Poll: LOL and OMG are now words?

[armadillo122]

No because they aren't actual words.They are shortenings. Besides,tehy are not using in any serious context or by anyone else than confused, pimple-ridden teenage boys.

Oh how passionately I hate them!

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

This has set a precedent. Prepare to watch civilization crumble.

Except it hasn't set the precedent, the precedent was already there. Phrases like SOS and AWOL have been in dictionaries for years. Languages change and evolve over time, and whilst I'm not a fan of 'LOLspeak' it was inevitable that this would happen.

 

[Dimitriov]

You know how the Oxford English dictionary is the penultimate source for what is and is not proper English? Yeah not anymore.

Seriously guys, we liked you because you were supposed to be stuffy and proper. Doing stuff like this just makes you look ridiculous, like a man in his 40's coming up to you, wearing his cap backwards, and saying "how's it going, brah?"

Do. Not. Want.

Now I can't use 'lol' as a substitute for actual laughter ironically.

PS: The great irony here is that The Escapist is telling me 'lol' is a spelling error.

 

[Aphex Demon]

If that's the case why ain't WTF or FTW relevant to the addition?

 

[Wintermoot]

they are abriviations for Laughing Out Load (LOL) and O My God (not gosh God)(OMG)

 

[putowtin]

What? Oh well there goes the english language!

 

[Woodsey]

But they are NOT words...they are...well, i dont remember the actual word, but they are multiple words.

Acronyms can go in the dictionary, as can slag.

People actually voted for "Yes" ?

Please excuse me while I go hang myself.

This has set a precedent. Prepare to watch civilization crumble.

I'm pretty sure Chaucer was criticised for "ruining" the language, and Shakespeare used to just make words up.

OT: LOL isn't pointless, its just become ironic, in that you only say it out loud when you're not actually laughing.

Its not a matter of can, its a matter of should...
It should not.

Do people use them? Yes.
Do they have meaning? Yes.
Are they widespread? Yes.

Qualifies for a dictionary entry in my mind. If we went by how you lot think, we'd still be talking the same way we did 1000 years ago. Its kind of like conservatism - ultimately pointless, because everything changes anyway, no matter how much you try and delay it.

People will use it whether its in the dictionary or not, so again, I don't really see the issue. Likewise, you're not forced to use it because its in the dictionary.

I am definatly someone who thinks that language should go with the times, but slang is slang. I really do not condone people talking like idiots (hene why I will never support..."ebonics")

Well, slang isn't slang. Its not exactly clear cut on which words fit into that category, and including slang in the directionary means that people are "talking like idiots" already; likewise, including it in the dictionary does not mean people are suddenly going to start using it more. Dictionaries also note which words would be considered slang anyway, just like they note which are abbreviations, verbs, adjectives, etc.

Dictionaries document language, they doesn't create it.