The Glade 4.0

These first two are hard to put a finger on, but they have always irked me, maybe because of their forced cuteness:

Turkey Day instead of Thanksgiving

Xmas instead of Christmas


Ho Ho instead of Santa (really, is this name supposed to give him street cred or something? "Yo yo, it's Ho Ho!")


RIP -- Mostly as it applies to people responding with this online. Someone passes away and I bet you a majority of posts will be either just "Rest In Peace," or even worse just "RIP." Many times they won't even bother to name the person that died. I don't know, just saying "RIP" or spelling it out seems like a cop-out response to me. It's like they are alleviating yourself of having to actually care, or just padding your post count. If you don't know the person who died or don't really care, then just don't post anything -- it's better than seeing page after page of just "RIP." Perhaps it's nitpicking, but it still annoys the crap out of me.

With the exception of Xmas, I agree with you. Mostly because I don't find the usage of Xmas as a 'cute' abbreviation. Wikipedia has this to say about early usage of Xmas, first used in English:

In the United Kingdom and among the English, use of "Xmas" is found in a letter from January 13, 1753 (George Woodward to George London: "I find by ye News:papers that several People have shewed a great Aversion to ye Alteration of ye Style; particularly with regard to ye Observation of Xmas Day"). Lord Byron used the term in 1811 ("If you won't come here before Xmas, [...]", letter, September 9, 1811). Samuel Coleridge used it ("On Xmas Day I breakfasted with Davy", 1801) as did Lewis Carroll ("[...] which I hope to get published before Xmas", letter, June 10, 1864). In the United States, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. also wrote it ("I expect about Xmas a visit", October 11, 1923).

RIP has been used by stone cutters for a long time, on gravestones. considering the work involved in carving it out, I can allow them that abbreviation. These days, its just a few more letters you 100 wpm typists, get over it.

Turkey Day is almost a football term. It is annoying but almost traditional in front of American TV sets. Ho Ho is a cheap confectionary Hostess makes or an expensive sandwich where you are the meat.

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The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

Yeah it's been around a while. Like I said, it's hard to put a finger on why is really irks me enough to care, but it does.



Oddly enough, I am okay with it on gravestones. It's just the use of it (specifically the singular use of it) on message boards that gets me.

I think RIP is best used for test. I hate when people use it in speaking conversations, unless it is about the action of ripping something; or letting one loose.

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Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

lol

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Dream as if you'll live forever...
...Live as if you'll die tomorrow

Vivere Senza Rimpianti

Dang it, I had to go and learn stuff over this thread. I was wondering whether acronyms were principally an English thing... was RIP all us, or was some Roman stonecutter looking at "requiescat in pace" and said to hell with it?

Then das wiki said:So it's not just our government that comes up with contrived acronyms for everything; that's been going on a couple millennia.
/hijack

Hate it...had to admonish my wife about agreeing with my 3 year old when she used it. I mean c'mon can't we at least pretend it means more than stuffing your face (not that I haven't eaten until sickness many years - including the one just past)?



I used to hate that one too until I gave it some thought, similar to what Jeryn posted. The Chi-Rho(☧) has long symbolized Christ, now I take it as an effort to literally put "Christ" in Christmas, and have a good chuckle at those who think it's a good way to do the opposite (kind of like the fools who use "Xians" in an effort to get a "dig" in).



Haven't run into this one, just lucky I've missed out on the inanity, I guess.



I laugh when I see this one too. Since most people have no clue as to the real meaning (Anima eius et animae omnium fidelium defunctorum per Dei misericordiam requiescant in pace). Are they really hoping the person doesn't rise from the grave seeking blood or brains because their bodies aren't at "peace"?

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

And because my ipod keyboard > me... I meant teXt not teSt

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Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

I'm glad you clarified, DS, I had no clue what you were proposing. Happily, you proved your own point though.

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"Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko

Wait, you mean, people say "rip" instead of "R"-"I"-"P". Heck, in my head, I just generally say "rest in peace" when I see it.

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This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge