Oxford £6.99
Txting: The gr8 db8, By David Crystal
Sunday 18 October 2009
Latest in Reviews
The prolific populariser of linguistics David Crystal strikes again, this time with a readable and informative account of the phenomenon of texting. And what a phenomenon it is: a decade ago, texting was virtually unknown; by 2010 some 2.4 trillion texts will be sent globally.
Crystal argues convincingly that the doom-mongers who say texting is a linguistic disaster have their facts wrong: the majority of texted words are correctly spelt and the playful use of acronyms, vowel-less words, rebuses and logographs all have their roots in older linguistic practice. Txting is full of examples of inventive texting tricks, in English and many other languages around the world. I liked learning that "a3" means "Any time, any place, anywhere", and that the French way of texting "cassette" is "k7". I loved the examples of one-line text poems such as "Basildon: imagine a car park"; "They phone you up, your mum and dad"; and "txt me Ishmael". Crystal's combination of enthusiasm and erudition is persuasive. I'm a convert. Txting is gr8!
- 1 Whitney Houston: The diva who had – and lost – it all
- 2 BANNED: The most controversial films
- 3 The artist vandalising advertising with poetry
- 4 Silent revolution at the Baftas as the French take top awards
- 5 Spotify: 1 million plays, £108 return
- 6 Mona Lisa's 'twin sister' is discovered – 500 years late
- 7 The fuzzy, felty, fabulous return of the Muppets
- 1 Eight arrests as Murdoch 'throws staff to the wolves'
- 2 I was born to be a killer. Every night I see the Devil in my dreams
- 3 Pucker up: The art of kissing
- 4 Lightning kills an entire football team
- 5 BBC to issue global apology for documentaries that broke rules
- 6 Rothschild loses libel case, and reveals secret world of money and politics
- 7 The artist vandalising advertising with poetry
- 8 Modern lovers: The 'sexual body warriors' and pioneers transforming 21st-century relationships
- 9 Spotify: 1 million plays, £108 return
- 10 The 10 best hair straighteners
Free trial of new Independent iPad app
Get your daily dose of the best of British journalism, sponsored by American Airlines
Win a three-week coastal jaunt
Spend three weeks exploring every nook and cranny of gorgeous Atlantic Canada.
Amazing restaurant offers
Three glasses of free champagne and a special menu at 46 top London restaurants.
Latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Day In a Page
Silent revolution at the Baftas
The diva who had – and lost – it all
How Picasso won over (some of) the British

Comments