DiS anD DAt WAteVAs CLeVa$$!!??

Translation: This and that, whatever's clever. The headline above is what you might call Ghetto speak, an urban slang that launched the whole ebonics debate several years back. In Oakland, California, they actually tried to teach students using their bastardized version of the English language. Now, with the advent of text messaging, teenagers abbreviate everything and in doing so, their texting extends into normal conversation. You hear it on the streets of New York and you find examples of it all over the web.

After a Google search for words like dis, dat, peeps(people), rents (parents), kat (friend), nikka (friend), I discovered a treasure trove of ghetto speak. Many of them popped up on Craigslist, a wildly popular online classified website, featuring ads for apartments, for sale items and personals. Others, like the one below came from AOL profiles. If you're over 30, don't even attempt to translate. But, if you're younger, you probably get it.



WhTs GoOd Ev3ryBoDy??? Ya Now RoCKin Wit ThE --BesT-- the names Ricky... i recently moved to selden so holla at me.. i am 5'9 150lb's. black hair, brown eyes... I am very blunt nd straight forward if u dnt like it..{DEAL WIT IT}.. I laugh at everything... I dnt really get mad everythings a joke. MY FRIENDS ROCK ND UR JEALOUS haha, gotta thk the ppl tht stayed u kno who u r. I like to jus kik it wit my friends.. hang out the usual.. I dnt like fake, shady, liers, or jus dumb ppl....

This next one, you not only need a translator, but a hieroglyphics guide and a CIA codebook.

The need to speak like someone from the inner-city area of Portland, Oregon.
WuZ Up B1tCh3zz iT$ y0 guRl juzz ch!Ll1n wit m@h nUmBAa on3 h0mi3 b@bii U nOE!! w3z bOut 2 h!t uP SuM kiLl@ paRT!!3z l8r s0 text !f u wanN@ HaNg!!!1 th!z iZ m@h gh3tt0 t@Lk. yUpzz, ghetto talk

But, perhaps the most outlandish example is this little ditty from a gay kid trying to find another guy to have sex with.



yo was gd itz ur rikan kat n the bx lookn 4 peeps n problly more. most likely i wont find what i want here but hey letz give it a try lol. first off if u lookn for sex old or fat keep it moving ya digg. lookn fo on point educated dudes no thugs only gentlemen im madd koo fun agrseivve love 2 cuddle love 2 smoke lol very honest faithful and i work and go 2 skool so if u wanna know more or feeling the add plz do holla aight

In fact, his post was so over the top, someone else decided to post a message responding to it......

Son, you claim to want an "educated dude". Educated in what??? You need to be honest with yourself and stop wasting time. Your ad is intelligible to a few, and I fear that those are neither educated or intelligent. Those are who you will attract with that ad!!

This all makes you wonder, Do they really talk this way to their parents and teachers? If that trash came out of my kids mouth, I'd probably enroll him in a summer school for Shakespearean literature. Either that or I'd go out and find one of those tough-love British nannies you see on T.V.