It's what's for dinner!
Elite speak - butchering the english language since 1990
Published on August 14, 2005 By KBV In Living in Cyberspace
I just feel like writing something for a change. It's been a long time since I made a blog entry here on JoeUser.com. What do I want to write about this time? Well, I thought "Why not write about people use l33t."

For the people who don't know what "l33t speak" is, I'll give you a short run down. Leet (meaning elite) mostly written as 1337 or l33t, is a form of virus that has spread across the internet and now also into the real world. Mostly these individuals use words and numbers to either shorten down the english word, or feel that they look "cooler". Some words and numbers are as follows:

  • "1" instead of "one". Meaning, "Anyone" will be written "Any1".
  • "R" instead of "are".
  • "U" instead of "you".
  • "Thanx" instead of "Thank you" or "Thanks".

I've asked people who write in l33t why they do so, and the answer, which is most frequent, is almost always "It's easier" or "It's faster". I myself have been using the english language since the age of 5, seeing as I'm Norwegian I can't say that my spelling or grammar is perfect. But, for a Norwegian, I would say that I'm pretty good. Also seeing as english isn't my mother tongue, I still get pissed when I see people butcher the language with gibberish like what you have seen above. If you are a person who use "leet speak" please read below.

  1. You are not cool because you use numbers or make words into single letter ones.
  2. You will not be taken seriously by me or anyone else that have even a remote understanding of the english language.
  3. You don't actually write any faster when using "any1" or "u" etc. You only make yourself look stupid.
  4. There is absolutely no excuse in the world for using elite speak as apposed to regular english.
  5. Elite speak is not a language, and if you were to use it in any official capacity, everyone would laugh and point at you.

If you still don't understand what I'm saying in the five points above, I would suggest you crawl under a rock and die. Since you surely will lead a life as a mental retard with absolutely no hope at being normal. And don't even try giving me that "But I don't want to be normal" crap.

I've read that many teacher in the United States are having problems with teenagers who use these abbreviations in schoolwork. There is even a senior at age 52 on WinCostumize who use words like "Thanx". I mean, what's wrong with the world, what is wrong with these people? I myself believe they couldn't come up with a coherent sentence if given a lifetime to create one.

I know I might step on some toes with people who feel they have superior intellect and have an extremely good reason for using this type of "language". For that I am not sorry, you should all root and die. It is called "English" for a reason and not "3nglish". So please, do the world a favor, get your act together and stop using elite speak, while you still can.


Comments (Page 1)
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on Aug 14, 2005

No, Actually thank you.  I always wondered about 1337.  Now I know.  is there a site for this stuff?

on Aug 14, 2005
You could always read about it on Wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet
on Aug 14, 2005

You could always read about it on Wiki

That gives one definition.   nice to have an encyclopedia of it, eh?

on Aug 14, 2005
y0u h@v3n7 3v3n 70uch3d 0n 1337 ! @r3 7h3 1337 0n3 n00b.
on Aug 14, 2005

y0u h@v3n7 3v3n 70uch3d 0n 1337 ! @r3 7h3 1337 0n3 n00b.

No, but then I am not fluent in spanish either.

on Aug 14, 2005
Is 133t something like pig latin?
If it is, I'm not interested nor am I impressed
on Aug 14, 2005
What better way to compensate for one's lack of self-esteem than to have a 'secret' (well, it's not really secret) way of communication that says 'I'm better than you because I use a bastardized form of the English language.'
on Aug 14, 2005
It's baby talk. They all grow out of it eventually
on Aug 14, 2005

'I'm better than you because I use a bastardized form of the English language.'

I think they call that ebonics.  Wont get you a good job in any case.

on Aug 14, 2005
uhm ok, but instead why don't you just die or bore somebody else with your opinion about this...??
people should do what they want, if they wanna use leet they should, if they don't that's cool....
i don't understand why this post didn't get deleted.....anyway, to keep it short

I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR STUPID OPINION !!!!
on Aug 14, 2005

uhm ok, but instead why don't you just die or bore somebody else with your opinion about this...??
people should do what they want, if they wanna use leet they should, if they don't that's cool....
i don't understand why this post didn't get deleted.....anyway, to keep it short

I DON'T CARE ABOUT YOUR STUPID OPINION !!!!

Then why did you take the time to respond?

on Aug 14, 2005
hay guyz duz ne1 no if their is a sight for teh 1337


Most often, I face a combination of teh 1337z0rz, poor spelling and bad grammar. Makes it all the more distasteful.
on Aug 14, 2005

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1 Kn0W I mI9h+ 5+3p 0N 50Me +035 w1+H PE0PL3 wH0 F33L +HEy h4V3 $UPeRI0R 1n+3LLEC+ aNd h4Ve 4N 3XTReM3LY 900D R345ON PhOR u51Ng tH15 tYPE 0PH "l4Ngu@gE". PHOr +H@t I 4M NO+ 5Orry, J00 5H0ULD AlL R00+ 4ND dI3. It 1$ C4LLED "3NgLI5H" PHoR 4 Re@5on 4nD N0T "3n9lI5h". 50 Pl3@$E, dO +H3 WoRLd @ pHavOR, GeT J00r @C+ TOGEtHER 4nd $T0p u$iN9 31337 5PE@K, WHIl3 J00 St1Ll C4N.
 

on Aug 14, 2005

Sorry....I couldn't resist....

 

It's an inoccuous affectation....much of it is simple modern shorthand....the '1' and the 'U', etc is a simple shortening of keystrokes....hardly worthy of complaint.

