http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7775013.stm
A study of new slang terms entering English finds that technology is driving and perpetuating them. (((But, interestingly, much less *computer* technology.)))
For instance, "404" - the error message given when a browser cannot find a webpage - has come to mean "clueless".
Slang lexicographer Jonathon Green says that some such terms and abbreviations come about because of the limited speed and space afforded by text messaging.
However, an Australian study found that reading "textese" takes more time and results in more mistakes.
A study conducted by the telecommunications arm of the Post Office has searched out the terms that are not yet in wide use but may be soon.
"What we're seeing is the influence of technology coupled with current events and, inevitably of the young, who in many cases drive language," says Mr Green.
"It's focused on this world of mobile phones - these abbreviations are perfectly suited to those little screens."
And the very act of text messaging can throw up new terms: predictive text tends to choose "book" when users type the letters for "cool". Solution? Book now means cool. (((Hey man, that's book to know.)))
Oyster pearls
Of the more unlikely slang sources identified in the Post Office research is the Oyster system, a card-based payment scheme on the London Underground. The card readers show the number 35 if the card has run out of credit. As a result, "Code 35" has come to mean penniless. ((("Design dissolving in behavior.")))
Similarly, if you're behind the times, you might be "Code 11" - Oyster's way of signifying an out-of-date card.
While these might seem London-centric, Mr Green says that slang is inherently an urban phenomenon, and London has ruled the invention and propagation of slang as far back 16th century....
