Ray,
There is no Academy of English, only Webster's and the like; perhaps that's a good thing. However, despite the non phonetic spelling, English is remarkably flexible, adaptable and generally eclectic. It accepts nonsense words like "normalcy", foreign words like "charisma" and "kindergarten" and jargon like "internet" and a zillion(G) acronyms without missing a stroke. There is a widely used slang which includes your "thru"(a bureaucratic invention) and silly stuff like "irregardless". However, there is a limit. I honestly have trouble understanding some posters on some threads and not just those who are professional double talkers or foreigners. It is frustrating to learn that most are adult, native born Americans. Some of this is just ignorance, laziness or some impairment like dislexia(sp), etc. However, I believe some of these people could do a lot better but are deeply contemptuous of others and their rules. These folks aren't making any friends, IMO. |
