The Acronym "OMG" Is Way Older Than You Think

The older crowd likes to blame the youth for the popularization of text-speak. You know the type: LOL, LMFAO, ROFL, OMG, Totes. Well, it turns out that we’re blaming the wrong people for at least one of those abominations to the English language. “OMG” is almost 100 years old.

The earliest known usage of the abbreviation OMG was found in a letter to Winston Churchill. The 1917 correspondance pictured above is from John Arbuthnot Fisher. The sentence in question reads:

“I hear that a new order of Knighthood is on the tapis — O.M.G. (Oh! My God!) — Shower it on the Admiralty!!” [sic]

The letter was published in Fisher’s Memories in 1919. Fisher, who was a British Admiral, is largely remembered as the driving force behind the creation of advanced capital ship, the HMS Dreadnought. It seemed revolutionary at the time, but actually ended up (temporarily) destroying Britain’s long-standing lead in naval power.

He was also famous for abandoning his posts at the drop of a hat. He resigned from his job as head of the Navy in a letter to Churchill that simply read, “I am unable to remain any longer your colleague … I am off to Scotland at once so as to avoid all questionings.”

There’s no doubt that since the time the letter was written, simple abbreviation has taken on an entirely new life of its own. Added to the Oxford English Dictionary last year, OMG is only one in a line of abbreviations that have become prevalent in everyday speech. Naysayers will even tell you those three letters are going to be (or already have been) the downfall of the English language.

But that’s not the issue we’re tackling right now. Our question here has more to do with what brought Fisher, of stately British naval origin — and, according to the above picture, quite the sourpuss — to inadvertently become the first-ever remembered person to use this phrase. Was it simply an attempt to save time as he ran away to places like Scotland? Or did he predict that tweens the world over would champion his phrase and shout it from the rooftops their texting fingers?

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This article originally published at The Mary Sue
here

Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/07/omg-is-100-years-old/

The Acronym "OMG" Is Way Older Than You Think

conversations, English, grammar, history, omg, social media, texting

24 Everyday Words You Didn’t Know Were Spanglish

Como, like, this list is bueno.

1. Clickeando = Click

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Via iagiftshop.com

In English: I’m clicking on this picture and nothing is happening!In Spanish: Le estoy dando un clic y no pasa nada. In Spanglish: Le estoy clickeando and nada pasa!

2. Linkear = Link

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Cloverway International (CWI) / Via chayennemia.tumblr.com

In English: Let me link this post on my story.In Spanish: Déjame agregar este link a mi artículo. In Spanglish: Déjame linkear esto.

3. Mandar Un Mail = Email

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Warner Bros. / Via businessinsider.com.au

In English: Let’s send an email to Miley Cyrus. In Spanish: Mandémosle un correo electrónico a Miley Cyrus. In Spanglish: Mandémosle un mail a Miley Cyrus.

4. El Parking = Parking Lot

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Via izismile.com

In English: This parking lot is very small.In Spanish: Este estacionamiento es muy pequeño.In Spanglish: El parking es bien pequeño.

5. Parquear = To Park

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Via fotobesity.com

In English: Please park properly and don’t be an asshole.In Spanish: Por favor estaciona bien tu auto y no seas un imbécil. In Spanglish: Pues parqueate bien, asshole.

6. Chequear = Check

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Via gifafterlife.tumblr.com

In English: Can you check if this is correct?In Spanish: Puedes revisar si esto esta correcto?In Spanglish: Ey, puedes chequear si esté bien?

7. Hevy = Heavy

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Via gifbay.com

In English: It’s so heavy! What do carry in here, bricks?In Spanish: ¡Esta bien pesado! ¿Qué es lo que cargas aquí, ladrillos? In Spanglish: Esta bien hevy, eh. ¿Que tienes aquí, ladrillos?

8. El shopping = The Mall

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Revolution Studios / Via nkayesel.com

In English: Let’s go to the mall and get some new clothes. In Spanish: Vamos al centro comercial para comprar ropa nueva.In Spanglish: Vamonos al shopping para agarrar ropa nueva.

9. El locker = The Locker

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Bento Box Entertainment / Via dinarvets.com

In English: I think I left it in my locker.In Spanish: Creo lo dejé dentro de mi casillero.In Spanglish: Pos esta en el locker.

10. Ver Un Show = Watch A Show

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Via s902.photobucket.com

In English: Let’s watch a new show.In Spanish: Miremos un nuevo programa de televisión.In Spanglish: Vamos a ver un nuevo show.

11. El Ticket = A Citation Or An Actual Ticket

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Warner Bros. / Via giphy.com

In English: They gave me a ticket for parking there.In Spanish: Me multaron por estacionarme allí. In Spanglish: Ay, me dieron un ticket por parquearme allí.

