OT: Tis the Season

I try at least once every year to get at least one more person to join the "cross out the X" club...meaning that I ask them why write or say X when it means they are taking "Christ" out of Christmas.

Xmas is nothing to celebrate, no reason whatsoever.

Ah, but Christmas....now that's what I'm talking about.

Donna in WA

Reply to
Lelandite
Loading thread data ...

The Greek letter chi looks like an X. Chi is the first letter in the Greek word Christos, meaning Christ. So Xmas could be considered a valid abbreviation for Christmas. However, unless the person you are writing for knows this, the X has no meaning to them, so I see where you are coming from.

Julia > I try at least once every year to get at least one more

Reply to
Julia in MN

And, in Mathematics, 'x' is the first 'unknown'.

I'm with you Donna, though I have just about given up on trying to change people's feelings about this. Now, as well as writing Christmas the short way, I have heard people *saying* 'x'-mas. I have to be content with waging my own private campaign not to buy anything with x-mas on, nor will I write it (other than here for illustrative purposes). . In message , Lelandite writes

Reply to
Patti

It's an ABBREVIATION - that's all - no more - no less.

Peace on earth, good will toward all - even those that use abbreviations, and those who get in a snit about it.

Doc

Reply to
Dr. Zachary Smith

I don't get in a snit about abbreviating Christmas; I simply and firmly avoid or correct it when it crosses my path. OTOH, I get in a real snit about cutsey-poo abbreviations such as veggies and the one that really gags me is evoo. Well, there's also maters and taters. Please. Spare me or I'll go call the alligators to come rid me of the lot of you(all). Polly

Peace on earth, good will toward all - even those that use abbreviations, and those who get in a snit about it.

Doc

Reply to
Polly Esther

Huh. . In message , Dr. Zachary Smith writes

Reply to
Patti

What's 'evoo' Polly? I've tried saying it out loud! . In message , Polly Esther writes

Reply to
Patti

Hi Donna,

I understand where you are coming from. I don't like the abbreviation either--but there are very few abbreviations I do like. Imo opinion our language is full of perfectly good words and we should use them.

Best regards, Michelle in Nevada

Reply to
Michelle C.

EVOO is an abbreviation popularized by one of the TV cooks here in the US, Pat. It stands for "extra-virgin olive oil", which she uses a *lot*. To say it, simply say the names of the letters: "Eee - Vee - Oh - Oh".

Reply to
Sandy

And I think I remember hearing that it was even added to the dictionary last year (but I'm too lazy to go look it up to confirm that - maybe later!).

Reply to
Louise in Iowa

For five years my home has been blissfully television free. No cooking shows, no sports playoffs, no screaming reality divas ..... you get the picture. In short, heaven. But now, because our internet provider has decided to become Scrooge, we will probably end up with a "bundle" of internet services that include computer AND ..... (drum roll) television. Oh. joy. Yep, the beast is stalking us. And my decision is this: do I accept the return of television, or do I give up Internet altogether. Sigh.

EVOO, indeed. What Philistines.

Sunny

Reply to
Sunny

They may be able to make you buy it, but they can't make you watch it! I suspect they can't even make you buy a TV to connect it to. We have basic cable TV; DH watches the news. I could get along quite nicely without it.

Julia > For five years my home has been blissfully television free. No cooking

Reply to
Julia in MN

Howdy!

Yeah, that's what I learned: they can't make you watch it. I like t.v.; it's been around my house forever. But I don't watch what I don't like. It's that little button that says "On" or "Power" that makes all the difference to me. Meanwhile, back at the ranch: Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat, please to put an FQ in the old quilter's hat!

R/Sandy

Reply to
Sandy E

I get what you are saying, though I am well aware that in that application X=chi.

I avoid using the word at all except with people who are wholely unreasonable about there being beliefs other than their own. With those folks I just see no reason to cause confrontation during the holidays.

My family celebrates Yule. The triumph of the sun, the god reborn, spring is coming back because look the days are getting longer again! Yay!

NightMist go>I try at least once every year to get at least one more

Reply to
NightMist

I go to hulu and watch what I want and ignore the rest. I also watch a news program or two sometimes. The television hasn't been hooked up to anything but the DVD player or VCR for years. I do wish we could get PBS, but there is aluminum siding on the bottom half of the house so broadcast reception is out of the question.

I am assuming that you are talking about a cable bundle? That is the only way I can think of that you would be stuck with TV in the mix. You know you could just let the cable for the cable lie there. There is no law that says you have to hook it to the TV.

NightMist

Reply to
NightMist

Ok I mentined this to DH. He says that with a lot of cable internet not having the cable for the TV hooked up can mess up your internet. But there is a solution. You can ask for a "terminator resistor" to hook up to the TV cable, and if they will not provide one you can buy one at Radio Shack or anyplace that sells stuff for cable TV.

NightMist it is a matter of voltage regulati>I go to hulu and watch what I want and ignore the rest. I also watch

Reply to
NightMist

Remember: just because it's in the bundle doesn't mean you HAVE to use it. And just don't buy a telly, then you can't use it...

Reply to
Kate XXXXXX

LOL! I sit back and enjoy the show. Language evolves. This is why words are continually added to, and deleted from, dictionaries. Furthermore, language evolves at a rate commensurate with technology, so the rate is increasing. Some evolution comes by way of slang*; some sticks and some falls by the wayside. As little as a century ago, some folks might have been as indignant about words/terms we accept in formal language today, and many of us have difficulty reading/understanding words of bygone eras (e.g. Shakespeare, Beowulf, The Sagas, or most anything written/translated into English centuries ago.)

I may have to fess up to a little hypocrisy myself in this area; one of my own bugaboos is the word "irregardless" which is gaining ground in many lexicons. I won't use it myself, but I've stopped getting upset and making a federal case out of it.

Doc

*slang (noun)
  1. very casual speech or writ> I don't get in a snit about abbreviating Christmas; I simply and firmly

snipped-for-privacy@33g2000vbe.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
Dr. Zachary Smith

What does that even *mean*???

Reply to
Dr. Zachary Smith

Doc, I scream when "irregardless" is said. I can't help myself. It's just a knee-jerk reaction to the sound of fingernails on a chalk board to me. No federal case, just screams. Very effective. None of my dogs has ever said irregardless more than once. LOL

Sunny

Reply to
Sunny

InspirePoint website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.