homeWelcome, sign in or click here to subscribe.login
     


 

 

Weekend


Subscriber content preview

December 10, 2010

Strange But True!

Q. How did the crazy new language of cell phone texting get its start anyway? “I don't understand a word of it,” said one observer.

A. Textisms may seem hip, streamlined, clever, but they're hardly new, says David Crystal in “A Little Book of Language.” This surprises people, but such forms as “u” for “you” and “gr8” for “great” weren't just created for mobile phones but were actually used over 200 years ago! They were called “rebuses” (pronounced “ree-buses”) and were a popular kind of puzzle. Queen Victoria used to play rebus games. So did Lewis Carroll. “When I was a boy,” says Crystal, “I used to get Christmas annuals which had rebus games, such as this row of symbols: YY U R YY U B I C U R YY 4 ME. Many adults will remember that one. It reads: ‘Too wise you are, too wise you be, I see you are too wise for me.'”


 
. . .


To read this story in full login or purchase a subscription.



Previous columns:



Email or user name:
Password:
 
Forgot password? Click here.