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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Opus 2012-70, New Terms: BISS

Are you familiar with these “words”?

TMI
TLDR
LOL
OMG
KISS

They are part of the texting culture.  It has a whole vocabulary of its own that is designed to shorten the number of keys the sender must hit.  It also reflects the truncated vocabulary of the younger generation.  Why learn real words when you can make up your own?

To this sub-culture I offer BISS.

I don’t remember ever seeing it used anywhere else but since I don’t text-message except in response to my children in special circumstances, I am not an authority.  It is possible that someone else has already claimed it or given it another meaning.

For me it means:  Because I Said So

If you have ever been an authority figure working with labor adverse populations you have used this without knowing it.  Parent/child, teacher/student, sergeant/recruit, the applications are almost unlimited.  It also puts you on a level playing field.  I was always frustrated when kids could get by with a one syllable “Why” and I was required to use at least two syllables with “Because.”  Now I do not need to put out more effort than the sloth.

On occasion a person will ask “Why” and really want to know.  I will leave it up to your discernment to respond at more length in those situations.

homo unius libri

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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.