Clueless

<p>OK, can someone decipher some of the slang the kids use? I'm just not with it.</p>

<p>My bad = my mistake?
Woot = wow?
Meh = eh?</p>

<p>Just guessing.
Hey, if you can clue me in, it would be groovy.</p>

<p>yes, those are right.</p>

<p>I'm a student, but I can help you out.</p>

<p>"My bad" = "Whoops, my fault"
"Meh" = "I don't care. Whatever." (a hybridization of "mm" and "eh", I believe)
"woot" = "YEAH" (w00t is woefully misunderstood.</p>

<p>"On the subject of 'w00t'" (you asked for it! - forgive any typos, it was done early in the morning several months ago).</p>

<p><a href="http://www.plasticbag.org/archives/2002/12/the_history_of_woot_whoot_and_w00t.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.plasticbag.org/archives/2002/12/the_history_of_woot_whoot_and_w00t.shtml&lt;/a>
*This graph depicts the frequency of the words “w00t”, “woot”, and “whoot” on the (ever popular) usenet boards between 1992 and 2002.</p>

<p>The exact meaning of "woot" is unknown. One can only learn to use it properly after hearing it in context (very frequently).</p>

<p>w00t and woot experienced a surge of popularity late in the year of 1999. This coincides perfectly with the release of an incredibly popular multiplayer modification of the game Half-Life (Valve software). The mod is named "Counterstrike". Although it is approaching five years of age (a phenomenal life in the gaming world) it is still far and beyond the most played game on the internet. The original Counterstrike players may have gone on to play other games, further spreading the phrase.</p>

<p>“whoot”, from “hoot”
\Hoot\, v. t. To assail with contemptuous cries or shouts; to follow with derisive shouts.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1998</p>

<ul>
<li>The current theory is that “w” was added through a typographical error: In many games, the key used for forward movement is the “w” key. Players frequently type “w” by accident when writing to eachother mid-game since the middle finger is permanently anchored to the key. Through repetition, the word may have developed into “whoot”.</li>
</ul>

<p>“woot”
-This might have a different root than “whoot”. Many credit the first online role-players as the source of the word. In many role-playing games, killing a monster makes them drop items (i.e. “loot”). When players saw some particularly good item, they would exclaim “wow, loot!”. Over time this may have been shortened to “woot”. The reason for the continued popularity of “woot” between action gamers is likely due to the fact that players are reluctant to tap their number pad to insert zeroes. The time saved by omitting the zeroes is crucial in action games where players have little time to chat in between bouts of fighting/racing/etc.</p>

<p>“w00t”
-This is the most developed form of the word. The zeroes stress the main syllable, maybe even representing a variable quantity of "o"s*. They add a sense of volume to the word, causing it to feel more excited to the reader. "1337 5p34|<3|25" use this form of the word.</p>

<p>*Every one o increment between “wot” and “wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooot” returned at least one result on Google.
Every one 0 increment between “w0t” and “w0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000t” returned at least one result on Google.</p>

<p>My bad = my mistake?
Woot = wow?
Meh = eh?</p>

<p>Umm..</p>

<p>My bad = Sorry, my mistake.</p>

<p>w00t = Yey! </p>

<p>Meh = Don't really care.</p>

<p>Kinshasa: Groovy???</p>

<p>Kinshasa...get with the program! I would not be "groovy", it would be "awesome"!
:-)</p>

<p>That should have read "IT" would not be groovy....not "I" would not be groovy....</p>

<p>My bad!</p>

<p>Kinshasa, good thread for us oldies with plants growing out of our ears! :)</p>

<p>Achat:
Given that we are from the Woodstock generation, those plants are probably illegal :-)</p>

<p>True, true. But our generation does have a problem thinking of ourselves as old. How did the years go by so quickly?</p>

<p>Achat:
Beats me. Seems like just yesterday we were changing diapers on 'em, then all of a sudden they turned into these poised, mature, <em>idealistic</em> young adults charging out to face the world.</p>

<p>Mad props to you all!</p>

<p>Geez, I've just learned to say Yay; I've laughed at teenagers' habit of describing everything either as "awesome" or "it sucks." But I had to get onto CC to learn about woot, my bad and meh. I feel positively antedeluvian.</p>

<p>Some slang (or accepted modern usage) creeps into my conversation.</p>

<p>My favorite: "Whatevuh"...said in my best native NY accent, accept on "EV"
If I'm with my daughter, I end with "I do what I want"--from a South Park episode we watched together</p>

<p>I say "totally" a lot too</p>

<p>The word I hate the most--- the most misused and just plain wrong grammatically-- is HOPEFULLY. Anyone else feel that way?</p>

<p>Kinshasa:</p>

<p>The battle against the misuse of hopefully is hopeless. :( It's already lost as is the battle against starting with the singular then continuing with the plural as in "if your child is absent more than one day, they must bring in a form from the doctor."</p>

<p>My pet peeve is "healthy", as in "this food is healthy for you". Now I'm sure the celery was attending jazzercise class just for my benefit, before it began to grow this really groovy green mold and....</p>

<p>Marite, that is a fundamental must know on the SAT2 Writing--the singular/plural agreement. A kid who can root that out gets some points right off the bat as that subject arises often on the test Makes me wonder how many of those school folk have even taken SAT2s.</p>

<p>marite--I agree wholeheartedly that "hopefully" is an adverb that should be struck from the English language. Other pet peeves are "impact" as a verb and people who use adjectives in place of adverbs. I find myself listening to the radio (NPR, at that!) and saying "-ly" every time I hear another instance. Argh! Give me Strunk and White any day and diagramming sentences!!! (Remember those?)</p>

<p>S2 says "hella", as in "oh, that's a hella tight movie" is not recognized in Chicago. Anyone elses' kids use "hella" and "hecka"?</p>

<p>No hella in Texas...yet. But "shutevah" is replacing "whatevah"</p>