The Great Debate: Y = Yes or Y = Why?

[Thedude]

Yes = Yes and Why = Why, 'text' shorthand makes anyone that uses it look completely moronic.

“Some of the extremes of ‘LOL’ talk are a little bit bizarre to the non-initiated, but that’s true of anything. If you look at the 18th century or 19th century letters written by Swift, Johnston, or by Byron, you will notice they speak in text-talk. Paper was very expensive, the posting of paper was immensely expensive. So people wrote ‘yr’ for ‘your’ and they compressed every word they possibly could. They wrote, what we call today: a text language. But they were Byron, Wordsworth and Jane Austen, and no one would dare to say: oh what scum, what vulgar idiots they are. Because the young happen to do that now, the ignorant who haven’t thought it through, and who rejoice in their apparent superiority seem to think that there's something wrong with that.”

[BatteredRose]

Why anyone feels the need to shorten three letter words in the first place is beyond me.

I dunno, Homer said it tripled his productivity. :P

[Greeney]

y = x + 1.

[Cowt]

Communication is important.

To reply with 'Y' is knowingly setting up your partner for possible misunderstandings.

Misunderstandings lead to arguments, and fights, and war.

So unless you're deliberately trying to annoy somebody; spend two key-presses to properly define your statement.

- Also: Putting in the extra effort when communicating with somebody else can be viewed as decency, and may be rewarded with gratitude. Consciously or not. As well as people being more inclined to listen to what you have to say.

[eriseis]

y=yes

those that use Y for why are just dumb <.<

Those who use "that" instead of "who"...

[Deleted]

Obviously, going from this thread, some people care. In fact, a lot of people care.

Then quite frankly, if how somebody types on the internet makes you angry or offends you, you need to re-evaluate your life, there's FAR bigger issues than people missing 2 letters out of a word.

[Naoto]

Fag: cigarette
Fag: gay man

To answer the question, it's one of these things that can mean two things and it's based on whatever way it's used, then again saying I need a fag can mean both of the above so there's no real answer, better question would be, why not just say why or yes considering they are both three letter words and not exactly hard to say are they but this is the generation we find ourselves in where people can't be arsed using three letters.

If anyone answer a question with Y and just Y, you know it's time to stop talking to them take the hint that this person is probably both lazy and retarded.

[George]

For me, y = yes.

[Forgettable]

y=yes

those that use Y for why are just dumb <.<

y=why

those that use Y for yes are just dumb <.<

See what I did there? :P I disagree.

[Jazz015]

I'd say the usage of the letter Y as a reply is not valid, and should be locked away and burned.

[Krolikn]

It depends who is using it. Usually the people I see using it mean "yes". It doesn't matter what it should be, people use it differently so you can never be certain without context...and even then its not always obvious.

[Deleted]

Y = yeah Y = why

[Meteoric]

I've always wondered.

Y = Yes
OR
Y = Why

Wonder no more! I entirely agree that the letter Y can stand for one of those things, or the other.

I see no reason it must be only one, since we have mountains of precedent for such things in language, and the different uses can almost always be easily distinguished from each other by context.

[Un0]

If I say "y" it means "yes"...

[Salech]

Yes = yes, Why = Why, Y = nothing.

[klaps_05]

there is this great thing called CONTEXT, try using it.

[Alienmonkey]

Y = Y....Stop being lazy and this would never be an issue

[Zyzzyx]

There are maybe two times it should even be acceptable to shorten a three letter word: field size is one character or keyboard is broken. Other than that, stop being so effing lazy. Typed this on a phone, you can do it on a keyboard.

[cubby]

I've always wondered.

Y = Yes
OR
Y = Why

Discuss...

Nothing to discuss. Y has always equally Yes. ? has always been the most related one letter/character relation to Why.

[minro]

My girlfriend sent a text to me about 3 years ago that said, "blah blah blah blah blah."

I then replied with, "blah blah blah blah. some random arbitrary statement like lets go see a movie blah blah blah."

She sent, "lol"

I replied with, "What about that last comment made you audibly laugh?"

Now I don't have to deal with stupidity in texts anymore. I am a much happier man.


Edit: So I dont get into trouble with a mod, here is my on topic view.
Y = 'and' in friggin Spanish.