Tweeting Twitter Tweets
My dictionary is out of date. It doesn’t inform me that “google” is a verb and the only definition for “tweet” refers to a weak bird’s chirp. “Google” is now synonymous with “search” and “tweet” means to post on Twitter. “Tweeting” has become ingrained in our daily vernacular, conjuring images of quick microbursts of conversation between people vs. a chirping beaked fledgling. To help others traverse the tidewater that I, too traversed as a tweeter, I’ve tabulated this trusty tool to help you understand the difference between tweet derivatives BT (Before the Twitter Microblog platform) and AT (After Twitter).
BT (Before Twitter) Definitions:
Tweet n. A weak, chirping sound.
Tweet, Tweeting, Tweeted v. To utter a weak, chirping sound, as a young or small bird.
Tweeter n. A loudspeaker designed to reproduce high-pitched sounds in a high-fidelity audio system.
Twitter v. To utter a succession of light chirping or tremulous sounds, as a bird.
Twitterer n. One who twitters.
Twit n. An idiot
AT (After Twitter) Definitions: (So you don’t sound like a twit)
Tweet n. A message posted using the Twitter blogging platform.
Tweet, Tweeting, Tweeted v. The act of posting a message on Twitter.
Tweeter, Twitterer n. One who tweets.
Twitter n. A blogging platform that constrains posts to 140-character messages.
Twit n. An idiot
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These definitions bring a whole ‘nother meaning to “social media has changed the way we communicate.” (How’s that for meta-communication?)
Even five years ago I don’t think I imagined that I would say “Facebook me” or “Google it” on a daily basis. Really, that’s how often I depend on these phrases. Nope, it’s not going away. Wonder what we’ll be saying five years from NOW?
I can’t imagine! I was just so amused by how many words I, too use on a daily basis that are commonly accepted, but are not in my dictionary, that I had to write this article.