I would love to print this out and staple it to the forehead of a great many people that I deal with on a regular basis. The language is quickly becoming an awful mess.

I hate buzzwords - especially when I don't know what they mean.

I would add BTW and maybe whatev. Just sayin'! :)

I already like you a whole bunch, but if you can make the hashtag #fail disappear from Twitter forever, you'll be my new favorite person.

Add "social media" to the list.

Why? Because nobody can agree on its definition. M'kay?

I'm going to jump in and play the former linguist card and disagree, but also throw something else into the mix. (Note: I understand the lighthearted nature of the post, but thought it would pave the way for some interesting discussion)

We are not destroying our language.

Languages evolve. Simple. Go back and attempt to read a novel or play in Middle English and you may understand some of it, but it will seem foreign and weird to you. Why? Our current modern English evolved just the same way that our language is evolving now and will continue to evolve as long as humans are communicating.

Now, is totally going to be replaced with totes? Probably not, but there is no reason it could be except for people saying "that isn't what the rule is." or "We are destroying our language".The overarching issue at hand that isn't addressed above is the problem of register - varieties of language that are used in certain social settings for certain purposes. A clean example is the use of -ing at the end of words (think walking vs. walkin'). If you are amongst friends, you would more than likely say walkin, but if you are in a professional meeting, most default to saying the entire word, 'walking'. There are five different registers in language, generally speaking.

Static - Things that are frozen in time (Pledge of Allegiance, Our Father)

Formal - Commonly accepted format, aka.the right way to speak (Speeches, sermons, announcements)

Consultative - standard form of communication (two business people meet, you talk to your boss)

Casual - informal way to speak. In this register, you have to be a member of the group to speak (soccer team, letters to friends, drinking buddies)

Intimate - private way of speaking. (how you speak to your wife, your parents, children)

All languages across the world have different register types for different situations. This is as common as languages itself. However, what is happening is that the situations in which people switch registers are becoming blurred.

More importantly, the Consultative and Casual registers are blurring together. As the boss-worker relationship begins to change and evolve, so does the formality of the language used between them. When I'm friends with my boss, and we get into a conversation, my language register can slip into casual instead of consultative.

Look, people use ridiculous saying and names with their friends all the time. It's part of how language shapes friendships and solidarity. But, now that the definition of friendship is changing (think offline to online) the way in which language is being used is undergoing the same change, and being brought out into the limelight.