12. Pari = Party

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Via funnygirls-help.tumblr.com

In English: Woo! Let’s go to a party!In Spanish: ¡Yay! ¡Vamos a la fiesta!In Spanglish: Woo, woo! Vámonos de pari!

13. Bibaporú = Vicks Vapor Rub

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Via youtube.com

In English: Vicks Vapor Rub does miracles.In Spanish: El Vicks Vapor Rub hace milagros.In Spanglish: Bibaporú es un miracle.

14. Sangweesh = Sandwich

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Frederator Studios / Via banteratbest.tumblr.com

In English: I’ll prepare myself a sandwich.In Spanish: Me voy a preparar un sandwich. In Spanglish: Me hago un sangweesh.

15. Konfleis = Cereal

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Via socialphy.com

In English: Can you pass the cornflakes, please.In Spanish: Me pueden pasar el cereal, por favor.In Spanglish: Dame los konfleis.

16. Yarda = Yard

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Via rigo4k.tumblr.com

In English: We need to clean the backyard.In Spanish: Tenemos que limpiar el patio.In Spanglish: Pues tenemos que limpiar la yarda.

17. Taipear = Type

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Community Channel / Via my.englishclub.com

In English: You type really fast.In Spanish: Usas el teclado bastante rápido.In Spanglish: Taipeas muy rápido.

18. Texteo = Text

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Via isthiswhyimstillsingle.wordpress.com

In English: Okay, I’ll text her back.In Spanish: Bueno, le voy a enviar un mensaje de texto.In Spanglish: OK, déjame textearle de regreso.

19. Te Llamo Para Atrás = Call You Back

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Hemingson Entertainment / Via xclusivetouch.co.uk

In English: I’ll give you a callback when I get it. In Spanish: Te regresaré la llamada cuando lo tenga.In Spanglish: Te llamo para atras cuando lo tenga.

20. Winnie = Weenie

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Via pandawhale.com

In English: Do you know what weenies are made out of?In Spanish: ¿Sabes de qué están hechas las salchichas?In Spanglish: ¿De que están hechos los winnies?

21. Cachup = Ketchup

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FOX / Via gifsoup.com

In English: I hate ketchup on my fries.In Spanish: No me gusta la ketchup en mis papas fritas.In Spanglish: No me gusta la catchup en mis papas fritas.

22. Flonquear = Flunk

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Dimension Films / Via nikredd.tumblr.com

In English: I always flunk math class.In Spanish: Siempre repruebo la clase de matemáticas. In Spanglish: Pos voy a flonquear math por que no me gusta.

23. Freeser = Freezer

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Via coolbubble.com

In English: Put it in the freezer.In Spanish: Ponlo en el congelador. In Spanglish: Pos ponlo en el freeser.

24. Jamburger = Hamburger

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Via cockbarf.tumblr.com

In English: This hamburger is so delicious. In Spanish: Esta hamburguesa es deliciosa. In Spanglish: La jamburger esta bien rica.

Read more: http://buzzfeed.com/alejandroalba/spanglish-words-your-parents-hate-hearing

24 Everyday Words You Didn’t Know Were Spanglish

English, espaol, ingles, language, Spanglish, Spanish.

Ali G Wins British Comedy Awards 2012

It was around ten years ago that British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen took the comedy world by storm, playing famous characters, like Borat and Ali G. 

Now, years later, the British Comedy Awards has honored Ali G with an Outstanding Achievement to Comedy award. 

 

Read more: http://www.viralviralvideos.com/2012/12/14/ali-g-wins-british-comedy-awards-2012/

Ali G Wins British Comedy Awards 2012

Ali G, Award Show, borat, British, celebrity, England, English, funny, television

Interview With Little British Girl Demonstrates True Yorkshire Accent

This video was posted online way back in 2007 by Leew63, but it has just experienced a second viral surge of viewership, garnering over half a million views just this week. 

In the video, the cameraman interviews his then three year old niece who speaks with a very classic Yorkshire accent. Viewers are simply loving the British girl’s adorable stories and anecdotes, especially how she says, ‘monkey.’

 

Read more: http://www.viralviralvideos.com/2013/05/31/interview-with-little-british-girl-demonst-true-yorkshire-accent/

Interview With Little British Girl Demonstrates True Yorkshire Accent

accent, accents, aww, British, cute, English, interview, Silly, Yorkshire

English Accents From Around The World

Dan Considine has instantly gone viral with his ‘world tour’ accent reel. He improvised English speaking accents from across Europe, Russia and more in this viral video covered by MSN and Jezebel.

 

Read more: http://www.viralviralvideos.com/2012/04/28/english-accents-from-around-the-world/

English Accents From Around The World

accent, britain, English, Europe., Nerd., UK