolerant for intolerance

-1

There's descriptive and there's prescriptive linguistics. The first is the scientific endeavor of finding out and explaining how a language works. The second is the realm of anal politicians from the colonialist era who used language as an oppression tool to suppress local cultures and force the hegemonic culture upon indigenous people to make it easier to dominate, eradicate and subjugate them. Currently regarded as one of the defining elements of Genocides. For examples see, Spanish, French, English, Russian, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Mandarin … well you get the idea.

1
lemmy.world

"Hej," pronounced "hey" is Swedish for "hello." Also "Hej hej" these days if you want to be more casual. It seemed weird to me at first, like "Hej mormor," for "Hello, grandmother," seemed informal, but if I said, "God afton," (good afternoon) my cousins said I sounded like a government issued language tape.

50
Druidreply
lemmy.zip

Probably not a super accurate representation of Swedish language, but it always brings a smile to my face to hear Brigitte's "hej hej" and other voicelines in Overwatch

4
lemmy.world

From what I remember Brigitte's voice is quite good, maybe a slight Disney princess tint to the voice, that I find a bit misfiting, but that's about it. Her Swedish however isn't bad at all.

6
Antik 👾reply
lemmy.world

Her Swedish however isn’t bad at all.

Probably because the VA is Swedish. As with all characters in Overwatch they use native speakers. So English is actually their secondary language.

4

Yeah I know, if I read the IMDB page right she was also the Swedish voice of Kim Possible. Which made me even more confused over the Disney princess tint in her voice, but I might not remember Kim's voice to good, or she managed to not have the tint back then.

1
lemmy.world

In the nineties, i had an old guy respond "'Hey' is the first stage of horse shit.". I still use it to this day.

36

that's so much better. I'm 100% incorporating that into my daily phrases

8

That is how I always perceived it. I can't even imagine someone saying that with a straight face as a correcting rebuke.

13

It does, and if there is a recorded version at that date you can bet it had been floating around for longer than that. Reason I said 50's is because that was when my parent's generation were in their young adulthood which if you think about it is where all these catchphrases really set up home in your brain. The other thing, now I think on it, is that it wasn't said as a response to 'Hey' as a greeting it was always said to stop the somewhat Cockney way of indicating you hadn't heard. What they wanted you to say was 'Pardon?' or even 'I beg your pardon?', they didn't like 'What?' all that much and couldn't abide 'Eh?' or 'Ay?' So it it was usually more of that same 'Don't talk to your elders like that' bullshit that all the baby boomers rebelled against.

2

Same, and I still say it to little kids because it's silly and confuses them for a second. "Hay is for horses. Aren't you glad you're a dog?"

3
lemmy.world

Honestly it seems like most people have assumed that the way things are now is how they'll always be. I'm not sure why everyone seems to think this but I've noticed it everywhere with almost everyone.

There's this sense that everyone seems dug in and rooted and acting like their entire world isn't subject to change on a whim.

It's really fuckin weird.

17
Honytawkreply
lemmy.zip

And we don't give a fuck about you thinking we sound like a fifth grader.

Your existence is meaningless and has no influence on the world, let alone our lives, fr fr no cap.

0
_number8_reply
lemmy.world

someone on reddit got pissed at me for not writing a 'coherent' comment, ie because i didn't use enough capital letters. so anachronistic, don't you know the style now old man?

-10
Honytawkreply
lemmy.zip

Indeed, every elder phone should have a shortcut to the Urban Dictionary.

-1

Many don’t agree with words that have been accepted into Oxford or other dictionaries. So the sarcasm falls flat.

0
inasabareply
lemmy.ml

None of what we speak today is "proper English." Languages are constantly evolving.

13
feddit.de

..or it makes you bad at communicating, which is the entire purpose of your comment, and language in general.

Maybe you shouldn't ride on such high linguistic horses?

6

You aren't foreign, you would be if you were to visit them :p

1

Wow, it must suck being such a ass to everyone all the time. Can’t imagine how people who have to deal with you routinely can manage.

