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Personally I am not able to even write the T word without horrible flashbacks. Even writing drumpf, his immigrant name from Germany not Sweden, makes me nauseous. It’s not a communication issue, Andrea H.

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Most people understand the acronym DT.

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To me, DT means Delirium Tremens. Related distantly, perhaps, but I prefer the blandness of TFG. Much less triggering.

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Acronyms do interfere greatly with communication. As I said above, they do to prose what a dead cow does to the stream it's lying in. Interrupt the flow; dirty the waters.

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I WANT TO JOIN THIS EXCHANGE BY ADDING A COMMENT AND MY REPLY TO IT YESTERDAY:

TPJ (MA)17 hr ago

Gary DeathSentence could deliver more Electoral College votes from FL than the other two seditionists.

FERN MCBRIDE (NYC)15 hr ago

TPJ, I would like a favor from you. Subscribers are using acronyms, abbreviations, made up words, initials, etc., more and more. It is driving me crazy -- too demanding and too time consuming to figure out what the word is -- who's name it is??? I hold a lot of information in my head, along with names, lists, sources, etc.., so this other stuff is like dust that I have to keep clearing away. SO PLEASE USE NORMAL WORDS AND NAMES when exchanging with me. My patience has hit the WALL! Thanks T P J.

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Fern, Thank you for weighing in on this topic.

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This pollution of mystery words, uncommon acronyms and a plethora of initials amount to a nuisance, at best, for me. When requests for clarity are met by attacks, it is time for recess. We come to the forum for exchanges. Newcomers join daily as well as subscribers who may withdrew in the face of the unfamiliar uses of words. While warmth and humor are welcome, the forum is not a coffee klatch. We come to reason with Heather's Letter, exchange ideas and provide information. Barriers to clear communication are simply that.

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Maybe things will get better after this long exchange involving several people. Have a good day, Fern.

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Annie, I understand. However, within the context of most of our forum discussions, there is only one DT. Granted, The Former Guy (TGF) is a cutesy acronym that if explained up front is gaining acceptance and has become commonly known and used by many within our forum. But the first time I read it, I was totally flummoxed. The original comment that used the TGF acronym was a failure to communicate. And as someone else pointed out, we need a glossary to keep up with the onslaught of newly created acronyms.

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Relax, Andrea. Let go a little bit and please quit trying to make everyone meet your standards. I know some people have a bigger need than others to standardize things, but frankly, I think acceptance of the differences enables group bonding better than trying to make everybody think the same. I say this after decades of working with various groups trying to make both policy and practical decisions on matters that were significant to them.

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Annie, Please read my comment below from yesterday. AndreaH is not alone. I think using this 'old friends' explanation amounts to a lack of respect for others. It troubles me to see attacks on someone who is making a legitimate request.

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It appears to me that all Annie or Stuart are saying is that if anyone is unaware of the acronym - ask. I realize the number of readers/commenters now on the letter has increased & there are new people "speaking" here every day - Look at the time spent on ONE abbreviation! Really? I dont spend as much time here now reading ALL the comments that I did back before Jan.20th. And frankly, this was NOT one of the high spots of today.

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'fraud-45' works for me.

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