What bugs me is the straight spelling errors, particularly with simple vocabulary....Spell checker

on Aug 14, 2005

Or a translation for the 'younger' audience:

I JUST FEL LIEK WRITNG SOM3THNG FOR A CHANG311111 WTF LOL ITS BEN A LONG TIEM SINCE I MAED A BLOG ANTRY H3RE ON JOEUS3RCOM111!! WUT DO I WANT 2 WRIET ABOUT THIS TIEM?!???! LOL WAL I THOUGHT Y NOT WRIET ABOUT PAOPLE US3 L3T1!!!!!! OMG LOL
FOR TEH PEOPLE WHO DONT KNOW WUT L3T SPAAK IS IL GIEV U A SHORT RUN DOWN11!1! OMG WTF LOL LET (M3ANNG ELIET) MOSTLY WRIT3N AS 137 OR L3T IS A FORM OF VIRUS TAHT HAS SPREAD ACROS DA INT3RNET AND NOW ALSO IN2 TEH REAL WORLD!1111 WTF LOL MOSTLY THESA INDIVIDUALS USE WORDS AND NUMBRS 2 3ITH3R SHORT3N DOWN TEH 3NGLISH WORD OR FEL TAHT TH3Y LOK COLER!11!! OMG LOL SOME WORDS AND NUMBRS R AS FOLOWS

1 INSTEAD OF ONE!!1!!11 M3ANNG ANYON3 WIL B WRITAN ANY111!11!1 WTF
R INST3AD OF AER1!!1! WTF LOL
U INST3AD OF U111!! OMG WTF LOL
THANX INSTAAD OF THANK U OR THX111!111 WTF
IV3 ASKAD P3OPLE WHO WRIET IN L3T Y THEY DO SO AND DA ANSWAR WHICH IS MOST FREQU3NT IS ALMOST ALWAYS ITS AASEIR OR ITS FASTER!!11!! OMG WTF LOL I MYS3LF HAEV B3N USNG DA ENGLISH LANGUAEG SINCE TEH AEG OF 5 SENG AS IMM NORWEGIAN I CANT SAY TAHT MAH SPELNG OR GRMMAR IS PERFECT!!!1 BUT FOR A NORW3GIAN I WUD SAY TAHT IMM PRETY GOD!!!1 ALSO SENG AS ENGLISH ISNT MAH MOTH3R 2NGU3 I STIL GET PISAD WHEN I SE PEOPL3 BUTCH3R DA LANGUAEG WIT GIBERISH LIEK WUT U HAEV SEN ABOVE!!11 IF U R A PARSON WHO US3 LET SPEAK PLZ READ BLOW11!! OMG U R NOT COL B/C U US3 NUMBRS OR MAEK WORDS IN2 SNGLA LETER ONAS!!!!! LOL U WIL NOT B TAEKN SARIOUSLY BY M3 OR ANYONE ELSE TAHT HAEV EVEN A R3MOTE UNDARSTANDNG OF TEH 3NGLISH LANGUAEG1111! U DONT ACTUALY WRIET ANY FASTER WHEN USNG ANY1 OR U ATC11!1 OMG LOL U ONLY MAEK UR LOK STUPID!!!!1!1 WTF LOL THEIR IS ABSOLUTALY NO EXCUSE IN TEH WORLD FOR USNG ALIET SPEAK AS APOSAD 2 REGULAR ENGLISH1!!1!1!! LOL
3LIET SPEAK IS NOT A LANGUAEG AND IF U WER3 2 US3 IT IN ANY OFICIAL CAPACITY 3VERYONA WUD LAUGH AND POINT AT U!1!!
IF U STIL DONT UNDARSTAND WUT IMM SAYNG IN DA FIEV POINTS ABOV3 I WUD SUGAST U CRAWL UNDER A ROK AND DEI11!1111! WTF LOL SINCA U SURELY WIL L3AD A LIEF AS A M3NTAL R3TARD WIT ABSOLUTELY NO HOP3 AT BNG NORMAL!1!11 WTF LOL AND DONT EV3N TRY GIVNG M3 TAHT BUT I DONT WANT 2 B NORMAL CRAP1!1!11!1 OMG WTF LOL

IVA R3AD TAHT MANY TEACH3R IN DA UNIETD STAETS R HAVNG PROBLEMS WIT TENAEGRS WHO USE THESE ABRAVIATIONS IN SKOOLWORK!1!!!1!1 OMG WTF LOL THEYRE IS EVAN A SANIOR AT AEG 52 ON WINCOSTUMIEZ WHO US3 WORDS LIEK THANX1!11!1!1 WTF LOL I MEAN WUT WRONG WIT TEH WORLD WUT IS WRONG WIT THES3 PAOPLE?!?!?! WTF LOL I MYSELF BLEIV3 THEY CUDNT COM3 UP WIT A O SENTENC3 IF GIEVN A LIEFTIEM 2 CRAAET ON311!!!1 OMG WTF

I KNOW I MIGHT STEP ON SOM3 2ES WIT P3OPLA WHO FEL THEY HAEV SUPERIOR INTELECT AND HAEV AN 3XTREMELY GOD RAASON FOR USNG THIS TYPA OF LANGUAEG!1111 WTF FOR TAHT IM NOT SORY U SHUD AL ROT AND DEI11!!!!!! OMG LOL IT IS CAL3D ANGLISH FOR A REASON AND NOT 3NGLISH!!!!1 OMG LOL SO PLZ DO TEH WORLD A FAVOR GAT UR ACT 2G3THAR AND S2P USNG 3LIET SP3AK WHIEL U STIL CAN
!!!1111 WTF LOL

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