Suddenly my friends and I can't spell. Our e-mail exchanges have become ghastly sights. I've always had a problem with homonyms — how many times have I used 'through' when I meant 'threw'? — but now the problem seems to have exploded, and just when I'm writing more than I ever have before. Worse, I've begun substituting unrelated words for the words I intend. And sometimes my mind is racing so far ahead the I end up using words from later in the sentence before they're needed. It's very, very strange.
Here are some real-life examples from recent e-mails, both from me and from friends. I've bolded the offending words:
John David Roth: If I were to do an external hard drive now, I'd go for a laptop-sized drive, actually, which I think is 3-1/2". By the drive, mount it in a case (sold seperately), and voila!
Paul David Carlile: (in reply to the above) Thanks. I know understand better what you mean.
John David Roth: Huh. Comments on Mefi Projects on world-viewable. Who knew? (should be "aren't")
Joel Alexander Miron: Wow, so JD one the league (right?) with the sixth-most points? Truly he was the Pittsburgh Steelers of 2005.
Tiffany Sue Gates: They think that I stained my back...
Tammy Lee Jata: And heres the third time. We're coming and most likely so will shelly and justin.
Etc. Etc. Etc. These are but a few examples.
I guess it could be worse. I guess we could all b l33t. or we cud do lik teenz whn txting.
"cud do lik teenz whn txting"
Is it just my imagination, or are teens slowly shifting towards an almost Yiddish-style of dialect? Maybe I'm only seeing that out of some strange occupational hazard?