1
lemmy.world

Also, the kids they were telling off in the early nineties are pushing fifty now and won't take any shit from an octogenarian.

5

My grandfather used to say that, but it was more of in a dad joke way rather than a 'you shouldn't say that' way.

27
lemmy.world

"Hay is for horses" is such a dope saying. I loved it, horses are dope.

26

Exactly. I thought it was just a silly joke to open up conversation.

In Germany we have something similar. Our word for Hey, "Hai" actually has two meanings. Obviously it means "Hey" but also "Shark"

So it was common to respond with either "Where" or the more famous "Fish"

If you went for Fish it turned into a silly game of trying to compound the word as much as possible in responses to each other. Usually going like "Hey" "Fish" "Fin" "Soup". Sharkfish fin soup

11
lemmy.blahaj.zone

I remember my mom getting uptight over the word "sucks", as in "that sucks" or "it really sucked". Literally everyone was saying it, there was no way I could help it lol

24

Core memory unlocked.

Mom used to get angry about me saying something sucks. She explained why it made her angry, and how it referenced a terrible and no-good sex act. I was about 16 at the time, and had already experienced this horrible, no good thing that nobody should do and just felt sorry for dad.

9
lemmy.world

I still say this to my kids because they don’t understand why and it’s hilarious.

21
charlesreply
lemmy.world

Dadbro, checking in. Hey will always be for horses.

8

My 3 year old daughter has started saying "Hey!" Right before sharing a brilliant idea like "let's have ice cream for breakfast!" So I've started cutting her off with "Hay is for horses" and she just ignores me

6

In 2005 'Hello there - General Kenobi!' became the acceptable greeting amongst teenagers and old timers. Lets bring it back.

18

I fought in the hey/hay wars in my early childhood. Weost many good soldiers, but their sacrifice was not in vain.

18
programming.dev

A few years ago a very boomer gen-xer tried this on me and got very enraged when I would say "hey" instead of "hello {his name}". At one point even threatened me.

18

I believe it. I have seen them melt down over the tinest thing. You can shorten my name, like pretty much every first name, and one of the old shits I used to work with would scream and yell about it.

4
Kiosadereply
lemmy.ca

They’re saying the Gen X’er was acting like a Boomer. Which a lot of the older ones kind of are, from what I’ve noticed. They’re almost like “Boomer-lite” in their entitlement and other nasty attitudes.

17
programming.dev

I would argue it’s the zoomers and millennials that fit that description better than boomers or gen X.

I don't know man, I've never seen a zoomer yell at a cashier at a big store chain about the prices being too high or them not having something in stock. Boomers on the other hand, I have a number of times. Boomers are also the only people I've ever seen get called entitled by not only older generations, but also yonger ones too. Seriously, google "me generation" and see what pops up.

8

My old man used to say (in a sing-song voice):

Hay is for horses

Sometimes cows

Chickens would eat it

But they don't know how

16

Not once did someone say that to me in a corrective or condescending way. It was always a playful joke.

In elementary school we used to say "hay is for horses, and cows like you!".

15
lemmy.world

My grandpa would do this to me when I was a kid, but it was never in like a rude way. It was just one of the funny ways we would mess with each other.

15
5714reply
lemmy.dbzer0.com

In my language, "Hi!" sounds like "Shark!", so sometimes I have to suppress the urge to say "is a fish", because Gen Xs I knew used to say it all the time.

9
lugalreply
sopuli.xyz

We all should have anticipated that after the "don't say gay" law, there will be a "don't say hey" law

11
A7thStonereply
lemmy.world

How about we stop trying to indoctrinate children with hetero-normative ideology.

6
Honytawkreply
lemmy.zip

Being hetro is as sick as being homo.

Stop holding hands with your girlfriend in public, and don't you dare give a kiss.

You are forcing your hetro ideology onto our kids like some kind of groomer pedophile.

