Saturday, April 30, 2011

On ZOMG

ZOMG.

I have recently decided to employ this word in my vocabulary. The problem is, in the current economy it is not exactly easy to find a position for a new word. I have tried to substitute it for other words, but somehow this tends to make the meaning of my sentences less clear. The other day on the bus I gently asked a lady to get out of the ZOMG as she was blocking my passage. However, she did not ZOMG this and just kept ZOMGing at ZOMG.

In addition, some of the substituted words are getting angry. Yesterday the pronouns accused me of exaggerated silliness, and today the verbs have threatened to boycott me if I keep using nouns as verbs. The last thing I need is angry words unioning on me.

I have tried to consult the internet as well. From the urban dictionary (which is a name that confuses me greatly as this online dictionary can be accessed anywhere, including rural areas. They do have internet access there now, you know) I gathered the following:
zOMG is a variant of the all-too-popular acronym "OMG", meaning "Oh My God". The "z" was originally a mistake while attempting to hit the shift key with the left hand, and type "OMG" Also used in all-caps, 'ZOMG' is generally used in a sarcastic manner, more often than not a humiliating fasion[sic]. It is also used as a device for stating the obvious."zOMG! you r teh winz!!one!!eleven!"[sic]

(It also confuses me that an institution that claims to be a “dictionary” is so terrible at spelling, but again this might have something to do with its “urban” image. Itz never cool to zpell poprly in the ceetay.)

Of course the problem with employing ZOMG as it was intended – as an enforced OMG – is that I don’t use OMG all that much in the first place. I have been known to say OMD (Oh, My Digression), but ZOMD just doesn’t have the same ring to it (it sounds oddly like I was trying to type “zoomed” while drunk [and as fun as frunk posting is, it isn’t half as fun when you’re not actually frunk]).

Thus, I turn to you, dear readers. What shall I do with the word ZOMG? Should I give up my arduous attempts at of expanding my vocabulary in this fashion? Or should I keep flagging at the barricades, ignoring the fact that ZOMG and other acronym-turned-common-usage-words such as LOL, WFT and the esoteric FTW are made for other generations than mine? Must I accept that I am linguistically outdated at 25? 

9 comments:

Sue said...

I love how the "you might also like" thingos at the bottom of your posts are so interesting. I click and get taken to random happenings from aeons ago, then totally forget what the current post was...ah yes ZOMG. It doesn't do it for me, but could be generational, however I LOVE SOL and will continue to use it in its various guises. Wishing you happy packing and safe travels.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Enjoyed your Z word post,
Be safe on your travels and thanks for the suppport you have given me.

Yvonne.

David Macaulay said...

nice post - mind you, to be fair, it doesn't sound like you will have a lot of use for this word

M.J. Nicholls said...

It seems zOMG is the proper usage, but we could easily apply the same duncehead logic to other words. Like hitting [ instead of P by mistake. So words like [ony and [izza and [otty could be a reality. Or hitting , instead of M. ,arsh,allow or ,onkey etc. Why don't we incoporate all typos into the language? Wonndts taht be falbulos.?

The Words Crafter said...

I always picture someone excitedly relating some funny news....so I kinda like it :)

Jan Morrison said...

urghhh. Nope, doesn't do it for me. I think it is because I don't like most 'modern' abbreviations or catch initial thingies as in I will never ever - oh I can't even write this - it reminds me of when I was a hippy and they served bean sprouts on EVERYTHING and then one day just the thought made me ill - that's how I feel about the abreviation meaning that I am making sounds of amusement out loud - I don't even know how to make them not out loud - seems like it would hurt. And omg and bff are all the same to me. I just want to u.ch.t.n. (which means upchuck them now) so enufffffff!
This contest has made everyone loopy, I say!

Stephanie V said...

I must be old...I keep trying to pronounce these things as words.

Talli Roland said...

Ha! Love this!

I'd go with trying to use it. I know I'm going to!

Pat Tillett said...

zThis is hilarious and the funniest thing I've read in a while!

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