Prolly is Not a Word, You Moron!
I’ve come across this “word” one too many times on the Internet today, and I’m flabbergasted that its use is becoming such commonplace. The word being “prolly” — which has to be a shortened Internet slang for probably — no doubt derived from some kind of MTV influenced Ebonics dialect.
While I take issue at the use of idiotic slang as a whole (I guarantee you’d hate to have a face to face conversation with me if you use it), the reason I take particular issue here is that this word, and others like it, regularly come from the mouths of college educated young adults — individuals who have been given a piece of paper stating that they worked hard to meet the rudimentary requirements to be productive, contributing members of society! This begs for the (rhetorical) question; What the heck has happened to our education system in the good old USA, anyway? Heh. Don’t even get me started on that one…
Now, I don’t claim to always have a complete handle on English grammar myself (when is it I should contract ‘its’ in the possessive?), but it worries me to think that the art of our spoken and written English language is slowly giving way to thug influenced slang as a means of acceptable communication.
Mark my words. I foresee a generation of slackers who speak in double-negatives and don’t know the difference between a preposition and a cucumber before Generation X finally passes away.
15 Responses to “Prolly is Not a Word, You Moron!”
Thomahawk - 10.25.06
You are right it is not a good sign how bad habits from internet communications (mainly chatting) influence common language, but you forget that each generation brings again this problem in some form. I remember in my time 25 years ago (and in my language that is german) people were afraid of such bad changes in language and it did not happen.
hh - 11.01.06
Now go look up the meaning of “beg the question.” It’s (prolly) not what you think.
Jim - 11.01.06
I have — and you are correct. Thank you for pointing out my error. Post revised to express the thought properly.
Dave - 12.14.06
I can fully understand your sentiments, although you must realise that many words which are now accepted by English dictionaries were once themselves, or derived from, slang. The odd use of the word prolly is nothing compared to that horrific txt msg short hand which is now rife across the internet, I believe that a New Zealand school board admitted the possibility that such language could be accepted in examinations!
pearl - 01.11.07
hey, maybe we can’t spell probably *runs to the corner to sob myself asleep*
Nick - 01.11.07
Hey, maybe we use one comma at the immediate beginning of our statements to make it very difficult to find when one thought begins and the other ends runs to the corner to play a game of darts
pearl - 01.11.07
nick stop trying to show your smartness off to someone you dont know. this isn’t science class.
Nick - 01.11.07
Well, nothing more to do than to go into the corner and sob myself to sleep.
Wolfen - 01.13.07
“Prolly” has been in use as a midwestern slang term long before the era of instant messaging, thank-you-very-much — I’m over thirty and have both used and heard it used most of my life, so it’s by no means a recent invention. Do I use it in important speeches? No. But among friends, in casual conversation? Why on Earth shouldn’t I?
Are you saying that no new slang or colloquialisms should *ever* be invented? I suppose you never use any contractions? (Oh wait, you use several up there, don’t you?) Should we never say TV, but always television? Shall the Brits not be allowed to say “telly”? Such things are the colour and life of language. It must be allowed to change and grow. Or perhaps we should still be speaking Olde English?… By the way, I was the highest-level english classes my entire academic career, and am paid to write now. Don’t assume, just because people use slang, that they don’t know the “proper” words as well.
If the meaning behind a string of sounds or letters is recognised by others when used, it is indeed then a true word.
jimbo - 01.14.07
I believe that “begs the question” is actually a misuse of “beggars the question”, as in it devalues it to the point of worthlessness.
MB - 02.20.07
I TOTALLY agree!!
Look–if these cretins cannot utter the word PROBABLY and it proves to be too much to say..I have a great idea..
Maybe they should “prolly” be fed thru a tube and sit in a hospital for the feeble minded..
As for ebonics? DON’T GET ME STARTED!!
Wolfen–I could care less if it has been a midwestern slang word.
People who think they are being cute also use the term “Preggers” for pregnant..Am I to understand that it is too rigorous to say the word pregnant anymore?
But hey..what more can you expect from the midwest. People are PROBABLY 50 years behind the times compared to either coast.
Jim - 02.20.07
@MB - Whoa! Let’s not resort to insults about where one is geographically located. I spent my childhood in the Mid-West too…
@Wolfen - Slang with one’s close inner circle of friends? I have no issue with that. My wife and I have our own words that we use with one another for different situations. However, I highly doubt that I’d use the same words with anyone I do business with. It would make me look silly — which is what using “prolly” as a word does for those who have learned it as a replacement for probably.
@Dave - No doubt that NZ schools allowing text messaging short hand will give further rise to this situation. It’s a shame that youth is so catered to in this day and age. I don’t even want get off on that tangent. Forget emboldening the “T” word — we’ve already emboldened the youth of our country by catering to their whims.
My original point was — and I’ll try to stress it again — that college educated adults are regularly using this, and other “non-words” like it, in professional settings. In the past month alone, I have had the pleasure to correct several younger co-workers that have used this same non-word in written or verbal form.
Brandon - 05.27.08
I agree wholeheartedly with Wolfen on this. While using words in a professional setting may be inappropriate by society’s standards, a person’s choice of words defines how they are perceived but not necessarily their intelligence. I bet that you use the word “google” to refer to a search on the internet in a professional setting. Furthermore, these “non-words” serve to save time and effort, both in text and speech contexts, which translates into higher efficiency. That isn’t so stupid is it?
Furthermore, many languages have regional dialects that arise from slang. For example, here in the United States different regions use the words pop, soda, and coke to refer to carbonated soft drinks. Those terms are perfectly acceptable to use in profesional settings and are understood no matter where you live. Would you to say to someone using those terms that they should use ‘carbonated soft drinks’ instead? You would sound like an anal retentive dictionary robot. The content of the dictionary is not set in stone as words are continually added each and every year.
Why the need to call someone a moron because their vocabulary choices don’t mesh perfectly with yours? Ebonics and other slang have a place in society everywhere, and without them language would never have evolved to the level of detailed complexity we have today. Some slang terms derive their definition more succintly and even accurately than other methods of description.
Basically there’s no need to pucker your sphincter over anyone else’s vocabulary choices just because you perceive yourself to be smarter than they are. Free will and genetics can be both a blessing and a curse depending on how you choose to use them. How would you feel if some other asshole decided that since your grammar isn’t always perfect then you were a complete moron? Words gain meaning when someone else can understand them, understand?
Lastly, what type of sadistic individual takes pleasure in “correcting” someone for using a slang term that is perfectly understood, albeit not accepted, by everyone involved? There’s no need to make yourself become perceived as a giant prick, which I’m sure your younger co-workers do now, if you don’t stand to lose anything over it. If you’re going to be up someone’s ass correcting errors, get a pa system and try to save some lives by telling people how to drive safely. If you had a modicum of empathy and compassion you would realize that there is nothing to be gained by insults and narrow-mindedness, especially when over something as harmless and insignificant as a word. Word.
Brandon - 05.27.08
Jim - “@MB - Whoa! Let’s not resort to insults about where one is geographically located. I spent my childhood in the Mid-West too…”
@Jim - Whoa! Let’s not resort to insults about how one uses language. I spent my childhood speaking English too…
Jim - 05.27.08
Hmm…
Sounds like Brandon might be an angry troll looking for a fight, and is as much an ass as he perceives me to be. That’s fine. It’s his opinion (we all have one), no matter how insulting he tried to make it.
Nonetheless… I stand by mine. Even if I’m a “sadistic giant prick” in Brandon’s (or anyone else’s) eyes, street slang has no place in a professional setting.
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