4
lemmy.world

Okay so then "stop trying to indoctrinate children with equine sustenance ideology" law

3
lemmy.world

The calling parents "dude" wars are still raging, though.

11
lemmy.world

My daughter is not allowed to call me 'dude' or 'bro.' I don't care if that's old fashioned or closed minded of me. I like being called Dad or Daddy, and shouldn't it be my choice what I'm called?

4
Num10ckreply
lemmy.world

maybe depends on how old the daughter is?
if she's 6 then yes. if she's 20? umm get over yourself.

2
lemmy.world

If she's 20, I still want her to call me Dad. Why don't I get to decide that?

0
Num10ckreply
lemmy.world

really its cultural and traditions vs modernity and respect vs loving, etc. maybe her showing what you feel is disrespect is her showing informal comfort. maybe if you want her to keep calling you at all in a few years you can love her as you find her. the world is harsh enough to teach her plenty without you being a bridge troll to her safe space.

3

It has nothing to do with respect. I just want her to call me that. If she wanted me to call her by a nickname, I would.

1

This actually happened to me at a supermarket in Chilliwack. The description is spot on. Grumpy old dude, 19 year old me.

9

Image Transcription: Twitter Post


The Pumpkin Dipshit, @ParSpec

Remembering how common it was in like the early nineties for a kid to say "hey" and some old timer to respond "hay is for horses!" as part of some campaign to label "hey" as rude and force kids not to say it. They're gone now and we still say hey. You lost, old timers.

7

This reminds me of that old joke "what do gay horses eat? Hay hay haaaayyyyyy" that was told to us by a teacher in I dunno, middle school probably. Gotta love the 90s

7
loobkoobreply
kbin.social

I don't plan on bedding any horses, thank you very much!

2

Hay is for horses, sometimes cows, pigs don't eat it 'cause they don't know how.

3

I've heard it explained that "hey" used to be more of an urgent way to get someone's attention

Used to?! O_O

6
kbin.social

Y'all was different back then too. Now it's the most neutral greeting and that's really odd for my 90s brain.

6

I will die on the hill that "y'all" is a more concise way to convey the same information than any of the alternatives.

10
kbin.social

I haven't gotten a chance to use it yet, but one day the construction "all y'all'd've" will be relevant in my life.

8

I'm pretty sure I've legitimately busted out "y'all'd'n't've" before

1
bdonvrreply
thelemmy.club

Many languages have a plural second person pronoun, English can too y'all. It's a legitimately useful linguistic feature.

3
NABDadreply
lemmy.world

English used to have "ye", but we dropped it. Then we all looked around wondering where it went and had to recreate it.

"Y'all" down south. "Youse" in Philly, New York, Boston, etc. "Yinz" in Pittsburgh.

I think "y'all" is the best choice. I'm not a fan of "youse". "Yinz" doesn't even deserve consideration in my opinion.

Are there any others?

3

Tell that to every kid in Texas, that the teacher ever made write "yall is not a word" on the blackboard 100 times.

2

Hej is definitely Swedish for hello. Not sure about the etymology of hey in America but it certainly makes sense.

4

I think people were mostly bothered by it when used to get someone's attention... For example, as a substitute for "excuse me" or using a person's name.

1

Oh wow, so really we were giving them a mild heart attack, every time we were saying hi? I don't know if that really justified the grammar police (not using that other word casually, anymore) but also these are the people who created boomers, so they definitely had to have some issues they were never able to work through.

3

What the hay?

Frankly, I knew one person who replied "hey is how you call a horse".

3
lemmy.world

hAy is for horses, hEy means hello, they're literally different words.

2
lemmy.world

The modern day version of this is the response to "Thank You".

You're welcome?

No problem?

1
chatokunreply
lemmy.dbzer0.com

I've been told no problem is bad to say to customers, as if saying it meant they usually are a problem, but not so much this time. Since I work in IT support though, every client I speak to is either a problem or has a problem by definition.

6